THIBET. 



mony ; fome of them are cirried to lofty eminenoes, where, 

 after having been disjointed, and the hmbs divided, they 

 are left a prey for ravens, kites, and other carnivorous 

 birds. Others, with lefs refpeft, are committed to the 

 ufiial receptacle of the dead. The laft, but lefs frequent, 

 mode of difpofnig of the dead, is committing them to the 

 waters of the river. Burial, that is, inhuming the corpfe 

 entire in the earth, is altogether unpraftifed. 



On one fide of the monallery of Teflioo-Loomboo is the 

 place to which they convey their dead. It is a fpacious 

 area, inclofed on one part by a perpendicular rock, and 

 on the others by lofty walls, raifed probably with a view to 

 feclude from public obfervation, the difgufting objefts 

 contained within them. At the top it was totally un- 

 covered, lo as to be perfectly open to the birds ; and at the 

 bottom a narrow paflage was left through the walls, near 

 their foundation, for the fole purpofe of admitting dogs, or 

 other beads of prey. On the rock above, a platform 

 overhung the inclofure, which had been conftrufted for the 

 conveniency of precipitating the dead bodies with greater 

 cafe over the walls, into the area. And here, the only 

 rites performed, in honour of the dead. Were merely fuch as 

 tended to facilitate the deftruftion of the body by dogs 

 or birds of prey. But though this was the general recep- 

 tacle, yet there were fome who declined the ufe of it, and 

 conveyed their friends to the fummit of fome neighbouring 

 hill, where they disjointed and mangled the dead body, that 

 it might become a more eafy prey to carnivorous birds. 

 Hence it was concluded that there was a ftrong prejudice 

 in their minds of fome idea of pollution attached to " being 

 given to the dogs," which was fufficient to create a pre- 

 ference of the contrary praftice. In Tibet, as well as in 

 Bengal, an annual feftival is kept in honour of the dead. 



The Tibetians are much addifted to fuperftition ; and 

 accordingly they lay great ftrefs on lucky and unlucky 

 days. Tliey alfo pay great refpeft to the profeflbrs of 

 aftrology. Hence we find no prudent traveller ever at- 

 tempting to undertake a journey, without previoufly ap- 

 pealing to this authority, and endeavouring to obtain an 

 aufpicious prefage. The fame fignal of favour is deemed 

 indifpenfably requifite in every important enterprife, and 

 the fame wary circumfpeftion enters equally into all the 

 more minute concerns of domeftic life. The union of the 

 fexes, and the giving names to infants, are neither of them 

 events to be accomplifhed without a regular appeal to the 

 fame decifive oracle. Tliis fcience is alfo regarded in the 

 conftruftion of their almanacs. Their year, which is lunar, 

 confifts of 12 months, each month having 29 days ; and tlie 

 days are reckoned from the appearance of the new moon, 

 in regular fucceffion, till it fliews itfelf again. The parts 

 of the days are, evening, night, morning, and noon : and 

 their computation of time is conformable to the general 

 praftice of the Eaft, by a cycle of 12 years. The art of 

 printing is faid to have been very anciently praftifed in 

 Tibet ; but it has hitherto been principally appropriated 

 to facred works, and to the fervice of learning and reli- 

 gion. Their books are pnnted with blocks of wood, on 

 narrow flips of tliin paper, fabricated from the fibrous root of 

 a fmall fhrub. The printed and written letters appropriated 

 to works of learning and religion, are called " uchen ;" and 

 thofe of bufmefs and correspondence are called " umin." 

 The Gylongs, or priefls, pafs through a regular education. 

 As for the language of Tibet, its origin is not fatisfaftorily 

 afcertained. Du Halde reports, that it is the fame with 

 that fpoken by the people of Sifan, on the frontiers of 

 China ; but as this province is fometimes included in Tibet, 

 this intormation is vague and indeterminate. Their chu- 

 I 



rafters, fays fir William Jones, are apparently Indian, but 

 their language has now the difadvantage of being written 

 with more letters than are ever pronounced ; for, although 

 it was anciently Sanfcrit and polyfyliabic, it feems at pre- 

 fent, from tlie influence of Chinefe manners, to confift of 

 monofyllables, to form which, with fome regard to gram- 

 matical derivation, it has become neceflary to fupprefs, in 

 common difcourfe, many letters which we fee in their books ; 

 and thus we are enabled to trace in their writings a number 

 of Sanfcrit words and phrafes, which, in their fpoken 

 dialeft, are quite undiilinguifhable. 



A fingular cuftom prevails in this country, which may 

 be called polyandry. One female afTociates her fate and 

 fortune with all the brethren of a family, without any re- 

 ilriftion of age or of numbers. The choice of a wife is the 

 privilege of the elder brother ; and it is faid, that a 

 Tibetian wife is as jealous of her connubial rites, though 

 thus joined to a numerous party of hufbands, as the defpot 

 of an Indian zennana is of the favours of his imprifoned 

 fair. The bufinefs of propagating the fpecies is abandoned 

 to mere plebeians ; and marriage feems to be confidered 

 rather as an odium and a burden. The influence of this 

 cuftom on the manners of the people is not found to be 

 unfavourable. Humanity and gentlenefs of difpofition are 

 the conftant inheritance of a Tibetian. Mr. Turner fays 

 that he never faw thefe qualities pofleffed by any people in 

 a more eminent degree. Without being fervilely officious, 

 they are always obliging ; the higher ranks are unaffuming ; 

 the inferior, refpe<£lful in their behaviour ; nor are they at 

 all deficient in attention to the female fex ; but, as we find 

 them moderate in all their paffions in this refpeft, alfo their 

 conduft is equally remote from rudenefs and adulation. 

 Comparatively with their fouthern neighbours, the women 

 of Tibet enjoy an elevated ftation in fociety. To the pri- 

 vileges of unbounded liberty, the wife here adds the charafter 

 of miftrefs of the family, and companion of her hulbands. 

 The company of all, indeed, flie is not at all times entitled 

 to expeft. Different purfuits, either agricultural employ- 

 ments or mercantile fpeculations, may occafionally caufe 

 the temporary abfence of each ; yet whatever be the refult, 

 the profit of the labourer flows into the common itore ; and 

 when he returns, whatever may have been his fortune, he 

 is fecure of a grateful welcome to a focial home. The men 

 are generally ftout, having in a degree the Tataric features, 

 and the women are of a ruddy brown complexion, heightened 

 bke the fruits by the proximity of the fun, while the moun- 

 tain breezes beftow health and vigour. 



The ceremonies of marriage are neither tedious nor intri- 

 cate in Tibet. Their courtlhips are carried on with little 

 art, and quickly brought to a conclufion. The elder bro- 

 ther of a family, to whom the choice belongs, when ena- 

 moured of a damfel, makes his propofal to the parents. 

 If his fuit is approved, and the ofFor accepted, the parents, 

 with their daughter, repair to the fuitor's houfe, where the 

 male and female acquaintance of both parties meet and 

 caroufe for the fpace of three days, with mufic, dancing, 

 and every kind of feftivity. At the expiration of this time 

 the marriage is complete. 



Tibet is thinly fcattered with inhabitants, on account 6{ 

 its mountainous furface and the feverity of its climate ; nor 

 can any accurate cftimate be made of its population. From 

 fome circumftances it has been conjeftured, that upon the 

 whole it cannot be lefs than half a million. Giorgi, in- 

 deed, or rather PinnabiUa, from whom he deduces his ftate- 

 mcnt, computes the number of inhabitants in 1730 at 33 

 millions, and the foldiers at 690,000 ; but both thefe num- 

 bers are moft extravagantly exaggerated ; for Tibet has 



been 



