354 



The National Geographic Magazine 



community was found within only 

 sixty or seventy miles of Lhassa. 



CLIMATE AND POPULATION 



The climate was found to be harsh and 

 dry. Snow falls occasionally from De- 

 cember to March; rain from May to 

 August. April, September, October, 

 and November are dry. The medium 

 annual temperature was found to be 42, 

 67, and 50 degrees Fahrenheit for morn- 

 ing, noon, and night respectively. The 

 data for December was 17, 34, and 27 

 degrees, and for July 60, 77, and 65 

 degrees. 



The population, which has at times 

 been estimated at 33,000,000, is proba- 

 bly about one-tenth of this number. It 

 is decreasing through disease, particu- 

 larly smallpox, and on account of the 

 large number of celibate priests. 



The sons of Chinese soldiers and mer- 

 chants temporarily resident in Tibet are 

 counted Chinese, the daughters Tibet- 

 ans. Other foreign residents are Indians 

 from Cashmere and Mongolians and 

 Tibetans from Nepul, the latter being 

 skilled artisans, architects, sculptors, 

 and jewelers. The Cashmere Mahom- 

 etans are traders. They usually convert 

 their Tibetan wives. 



Almost all the land in central Tibet 

 belongs to the Dalai Llama. Only 

 high officials in Lhassa have hereditary 

 homes. The Tibetan houses are of brick 

 and stone, and have chimneys only in 

 the kitchen. The other rooms have 

 holes to let the smoke escape, and are 

 cheerlessly cold. Dried dung is the 

 principal fuel. 



The common folks wear white, the 

 wealthy red, officials yellow, and soldiers 

 blue clothing of homespun. Jewels are 

 worn in great abundance by the women. 

 Barley meal, soup, the raw flesh of the 

 yak and of sheep, butter, sour milk, and 

 vegetables are main items of the diet. 

 Wheat spirits sell for a cent a bottle. 

 Men smoke tobacco and the priests take 

 snuff. 



PEOPLE RELIGIOUS AND IMMORAL 



The people of central Tibet are pas- 

 sionately attached to their religious ob- 

 servances, which are purely formal. 

 Prayers are regarded as of magic po- 

 tency and figure in all ordinary and 

 extraordinary affairs of life. Medicine 

 is in small popular favor. Morals are 

 primitive, and marriage ties are loose. 

 Both polygamy and polyandry are com- 

 mon. 



Agriculture and cattle-raising are the 

 principal employments. Wheat, barley, 

 peas and beans, cattle, sheep, yaks, 

 horses, asses, and mules are the main 

 products. Yaks and asses are used as 

 pack animals. Labor is cheap, men 

 being paid two or three cents a day, 

 while women usually serve for their 

 food and clothing. Even a llama re- 

 ceives only ten cents for a whole day's 

 prayers. Sheepskins, cattle, yak tails, 

 statues, books, and yellow llama caps 

 are exported. The yak tails serve as 

 horse tails in the outfit of Turkish 

 pachas. English and Indian cottons 

 and woolens and copper and enamel 

 utensils are introduced from India and 

 tea, silks, cottons, horses, and asses 

 from China. 



EXHAUSTING METHOD OF WORSHIP 



Lhassa was built in the seventh cen- 

 tury. It has a picturesque location on 

 the southern slope of a mountain, with 

 luxurious gardens on the west and 

 south. The Uitchu River passes to the 

 south of the city. Dikes and canals 

 have been constructed as protections 

 against overflows. A fine, broad street 

 around the city serves for religious 

 processions and penitential exercises. 

 Penitents go the length of this street, 

 falling to the ground every five or six 

 feet, so that in a day they prostrate 

 themselves about 3,000 times. The city 

 is small, having at most only 10,000 

 regular inhabitants. It is, however, an 

 important trade center. The native 

 traders are all women. 



