itional long pendant. It is usually of brass or
silver, and occasionally of gold. More common than the solitary earring
is the brass or silver charm-box, frequently containing a likeness of
Buddha, which nearly every Tibetan carries slung round his neck. Tibetans
are, as a rule, excessively superstitious and fond of charms of every
sort. Their superstitions are, of course, the result of ignorance, and so
are most of their other bad qualities. Except among the higher officials
and the Lamas, education can hardly be said to exist in Tibet, the
population being kept in the most obscure ignorance. Few can read, and
none can write, and the Lamas take very good care that only those shall
learn who are likely to be of use. Honesty and honour are two qualities
almost unknown in any class or condition in Tibet, and as for
truthfulness, all travellers in the country can testify to the practical
impossibility of obtaining it from a Tibetan. Cruelty is innate in them,
and vice and crime are everywhere rampant.

[Illustration: HAT, AS WORN BY OFFICIALS]

That the Jogpas had good digestions was evident from the way they ate
when, having concluded the sale of the yaks, they squatted down to a
hearty meal of _tsamba_, _chura_, and tea. They took from their coats
their wooden and metal _pu-kus_, and quickly filled them with _tsamba_;
pouring over it some steaming tea made as usual with butter and salt in a
churn, they stirred it round and round the bowl with their dirty fingers
until a paste was formed, which they rolled into a ball and ate, the same
operation being repeated over and over again until their appetite was
satisfied. Each time, before refilling, the bowl was licked clean by
rotating the _pu-ku_ round and round the tongue. Feeling the heat of the
sun, after their meal both men and women removed their garments above the
waist, showing ornaments of gold, silver and copper encircling their
necks.

The women-folk of the dacoits, though far from beautiful, possessed a
certain charm, arising from their curious wildness. Unlike those of the
generality of Tibetan women, their teeth were very good, and their
complexion was not specially dark, the black ointment with which their
cheeks, noses, and foreheads were smeared making them appear darker than
they really were, and being decidedly unbecoming. All of them had regular
features, and their eyes and mouths were full of expression. Their hair
had been plaited into numberless little