1895.] H. G-. Raverty— Tibbat three hundred and sixty-jive years ago. 91 
“ The mode of life of the Canbahs or nomads is after this manner. 
In winter they descend from the mountain parts before named towards 
the west and south, which is Hindustan, and bring down with them 
Khitae goods, and musk, and tanah-kdr or tanah-gdr [borax] ,mah-farfin 
[purslain], qutas [yak tails], gold, and shdl [fabrics], which are Tib- 
batl goods and merchandize, 1 and carry on traffic with the Hindus of 
the mountain skirts of Hindustan. From thence these Canbahs pur¬ 
chase and take home with them goods and manufactures of Hindustan, 
such as clothing [piece goods for clothing], sweets, rice, wheat, etc., 
with which they load their sheep, and in the spring set out on their 
return to Tibbat, there being forage obtainable then, and their sheep 
numerous. They proceed leisurely, allowing the sheep to graze by the 
way, without interruption, and without stoppage, and reach Tibbat 
in the summer. Then, collecting such produce of Tibbat as may be 
saleable in Khitae, they load their sheep and convey these articles, along 
with the products of Hindustan they had brought with them [over and 
above what they required for home use], and set out towards Khitae, 
and spend the following winter therein. Having then disposed of 
their Hindi and Tibbat! goods, they again collect the products of 
Khitae. and set out for Tibbat in the following spring, and again reach 
it in the summer. They then collect such products of Tibbat as they 
require, and with them and the Khitae ladings, they descend as before 
into the lower hill tracts of Hindustan ; and there they receive the 
hire for the conveyance of goods into Khitae; and the hire for what 
they carry from Hindustan they receive in Khitae. Thus they pass 
one winter in Hindustan and the next one in Khitae alternately. This 
is the custom followed by the whole of the Canbah. There are some of 
them who may have conveyed 10,000 sheep loads ; and from the rate of 
twelve manns to each sheep, one can compute what is the extent of traffic, 
and what amount of goods they convey once a year from Hindustan 
to Khitae, and vice versa. At all times these loads and burdens accom¬ 
pany them wherever they go, except in case of any affliction or misfor¬ 
tune befalling them ; and thus the loads they place on their sheep in 
Kh itae they only remove when they reach Hindustan, and in the same 
manner when they return from thence to Tibbat and Khitae again. I 
have never heard of such customs among any other people, and in many 
places it would scarcely be believed. 
“ Th ese Canbah or nomads are a numerous people i for example, 
one tribe among them, whom they style Dol-bali, will amount to above 
1 Pere Regis says : “ The chief commodities in which the inhabitants trade 
with neighbouring countries, are Musk, Rhubarb, Worm-seed, and Purs. The most 
excellent Rhubarb comes from hence. 
