TIBETAN WRITING 



Tibetans have two ways of writ- 

 ing characters. One is with pen 

 and ink, the other with a style, 

 chaUv powder, and blackboard. In 

 the pictures is shown a Tibetan 

 holding a stub-shaped bamboo pen 

 in his right hand (see page 991). 

 The inkstand is set in the box fur- 

 ther to the right. He writes hori- 

 zontally from left to right, like 

 Europeans. 



The other picture (page 991) 

 depicts the second method. The 

 writer holds in his left hand a 

 blackboard covered with chalk 

 powder. In his right hand is a 

 small style, with which he scratches 

 the characters on the blackboard. 

 These characters are formed by 

 the exposed black background. 

 This process of writing is most 

 interesting and unique, being just 

 the opposite of the ordinary chalk- 

 and-blackboard system. 



BURIAI, CUSTOMS OV' TIBE;T 



Most astounding and supersti- 

 tious perhaps of all the customs 

 in Tibet are the different ways of 

 burial which prevail. Lamas of 

 the higher order are generally cre- 

 mated by fire. Some of the dead 

 bodies of the ordinary people are 

 placed on the top of high moun- 

 tains, where they become the prey 

 of crows, hawks, and vultures. 



The common people generally 

 dispose of the bodies of deceased 

 persons by cutting the flesh into 

 small pieces and pounding the 

 bones into paste, mixing these with 

 barley flour. With this compound 

 they feed the dogs. These dogs 

 have been trained so thoroughly 

 that when the funeral ceremony 

 takes place they all form in line 

 and stand patiently, like people 

 buying tickets at a railway sta- 

 tion, awaiting their turn for the 

 feast. 



Dogs abound in Tibet. Since 

 the Tibetans believe that men are 

 transformed into dogs after death, 

 the people worship dogs as gods. 

 Dogs, therefore, are regarded as 



