An Embassy to the Court of the Teshoo Lama in Tibet - Prajna Quest

:118 BOO TAN.manly courage.Their feeble mode of attack and defence is, therefore,imputable only to their want of discipline; to their not fighting incompact files or platoons ; and to their consequent distrust of eachother ;and something also must be attributed to their utter inexperienceof war: for indeed, among this crowd of combatants, we findmerely husbandmen and villagers, called atonce from their peacefuloccupations tothe field of battle.Every kind of discipline and order is totally disregarded in theirmode of warfare ; stratagem is more practised than open assault : theyengage in general as marksmen, and wait their opportunity to fireunobserved. Both parties are so careful to conceal themselves, thatseldom any thing isvisible but the top of a tufted helmet, or the endof a bow : no wonder, iherelbre, tluit in their contests very few arekilled.The accoutrements of a fighting man, fully equipped, are extremelycumbrous. A prodigious deal of loose clothing surrounds the bodybesides the common mantle, he wears very often a blanket, or thickquilted jacket. This, as well as the helmet, (which is made either ofstained cane, coiled conically, or elseof cotton rope, quilted betweentwo cloths, with flaps that occasionally turn down over theears, anda piece to cover the nose,) if not absolutely prool' against the strokeof a sword or arrow, must at least considerably weaken its force. Hecarries upon his arm a large convex shield of painted cane, coiledclose, and a long straight sword is worn across the body, thrustthrough the belt before. To these arms must be added, a bow, anda quiver of arrows, slung by a belt behind the back ; the arrows