Geographical Notice of Tibet. 3 
and polite of all the Tibetan races. The number of the inhabit- 
ants in these two provincesis said to be about one hundred and 
thirty thousand families. Lhassa is the capital of the province 
U, as also of the whole of Tibet. From the seventh till the 
a 
Lhassa is Potala, the residence of the great Lama (styled Gyel- 
vd-rin-po-ch’ hé), the head of the sect called fee 28 or Geldan- 
pa. Other remarkable places, in the province U, are: Yam- 
bu-Lhd-gdng, a fort or castle built in the fourth century, by 
K am stevenson a celebrated aes There are deposited 
several ancient books taken from India. In the yma of 
U, among other forts or castles, Dé-ch’hén-song and H 
are the most considerable. In the province of Fides "die 
following ones are of some — Se Chang- 
sii Phun-ts’ hok-ling, and Gyang 
K’ham-yul (K’hams-yul), Gated also Pot-ch’hen, or 
a “Tibet, conus of the eastern part of Tibet, and is bounded 
by China on the east. There are several small p rincipalities ; 
as, K’ham-bo, Gaba, Li-thang, Dégé (or Devighs), Brag-yak, 
Demis Go-jo, Gya-mo-r Jang-sa tam, Am yamdo, 
ong, 
The people of these parts differ very ‘much from the rest 
of the Tibetans in their stature, features, dress, customs, and 
in the manner of speaking the Tibetan language. They are 
very robust, passionate, void of artifice or cunning, not fond of 
ornaments on their dress. In K’ham-yul, those called Pon or 
Bon, holding still the ancient religion of Tibet, are very numerous. 
They have also their literature, religious order, several mon- 
asteries, and kill several animals, at and small cattle, for 
sacrifice: they have many superstitious rites 
3. The north-western part of Tibet, from Tsang to Ladak, 
is called Ndri. This part is of very great extent, but the 
number of inhabitants is inconsiderable, not ma, fifty 
thousand families together with Ladak and Beltistan. There 
have been several small principalities formerly in dri, as, 
Gugé, Purdéng, Kangri ; but all these belong now to the great 
L4mé at Lhassa, and are governed by K’harpons (commanders 
of 3 sent from Lhassa. There are also in Nari ve 
extensive deserts. The inhabitants dwells in tents, made of hair 
cloth ; exercise a pastoral life, without any agriculture. Their 
number i is said to amount to ten thousand families, and they all 
are under the sGar-pon or chief officer residing at sQar or sGaro, 
