Untitled

ADMINISTRATION PENAL CODE POSTAL SERVICE. 57
them to perish of hunger. With every new year the office of judge is sold to the
highest bidder in the monastery of Debang at Lassa. When the lama, wealthy
enough to purchase the dignity, presents himself with his silver rod to the public,
there is a general stampede amongst the well-to-do artisans, who keep out of the
way for the twenty-three days during which he is authorised to indemnify himself
by the imposition of arbitrary fines.
Since the cession of Ladak to Kashmir, and the annexation of Batang, Litang,
Aten-tze, and other districts to Sechuen and Yunnan, Si-tsang, or Tibet proper,
comprises only the four provinces of Nari, Tsang, Wei, or U, and K ham. Certain
principalities enclosed in these provinces are completely independent of Lassa, and
either enjoy self-government or are directly administered from Peking. Such
especially is the " kingdom " of Pomi, whose inhabitants, with all their devotion
for the Dalai-lama, jealously guard their local liberties and right of free trade.
Even in the four provinces the Chinese authorities interfere in many ways, and
their power is especially felt in that of Nari, where, owing to its dangerous
proximity to Kashmir and India, the old spirit of independence might be awakened.
Nor is any money allowed to be coined in Tibet, which in the eyes of the Imperial
Government is merely a dependency of Sechuen, whence all orders are received in
Lassa.
All the able-bodied male population is supposed to constitute a sort of national
guard for the defence of the country. But the only regular troops are Manchus,
Mongols, or Tatars, whom the Chinese authorities prefer for this service, ostensibly
on account of their hardy and frugal habits in reality, because they would never
hesitate to butcher the natives when called upon by their officers. About four
thousand are found sufficient to hold the country, of whom half are stationed in
Lassa, the rest distributed in small bodies over the garrison towns of Tingri,
Shigatze, Gyantze, and the frontier stations.
The postal service is conducted with remarkable speed and regularity. The
carriers traverse in twenty to thirty days, according to the season, the route between
Lassa and Gartok, a distance of 780 miles. They keep the saddle night and day,
never stopping except to change horses or for refreshment. To provide for
accidents, two riders, each leading two horses by the bridle, accompany them along
the route, which is thus traversed at full speed nearly the whole way. To prevent
the messenger from undressing at night, his clothes are sealed by a mandarin at
starting, and the seal can be broken only by the recipient of the dispatch.
In the
desert tracts the villages are replaced by the tarsun, or postal tents, erected at
certain points along the route.
37