f the world, and the man will not hear of a matrimonial
union, then efforts are made to prevent the birth of the child alive. If
these are not successful, the mother must be maintained until after the
child's birth. In such cases the illegitimate child remains the man's,
and suffers the usual indignities of illegitimacy.

Sixteen in the case of women, and eighteen or nineteen in that of men, is
regarded as the marriageable age. Motherhood continues until a fairly
advanced age, and I have seen a woman of forty with a baby only a few
months old. But, as a rule, Tibetan women lose their freshness while
still quite young; and no doubt their custom of polyandry not only
contributes to destroy their looks but also is the chief cause that
limits the population of Tibet.

The Lamas are supposed to live in celibacy, but they do not always keep
to their oath, tempted, no doubt, by the fact that they themselves
invariably go unpunished. If, on the other hand, in cases of adultery,
the culprit be a layman, he has to pay compensation according to his
means to the husband, the amount being fixed by the parties concerned and
their friends, or by the law if applied for.

In ordinary cases of marital trespass, presents of clothing, _tsamba,
chura, guram, kassur_ (dried fruit) and wine, accompanied by the
never-lacking _Kata_, are sufficient to allay the injured husband's anger
and to fully compensate him for any shame suffered.

The only serious punishment inflicted is, however, in the case of the
wife of a high official eloping with a man of low rank. Then the woman is
subjected to flogging as a penalty for her infidelity, her husband is
disgraced, and her lover, after being subjected to a painful surgical
operation, is, if he survives, expelled from the town or encampment.

High officials, and a few wealthy people who are not satisfied with one
wife, are allowed by the law of the land to keep as many concubines as
their means allow them.

CHAPTER LXVI

Tibetan funerals--Disposal of their dead--By cremation--By
water--Cannibalism--Strange beliefs--Revolting
barbarity--Drinking human blood--The saints of Tibet.

TIBETAN funerals are interesting, but they so closely resemble those of
the Shokas, which I have described at length, that any detailed account
of them would be a mere repetition of what I have already written.

[Illustration: A YOUNG LAMA]

For the disposal of the dead body itself, however, the