of the Thibetians.
Many of them take a wife in the country; but the bonds of marriage are
inadequate to fix them for life in their adopted country. After a
certain number of years, when they consider they have accumulated enough,
they return to China, and leave behind them wife and children, excepting
the sons, whom they would scruple to abandon. The Thibetians fear the
Chinese, the Katchi despise them, the Peboun laugh at them.

Of the several classes of strangers sojourning at, or merely visiting
Lha-Ssa, there was no one to which we seemed to belong; we resembled no
one. Accordingly, from the first day of our arrival, we observed that
the strangeness of our physiognomy attracted general attention. When we
passed along the streets the people looked at us with astonishment, and
then advanced, in an under tone, various hypotheses as to our nation. At
one time, they took us for two Muftis lately come from Cashmere; at
another time for two Indian [Picture: Chinese Mandarin and his wife]
Brahmins; some said we were Lamas from the north of Tartary; others
maintained that we were merchants from Peking, and that we had disguised
ourselves in order to accompany the Thibetian embassy. But all these
suppositions soon vanished, for we formally declared to the Katchi that
we were neither Mufti nor Cashmerians; to the Peboun, that we were
neither Indians nor Brahmins; to the Mongols, that we were neither Lamas
nor Tartars; to the Chinese, that we were neither merchants, nor from the
Central Kingdom. When all were fully convinced that we did not belong to
any of these categories they began to call us White Azaras. The
denomination was very picturesque, and rather pleased us; we were not,
however, inclined to adopt it before getting some information on the
point. We therefore asked what they meant by White Azaras. The answer
we got was that the Azaras were the most fervent of all the adorers of
Buddha, that they were a large tribe of Indians, and that out of devotion
they often made a pilgrimage to Lha-Ssa. It was added, that as we were
neither Thibetians, nor Katchi, nor Peboun, nor Tartars, nor Chinese, we
must certainly be Azaras. There was only this little difficulty in the
way, that the Azaras who had previously been at Lha-Ssa, were black; it
had become necessary, therefore, in order to solve the difficulty, to
call us White Azaras. We again rendered homage to the truth, and
declared that we were not Azaras of any k