1832.] Geographical Notice of Tibet. 127 



Tibet and Ladak the mountains are in general naked, destitute of herb, 

 grass, and every vegetable. In the valleys, where the fields can be 

 watered or irrigated, several kinds of corn are produced, especially 

 wheat, barley, buck-wheat, millet, pease, and some others. In Nari 

 and in the northern deserts of Tibet, there grow several kinds of medi- 

 cal herbs and plants, and there are likewise good pastures ; but there : 

 are in the deserts no fields for producing corn, and what they want they 

 purchase from those who inhabit the southern parts of Nari, and give 

 them in exchange yaks, sheep, wool, woollen cloth, salt, borax, &c. 



Rice is no where cultivated in Tibet. There are some kinds of 

 pulse ; as pease, bean, and lentils. There is no great variety of esculent 

 plants. They have some turnips, cabbages, carrots, onions, garlics, and 

 a few others ; but for potherbs they use in general such greens as grow 

 wild. In the western part of Ladak, in Purik, there is a certain plant, 

 (with bushy stalks) called Prangos, which is a good remedy against the 

 rot in sheep, if given for food for a certain time, in autumn. 



The daily food of the Tibetans consists, in general, of gruel, or thick 

 pottage prepared from the meal of parched barley (satu), several 

 kinds of flesh, bread, sour-milk, curds, potherbs, and of tea pre- 

 pared in a particular manner in a churn, with butter, salt, and with 

 some milk, or without this last ingredient. 



The origin of the Tibetans is referred in their fabulous history to 



the union of an ape with a she demon. Some derive them from India ; 



some from China ; others from the Mongols, and others from the Turks. 



Nothing can be certainly said in this respect. They have an original 



language, which has little affinity to that of any of the nations 



mentioned. It is probable, that the royal family who reigned in 



middle Tibet from about 250 years before Jesus Christ till the 10th 



century, was derived from India, from the Lichabyi race, and it is 



certain that their religion and literature is of Indian origin. The 



Tibetans are ignorant of their origin. They distinguish now five 



sorts of people or races (or nations) among themselves ; as 1. K'ham- 



ba, one dwelling in Kliam-yul. 2. Pot-pa, one inhabiting U-tsang. 



3. Brok-pa or Hor-pa, one living in the deserts to the north-west 



of Lhassa. 4. Nari-pa, one of Nari, Ladak and Beltistan, and 



5. Lho-pa, one of Bhutan. All of whom have yet other subdivisions. 



They differ much from each other in their stature, character, dress, 



and in the accent with which they pronounce the Tibetan language. 



But they can all understand each other. They all agree (with the 



exception of the Mahommedans in Ladak and Beltistan) in having the 



same religion, whose records are in the same language and character. 



