They All Wore
Caps Of Some Kind, Either Of A Small, Close-Fitting Pattern, Like A
Fez, Or In The
Shape of a large, and very ultra Scotch cap, black,
and very baggy; these were hung round with little silver
Ornaments,
something in the shape of wine labels for decanters, but studded
with turquoises; some of them, also, wore brooches, generally formed
of three cornelians, or turquoises, in a row. The broad bands of
turquoise, worn usually on the forehead, were for the time disrated
from their post of honour, and were suspended instead from the nape of
the neck, over a square piece of stiff cloth, embroidered with strings
of red beads. Round the shoulders, and hanging low, in order to show
off the turquoises, lumps of amber, and other family jewels, were
the sheepskin cloaks, inseparable from Thibetian female costume; they
were, however, of larger size than those of every day life, and were
gorgeously decorated outside in red and blue, the FUR merely appearing
at the edges. Below this, everything merged in some mysterious way
into the variegated sheepskin boots of the country, also decorated
with red, blue, and yellow cloth patterns on the instep. These bore a
very conspicuous position in the dance, as the ladies, contrary to the
principles of modern art, were continually regarding and showing forth
the aforesaid boots, as they glided about, and pattered the time to the
well-marked music. The dance was altogether much more pleasing than
the Indian nach, and the ladies, in spite of their savage jewellery,
and rude manner, were much more womanly and respectable than their
gauzy, be-ringed and bare-footed southern rivals.
After the dance was over, there was a general move to a large, open
space of ground, where the male part of the community were to show
off their prowess in the native games. To my astonishment, some fifty
or sixty Thibetians here assembled, each provided with a veritable
hockey stick, not on foot, however, but each man mounted on his own
little mountain pony, and prepared to play a downright game of hockey
on horseback. In the centre of the battle-field, between the two
"sides," the pipes and tabors forming THE BAND took their station,
and each time the wooden ball of contention was struck off, set up a
flourish to animate the players. The Thibetians, however, required no
such artificial excitement, but set to work with an energy and spirit,
quite refreshing to behold, and the scene soon became most animated and
amusing. The Thibetians, unlike Englishmen under similar circumstances,
appeared to think the more clothes they had on the better, and in
their long woollen coats and trowsers, and their huge sheepskin boots,
they quite overshadowed the wiry little horses they bestrode. Besides
having to carry all this weight, the ponies, most unfairly, came
in also for all the SHINNING; but in spite of these disadvantages,
they performed their parts to admiration, dashing about in the most
reckless manner, at the instigation of their riders, and jostling
and knocking against one another in a way that would have disgusted
any other pony in the world. Conspicuous among the crowd of riders,
was the thirty-rupee Prime Minister, who on a most diminutive little
animal, charged about in a way he never could have condescended to
do, had he had the misfortune to have still remained a Rajah. Each
time that the ball was sent into the goal, the striker, picking it
up dexterously, without dismounting, came again at full speed down
the course, the band struck up, and throwing the ball into the air,
he endeavoured to strike it as far as possible in the direction
of the adverse party. Behind him, at best pace, came his own side,
and a desperate collision appeared the inevitable result; however,
not a single man was unhorsed during the entire struggle, nor were
there any violent concussions, or accidents of any kind on either side.
The men rode very short, and their clumsy boots, stuck through the
heavy stirrup-irons, gave them a ludicrous appearance, which was
little indicative of the firm seat and active part they displayed
in the games. After seeing the last of the hockey we pitched our
camp under a grove of trees, and had an audience of the Kardar,
with a view to obtaining information as to our new line of march,
which here branches off from the old route. He, however, was unable to
afford us much intelligence, and we were glad to get rid of him again,
with a present of fifteen bullets, which were the objects he appeared,
at the time, to covet most in the world.
To-day a charge was brought against our immaculate bhistie, by the
Q.M.G., of secreting about half-a-pound of precious white sugar in
his sheepskin bag. On being confronted with the Bench he confessed
the crime, improving on it, like most natives, by declaring that it
was for medicine for his little boy at home, who had sore eyes! The
cook, being taken up with the festivities and the turquoises, gave
us our dinner at an unusually fashionable hour.
AUGUST 30. - Started for a fresh line of exploration, not without
some difficulty and opposition, in consequence of a desire on the
part of the Sipahee and the servants to revisit Kurgil, with a view
to the tobacco supplies supposed to exist there.
The consequence was that they obtained all sorts of information for us
as to the badness of our proposed road, and the insuperable obstacles
to be overcome from unbridged rivers, snow, &c. Persevering in our
plans, however, we were rewarded by finding a great improvement in
the scenery, and, from the novelty of the day's work, a corresponding
benefit to the spirits of the entire expedition. Passing through
a little village called Menzies, we halted for breakfast within
view of the northern face of an entire new range of snow-capped
mountains.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 43 of 81
Words from 42981 to 43981
of 82277
