Here it was ver dark, in spite of the -small_ windows, smoke-filled ans it fully lit by the flames from a great stove set against the outer wall. On the wooden partition, wall' on the inner side of the Yoom rude figures were carved in the form of swastikas and dagobas. Along the greater length of the walls. a continuous bench was placed. roughly upholstered, and in front of it was an equally long. narrow table, two feet high in which were, at. intervals, degressions containing shallow pars with charcoal fires burning in them. These were used for keeping the tea hot, the latter being cooked at the big stove mentioned above, whilst. opposite this stove was another, equally but not in use. On the low table were also numerous "piles of tsamba and butter for guests and inmates of the for' The Tu Se greeted us and showed us to the long seat, He wa a striking, tal man, rather handsome, and with long uncombed hair dressed in a bluish-purple Tibetan cloak, high Tibetan boots anc girdled by a belt from which the inevitable knife and tinder-pouch were hang ing. He had" immense rings on his fingers with stones of red coral and pale blue turquoise; in his wars h wore rings equally big. In a polyandry he had achieved the distinction of three wives. and had no less than eight sons and twelve daughters living.
We were offered buttered tea and tsamba and meanwhile ouy, interpreter, a Tibetan "muy—simpatico offered him a present of a cloth-|) bound missionary text. printed in Tibetan.and with endless pictures, many in colour. With this he wes undoubtedly delighted. 1 had put] my prismatic compass do table, and this he picked up in so curiosity: bul not knowing open it set it down again this was going on, a whole er shaggy haired, wild looking was surrounding Us. ex muring among themselves ently fascinated by our po La Paz in Bolivia. I am hoping that my aneroid readings, when reduced, while give Litang pride of place. It lies above an elongated plain several kilometres broad, on the other side of which rise formerly glaciated peaks of granite, one being the conical "Lama's Hat." The essential part of Litang is the great lama With its some 3,700 lamas and dra ud its great halls of worship with the golden roofs. The town part of Litang consists of a Wretched single line of Chinese-style hovels stretching from the lamasery down along a low vid It would seem that- the inhabitants, to the number of some 750, throw their refuse out of their back doors, since the town is almost completely surrounded by garbage dumps over which rule fierce dogs, There. was only one suitable spot for a tent that was just below the yamen, all night Tong, when it was not the terrific winds that would suddenly arise and keep one up holding the ut lest it be blown over, one was opt awake by the hideous howling nf these dogs as they fought over their ordure. The 24th Army is endeavouring to beautify these piles of july geological stratification by constructing walks and pleasunces upon them. But one has but to ko a step across them to recognize the whited sepulch The most unpleasant—experience however, that we had at Litang wa to arrive back at dusk from an ex-haunting climbing expedition firstly to find tent and town under a, white eud of hailstones, We prepared supper; it was to be a magnificent stew, But before the pressure cook-was up to steam the wind arose like a mad thing. Hail lashed down. The next moment the tent was blown over our heads, and the hail, unchecked to any extent: by the thin atmosphere, stung like shot. It was by then quite dark. We endeavoured to find shelter at a Tibetan house, but this was closed for the night, and nobody would let us in or even ly to ws, probably due to fear robbers. After some three-quarters an hour the storm ceased, and it yas possible to fix up part of the tent for the night—but we had no supper.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.