oppressive and cruel, as
amongst some nations; the noble families scarcely differ from the slave
families. In examining the relations between them, it would be difficult
to distinguish the master from the slave: they live both alike in tents,
and both alike occupy their lives in pasturing their flocks. You will
never find among them luxury and opulence insolently staring in the face
of poverty. When the slave enters his master's tent, the latter never
fails to offer him tea and milk; they smoke together, and exchange their
pipes. Around the tents the young slaves and the young noblemen romp and
wrestle together without distinction; the stronger throws the weaker;
that is all. You often find families of slaves becoming proprietors of
numerous flocks, and spending their days in abundance. We met many who
were richer than their masters, a circumstance giving no umbrage to the
latter. What a difference between this slavery and that of Rome, for
instance, where the Roman citizen, when he made up the inventory of his
house, classed his slaves as furniture. With those haughty and cruel
masters the slave did not merit even the name of man; he was called,
without ceremony, a domestic thing, _res domestica_. Slavery, with the
Mongol Tartars, is even less oppressive, less insulting to humanity, than
the bondage of the middle ages. The Mongol masters never give to their
slaves those humiliating nicknames which were formerly used to designate
serfs; they call them brothers; never villeins, never scum, never _gent
taillable et corveable a merci_.

The Tartar nobles have the right of life and death over their slaves.
They may administer justice themselves upon their bondsmen, even to
sentence of death; but this privilege is never exercised in an arbitrary
way. In case a slave has been put to death, a superior tribunal
investigates the action of the master, and if it be found that he has
abused his right, the innocent blood is revenged. The Lamas who belong
to slave families become free, in some degree, as soon as they enter the
sacerdotal tribe; they are liable neither to rents nor enforced labour;
they are at liberty to quit their country, and ramble through the world
at their pleasure, without anybody having the right to stay them.

Although the relations between master and slave are generally full of
humanity and good-will, there are nevertheless Tartar sovereigns who
abuse their right, and oppress their people, and exa