ally noticeable in the buildings, which are
made of sun-dried bricks, or, more frequently, of stones of medium size
which are agglomerated with a kind of mortar composed of clay and
chopped straw. The houses of the settled inhabitants are two stories
high, their fronts whitewashed, and their window-sashes painted with
lively colors. The flat roof forms a terrace which is decorated with
wild flowers, and here, during good weather, the inhabitants spend much
of their time contemplating nature, or turning their prayer-wheels.
Every dwelling-house is composed of many rooms; among them always one
of superior size, the walls of which are decorated with superb
fur-skins, and which is reserved for visitors. In the other rooms are
beds and other furniture. Rich people possess, moreover, a special room
filled with all kinds of idols, and set apart as a place of worship.

Life here is very regular. They eat anything attainable, without much
choice; the principal nourishment of the Ladak people, however, being
exceedingly simple. Their breakfast consists of a piece of rye bread. At
dinner, they serve on the table a bowl with meal into which lukewarm
water is stirred with little rods until the mixture assumes the
consistency of thick paste. From this, small portions are scooped out
and eaten with milk. In the evening, bread and tea are served. Meat is a
superfluous luxury. Only the hunters introduce some variety in their
alimentation, by eating the meat of wild sheep, eagles or pheasants,
which are very common in this country.

During the day, on every excuse and opportunity, they drink "tchang," a
kind of pale, unfermented beer.

If it happens that a Ladakian, mounted on a pony (such privileged people
are very rare), goes to seek work in the surrounding country, he
provides himself with a small stock of meal; when dinner time comes, he
descends to a river or spring, mixes with water, in a wooden cup that he
always has with him, some of the meal, swallows the simple refreshment
and washes it down with water.

The Tchampas, or nomads, who constitute the other part of Ladak's
population, are rougher, and much poorer than the settled population.
They are, for the most part, hunters, who completely neglect
agriculture. Although they profess the Buddhistic religion, they never
frequent the cloisters unless in want of meal, which they obtain in
exchange for their venison. They mostly camp in tents on the summits of
the mountains, wher