1853.] Sif an and Horsok Vocabularies. 123 



In southern Tibet, or Tibet south of the Nyencbhen-thangla 

 chain, there are numerous scattered Horpas and Sokpas, as there are 

 many scattered Bodpas in northern Tibet ; but, in general, that 

 great mountain chain, the worthy rival of the Himalaya and the 

 Kuenhin, may be said to divide the nomadic Horpas and Sokpas from 

 the non-nomadic Bodpas or Tibetans proper. Though the major 

 part be Buddhists, yet are there some followers of Islam among the 

 Horpas and Sokpas of Tibet ; more beyond the Tibetan limits. They 

 are all styled Khachhe by the Tibetans, of which word I think the 

 Chinese Kao-tse is a mere corruption, despite Cunningham's ingeni- 

 ous interpretation of Kao-tse. 



The Islamites are also called Grodkar, of which term again Klap- 

 roth's Thogar seems to be a metamorphosis. 



Between the Horpa and Sokpa in the central part of northern 

 Tibet, are the Drokpa* vel Brogpa, whose vocables I have as yet failed 

 to obtain ; and also, numerous " Kazzak" or mounted robber bands, 

 styled by the Tibetans Chakpa vel Jagpa, who recruit their formid- 

 able association from any of the neighbouring races, but especially 

 from the Bodpa (Tibetans proper), the Horpa, the Sokpa and the 

 Drokpa. The language of the Chakpa is the ordinary Tibetan, and 

 therefore, and because also of their very mixed lineage, they are of 

 little ethnic importance though always cited by the Tibetans, with 

 fear and trembling, as a separate element of their population. The 

 predatory habits of the Chakpa often carry them beyond their own 

 limits, and they and the erratic Drokpa are often seen in Nari where 

 G-errard and Cunningham speak of them under the designations of 

 Dzakpa and of Ddkpa. I doubt the ethnic independance of both, 

 and believe them to be mixed associations, composed of people of the 

 above specified races, from among which the Horpa or Turks contri- 

 bute an element even to the Himalayan population of Kanawer, as is 

 proved by the infinitives in "mak" of the Taburskad tongue. 



Prom Khokhonur to Tunan the conterminous frontier of China 

 and Tibet is successively and continuously occupied (going from 

 north to south) by the Sokpa above spoken of, by the Amdoans who 

 for the most part now speak Tibetan, by the Thochu, by the Gya- 



* Quite distinct from the Dukpa vel Brukpa of Bhutan, The \ vel' indicates the 

 distinction of the written from the spoken words. 



B 2 



