red tea and _tsamba_
[Footnote: _Tsamba_ is parched oats or barley, ground finely.] each man
stretched out upon the ground without shelter of any kind and heedless of
the freezing cold. It is truly the life of primitive man and has bred a
hardy, restless, independent race, content to wander over the boundless
steppes and demanding from the outside world only to be let alone.

They are picturesque, wild-looking fellows, and in their swinging walk
there is a care-free independence and an atmosphere of the bleak Tibetan
steppes which are strangely fascinating. Every Tibetan is a study for an
artist. He wears a fur cap and a long loose coat like a Russian blouse
thrown carelessly off one shoulder and tied about the waist, blue or red
trousers, and high boots of felt or skin reaching almost to the knees. A
long sword, its hilt inlaid with bright-colored bits of glass or stones, is
half concealed beneath his coat, and he is seldom without a gun or a
murderous looking spear.

In the breast of his loose coat, which acts as a pocket, he carries a
remarkable assortment of things; a pipe, tobacco, tea, _tsamba_, cooking
pots, a snuff box and, hanging down in front, a metal charm to protect him
from bullets or sickness.

The eastern Tibetans are men of splendid physique and great strength, and
are frequently more than six feet in height. They have brick-red
complexions and some are really handsome in a full-blooded masculine way.
Their straight features suggest a strong mixture of other than Mongolian
stock and they are the direct antithesis of the Chinese in every
particular. Their strength and virility and the dashing swing of their walk
are very refreshing after contact with the ease-loving, effeminate Chinaman
whom one sees being carried along the road sprawled in a mountain chair.

Of all natives whom we tried to photograph the Tibetans were the most
difficult. It was almost impossible to bribe them with money or tin cans to
stand for a moment and when they saw the motion picture camera set up
beside the trail they would make long detours to avoid passing in front of
it.

What we could not get by bribery we tried to do by stealth and concealed
ourselves behind bushes with the camera focused on a certain spot upon the
road. The instant a Tibetan discovered it he would run like a frightened
deer and in some mysterious way they seemed to have passed the word along
that our camp was a spot to be avoided. Sometimes a bottle was