1882.] Letter from Mr. Ihhetson on tlie Ethwlogy of tlie Panjah. 150 



of tracing each tribe back to its original stock lies in collecting and com - 

 paring their customs and traditions. Most valioahle of all are ivhat may he 

 called differential customs ; that is to say, points in luhich tlie customs of 

 one tribe differ from those of its neighbours. Peculiarities in even such 

 minor respects as dress, jewels, food, drink, and the like, often afford useful 

 indications. 



" Local songs and proverbs, which should be taken down exactl}^ as 

 spoken bj the people, are full of interest. Fairs and festivals are important 

 and generally have some religious significance. New sects and ascetic 

 orders are springing up daily ; while little is known about many of the old 

 ones. In fact it is impossible to mention any part of the life of the people 

 regarding which information is not needed, and may not give valuable 

 help. 



" In the hope that it may he useful to some sucli, I have prepared a 

 rough memorandum on the points to which, so far as I know, inquiry may 

 be most usefully directed. I shall be glad to send any body a copy of it 

 who will let me have a post-card to say that he would like one." 



Lietjt.-Gee'l. J. T. Walker gave intimation of the return of a party 

 of explorers from Tibet, with a sketch of the line of exploration. He 

 informed the meeting that, five years ago, he made arrangements to 

 send one of the Trans-Himalayan explorers of the Survey Department 

 into the regions of Northern Tibet which are crossed by the parallel 

 of 40° of latitude. In those days, Prejevalsky had not yet made his 

 famous journey from Guldja to Lob Nur, and there was a great belt of 

 territory between Eastern Turkestan and Mongolia which was almost 

 absolutely unknown. A native of India who had accompanied the cele- 

 brated Pandit Nain Singh in his explorations was especially trained by the 

 andit to undertake this new exploration. He started from India in the 

 summer of 1878 with two companions ; for a long time no tidings were 

 received of him ; but about a year ago very distressing rumours reached 

 Nain Singh to the effect that the explorer and his companions had 

 been seized by the authorities at Lassa, that one of his companions who was 

 a Tibetan had been put to death for having brought a foreigner into the 

 country, and that he himself had had his legs broken in order to put it out 

 of his power to make further explorations. Happily this tale turned out to 

 be a pure fabrication, concocted very probably by his second companion who 

 had meanwhile robbed and deserted him. In May last, tidings were received 

 from the Vicar Apostolic of Tibet, who resides at Ta-Tsien-lu, that the ex- 

 plorer had reached Ta-Tsien-lu in safety last February, and that he was 

 about to return to India by the direct route via Assam. He reached 



