The roofs of the Tsala tents are nearly flat, and the middle has an opening six inches wide along its whole length.  An excavation from twelve to twenty-four inches deep is made in the soil, and a rude wall of stones, about one foot high, is built round it, over which the tent cloth, made in narrow widths of yak’s or goat’s hair, is extended by ropes led over forked sticks.  There is no ridge pole, and the centre is supported on short poles, to the projecting tops of which prayer flags and yaks’ tails are attached.  The interior, though dark, is not too dark for weaving, and each tent has its loom, for the Chang-pas not only weave their coarse woollen clothing and hair cloth for saddlebags and tents, but rugs of wool dyed in rich colours made from native roots.  The largest tent was twenty feet by fifteen, but the majority measured only fourteen feet by eight and ten feet.  The height in no case exceeded six feet.  In these much ventilated and scarcely warmed shelters these hardy nomads brave the tremendous winds and winter rigours of their climate at altitudes varying from 13,000 to 14,500 feet.  Water freezes every night of the year, and continually there are differences in temperature of 100 degrees between noon and midnight.  In addition to the fifty dwelling tents there was one considerably larger, in which the people store their wool and goat’s hair till the time arrives for taking them to market.  The floor of several of the tents was covered with rugs, and besides looms and confused heaps of what looked like rubbish, there were tea-churns, goatskin churns, sheep and goat skins, children’s bows and arrows, cooking pots, and heaps of the furze root, which is used as fuel.

They expended much of this scarce commodity upon me in their hospitality, and kept up a bonfire all night.  They mounted their wiry ponies and performed feats of horsemanship, in one of which all the animals threw themselves on their hind legs in a circle when a man in the centre clapped his hands; and they crowded my tent to see my sketches, and were not satisfied till I executed some daubs professing to represent some of the elders.  The excitement of their first visit from a European woman lasted late into the night, and when they at last retired they persisted in placing a guard of honour round my tent.

In the morning there was ice on the pools, and the snow lay three inches deep.  Savage life had returned to its usual monotony, and the care of flocks and herds.  In the early afternoon the chief and many of the men accompanied us across the ford, and we parted with mutual expressions of good will.  The march was through broad gravelly valleys, among ‘monstrous protuberances’ of red and yellow gravel, elevated by their height alone to the dignity of mountains.  Hail came on, and Gyalpo showed his high breeding by facing it when the other animals ‘turned tail’ and huddled together, and a storm of heavy sleet of some hours’ duration burst upon us just as we reached the dismal camping-ground of Rukchen, guarded by mountain giants which now and then showed glimpses of their white skirts through the dark driving mists.  That was the only ‘weather’ in four months.