At last the day came when we were captured, and underwent several kinds of tortures, as I have already described in In the Forbidden Land. The dog had vanished, and, to tell the truth, we did not give him much of a thought, as we were somewhat concerned about ourselves.
One day, when Mansing and I were stretched, or rather suspended, on a primitive kind of rack, and we were for some time left to ourselves—the soldiers and Lamas having retired some distance off into the huge tent of the Pombo, a high official—the dog sadly walked towards us, sniffing us, and rubbing himself against Mansing and me. He was particularly affectionate to Mansing, whose face he licked several times; then with a pathetic movement of his head as if to express his sorrow, he gave us a parting sad look, turned his back, [[140]]and walked slowly and sorrowfully away. That was his last mark of friendship and the last we saw of him.
Tibetan encampments have no great interest except for the peculiar shape of the black tents—a pattern of shelter most suitable for the climate of their country. The two sides of the tent are separate, and when the tent is put up it leaves an aperture all along its highest ridge. This is for various reasons. First, because the Tibetans light fires inside their tents, and an opening is necessary to let the smoke out; also as a means of ventilation, the cold air not penetrating so quickly as when it comes in at the sides, owing to the warmed atmosphere inside. The black tents are woven of a coarse and waterproof fabric of yak hair. Through the slit at the top generally protrude the props of the matchlocks bundled against one of the tent poles.
Every man in Tibet owns one of these weapons, and is considered a soldier in time of war.
Interior of a Tibetan Tent, showing Churn for mixing Tea with Butter
The inside of a large Tibetan tent is quaint enough when you have reached it by skipping over masses of dirt and refuse which surround its outside. Only, when you peep in, the odour is rather strong of the people, old and young, all since [[141]]birth innocent of washing, and the smell of badly-prepared skins, and stores of chura (cheese). Nor must I forget to mention the wall of yak-dung erected right round the tent inside to serve the double purpose of protection against the wind where the tent meets the ground, and of fuel, being gradually demolished to feed the double mud-stove erected in the centre of the tent. Mud alone is also occasionally used for the inside wall.
As you know, dung is practically the only fuel obtainable in the highest parts of Tibet, although occasionally a few low shrubs are to be found. The fuel is constantly collected and conveyed from one camp to the next, when changing in order to find more suitable grazing for the sheep and yaks.
The centre mud-stove is built according to the most practical notions to make it draw properly, and upon it can nearly always be seen one or two large raksangs, brass vessels in which brick-tea is being stewed and stirred with a long brass spoon. But the operation of tea-making is rather complicated in Tibet. After the leaves have been stewed long enough the liquid is poured into a dongbo, or cylindrical wooden churn, in which have been deposited several balls of butter with copious [[142]]sprinkling of salt. A piston which passes through the movable lid is then vigorously set in action, and when well stirred and steaming the mixture is served all round and avidly drunk in wooden bowls, one of which every one carries about the person. Tsamba, a kind of oatmeal, is frequently mixed with the tea in the bowls, where it is made into a paste with the fingers.
