one of the most useful, since it not only
serves as a beast of burden but furnishes rich milk, butter, and meat.
The long hair of the animal is used for making ropes, tents, and cloth.

The yak resembles the ox in body, head, and legs; but it is covered with
long, silky hair which hangs like the fleece of an Angora goat. The
long, flowing hair of the tail reaches nearly to the ground. Thousands
of these tails find their way to India where they are used for various
household purposes.

Wild yaks are found in considerable numbers near the limits of perpetual
snow, but at the approach of winter they descend to the wooded valleys
just below the snow line. During the summer they pasture on the higher
elevations. In their wild state yaks are fierce and dangerous. Being
accustomed to high elevations, they fall sick and die when removed to
the lowlands.

Milk is obtained not only from the yaks but from the sheep and goats.
The sheep, being of large size, are frequently used to bear small loads.
Many horses are raised, but they are used chiefly for riding.

Tibet is rich in gold, and for thousands of years the precious metal has
been washed out of its surface by the crudest of methods. In fact, gold
is washed from every river which has its sources in the Tibetan plateau.
Most of it in time finds its way to China. Silver, copper, iron, lead,
and mercury abound in the southeastern part and considerable quantities
are mined.

Traffic is carried on by means of caravans, the most common pack animal
being the yak. Almost all the commerce is controlled by Chinese
merchants, and the chief article of trade is tea, which is received in
exchange for wool, hides, musk, amber, and gold. The tea is an inferior
kind known as "brick tea," being composed of the refuse, stems, and
leaves of the plants cemented with rice water and pressed into hard
bricks. This kind of tea is preferred by the Tibetans, who brew it with
butter and other ingredients and consume the entire concoction. The tea
trade amounts to several million pounds annually.

CHAPTER IX

THE PRIMAL HOME OF THE SARACEN

Who has not had the youthful imagination fired by the "Arabian Nights"?
The simplicity and lifelike reality of these interesting stories, made
even more fascinating by their Oriental color, appeal both to young and
old.

So great has been their popularity that few works have been translated
into so many different languages, while their influence on