the days are very hot and the
nights cold (the drop in the thermometer in S.W. Tibet being at times as
much as 80 deg. and even 100 deg.), and as the Tibetans always sleep in their
clothes, the garments that protect their bodies from being frozen at
night are found too heavy and warm in the hot sun, and therefore this
simple expedient is adopted. When sitting down, both arms are drawn from
the sleeves and the chest and back are left bare; but when on foot, one
arm, usually the left, is slipped in, to prevent the coat and its heavy
contents from falling off.

[Illustration: WHITE WOOLLEN COAT AND SASHES--WOOLLEN SOCKS]

I have no hesitation in pronouncing the Tibetan boots, from a practical
point of view of utility, as the best in the world. They have all the
advantages a boot should possess, especially those with flat soles of
thick twisted cord. The upper part, being made of red and green felt,
keeps the foot warm without preventing ventilation, and plenty of
spreading room is left for the toes when walking. The felt gaiter,
reaching to just below the knee, holds the soft sole of the boot flat
under the foot, giving absolutely free action to the ankle. The most
salient and sensible point in the Tibetan footgear, however, is that the
foot, all but the top part, is encased in the thick sole, thus preventing
the jamming of toes between stones when walking, for instance, on
_debris_, and also doing away with the accumulation of snow and mud
between the sole and boot, so inconvenient in our footgear. There are
many varieties and makes of boots in Tibet, but the principle is always
the same. The boots are always homemade, each individual making his own,
except in large towns, where footgear can be purchased, and necessarily
the quality is then not up to the same high standard. The difference in
Tibetan boots is mainly in the quality or texture of the soles; for
instance, the Lhassa boots have finer, softer, and more elastic soles
than those made in Sigatz (usually written Shigatze), which are quite
hard and stiff, and supposed to wear out much sooner than the more
pliable ones of the sacred city. Then there are some with leather soles,
made specially for wet or snowy regions, and these when greased over are
quite waterproof. Two kinds of these are in use, one with pointed and
curled toes for cutting one's way into the snow, the other of the usual
shape. Men and women alike wear these boots. The principal Lamas and
officials