THROUGH ASIA 
1098 
case), they brought them, and sold them to me cheap. 
But they were more afraid of one another than they were 
of me. They only came to my tent with them at night, 
after it was dark, and begged me to keep them closely 
hidden at the bottom of my boxes. These burkhans are 
made in Lhasa with masterly skill, and every Mongol I 
encountered wore one. The case in which the image 
was carried was very often made of silver, with choice 
and original engraved designs on the outside, and set 
with turquoises and coral. The less pretentious gavos 
were made of copper or brass. 
Ere long I stood on terms of cordial intimacy with the 
inhabitants of Yikeh-tsohan-gol. Whenever I took out 
my pencil to sketch, they would gather in a circle outside 
my tent; and when I entered their tents, they were 
invariably ready to entertain me with tea and tsamba. 
I failed to discern a trace of either shyness or alarm 
among them, of either prejudice or superstition ; they 
would sit perfectly still and quiet whilst I sketched them. 
Some of them even permitted me to take anthropometrical 
measurements. The only thing they manifested any 
scruple about was when I w’anted to put them with 
their backs against the tent-pole to take their height. 
They were always afraid lest I should touch the tops of 
their heads with my hands. Possibly this was for the 
same reason that they lift their burkhans to their heads 
as a sign of reverence ; though it may also possibly 
have been because they had been blessed in Lhasa by 
the Dalai Lama or some other high dignitary of their 
faith. 
I'he Mongols of Tsaidam are monogamists ; and their 
women enjoy an incomparably greater amount of freedom 
than the women do among the Mohammedan tribes of 
Central Asia. Not only do they share fully in the 
characteristic gatherings, round the fire, and go unveiled, 
but they are very inadequately clothed. The sheepskin 
they wear is merely held together by their girdle and at 
the left shoulder ; the whole of the right side of the upper 
part of the body, down to the waist, is uncovered. The 
