The country west of Tachientu, known as Minya, has been en fete for the past month. Tibetans let nothing interfere fous dances and holidays.
ay be trouble along the whole frontier yet the dance goes on and the company continues to gather. The wealthy Tibetans in town do not care to miss the Iama's dance, aut this includes many well-to-do Chinese, The dances begin in a temple at one end of the Minga valley, the next dance being timed lo begin at the next temple when the other finishes. In this way the visitors have the opportunity of worshipping in the different temples fas they go along. Again, thos who cannet visit all the lamaseries will make an effort to attend one and see the dance there.
The Self-Determi ion Germ This year the dancers have been discussing another subject: Minya, hike many other parts of Eastern Tibet, is determined to regain its independence. Self - determination ix now an agitating factor in many of the minor states in central Asia. The Asiatic people are tremendous travellers and a dangerous three months' journey over the wild plateaux is as lightly entered into as many present-day marriages. These long journeys bring the different people of central Asia into close contact with each other: and what each state and tribe is discuss. ing and doing is now well known.
There are four headmen in Minys who act as a bulwark, protecting Tachienlu against the inroads of the will robber bands bey: fond the frontier. Quite re. cently these headmen have showa a strong reluctance to obey an official summons to appear in for Bach is well armed with arms and munitions supplied by the local authorities, conditionally, that they do all in their power to protect the town and frontier. As the loan has been of some duration the headmen. now Imagine the arms belong to them. They have been called in to discuss the point, but so far refuse to do s0,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.