e Chinese expression of no ethnological value, meaning nothing more
than Western barbarians; but in a more restricted sense it is used to
designate a people (or peoples) which inhabits the valley of the Yalung
and the upper T'ung, with contiguous valleys and ranges, from about the
twenty-seventh parallel to the borders of Koko-nor. This people is
sub-divided into eighteen tribes." (_Baber_, p. 81.)

Si-fan or Pa-tsiu is the name by which the Chinese call the Tibetan tribes
which occupy part of Western China. (_Deveria_, p. 167.)

Dr. Bretschneider writes (_Med. Res._ II. p. 24): "The north-eastern part
of Tibet was sometimes designated by the Chinese name Si-fan, and Hyacinth
[Bitchurin] is of opinion that in ancient times this name was even applied
to the whole of Tibet. _Si-fan_ means, 'Western Barbarians.' The biographer
of Hiuen-Tsang reports that when this traveller, in 629, visited Liang-chau
(in the province of Kan-Suh), this city was the entrepot for merchants from
_Si-fan_ and the countries east of the Ts'ung-ling mountains. In the
history of the Hia and Tangut Empire (in the _Sung-shi_) we read, _s.a._
1003, that the founder of this Empire invaded _Si-fan_ and then proceeded
to _Si-liang_ (Liang-chau). The _Yuen-shi_ reports, _s.a._ 1268: 'The
(Mongol) Emperor ordered _Meng-gu-dai_ to invade _Si-fan_ with 6000 men.'
The name Si-fan appears also in ch. ccii., biography of _Dan-ba_." It is
stated in the _Ming-shi_, "that the name _Si-fan_ is applied to the
territory situated beyond the frontiers of the Chinese provinces of Shen-si
(then including the eastern part of present Kan-Suh) and Sze-ch'wan, and
inhabited by various tribes of Tangut race, anciently known in Chinese
history under the name of _Si Kiang_.... The _Kuang yu ki_ notices that
_Si-fan_ comprises the territory of the south-west of Shen-si, west of
Sze-ch'wan and north-west of Yun-nan.... The tribute presented by the
Si-fan tribes to the Emperor used to be carried to the court at Peking by
way of Ya-chau in Sze-ch'wan." (_Bretschneider_, 203.) The Tangutans of
Prjevalsky, north-east of Tibet, in the country of Ku-ku nor, correspond to
the Si-fan.

"The Ta-tu River may be looked upon as the southern limit of the region
inhabited by Sifan tribes, and the northern boundary of the Lolo country
which stretches southwards to the Yang-tzu and east from the valley of
Kien-ch'ang towards the right bank of the Min." (_Hosie_, p. 102.)

[Illustration: Black