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- The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ for centuries and the Hindu rulers did not interfere with them. They relied not on forcing their views upon a people but on educating them to it. The hill tribes who follow the custom of polyandry are isolated communities and socially have no connection with the Hindus. The trans-Himalayan tribes, too, follow this custom which has existed among them for a long time.
In Ladak, among the low-class-people, each woman has from three to five husbands and that in the most legitimate manner in the world. It is the custom, when a man marries a woman she becomes the legal wife of all his brothers. If there is but one son in the family, he usually marries into a family where there are already two or three husbands, and never but one wife. The days of each husband are fixed in advance and each acquits himself of his duties promptly in the most agreeable manner. The men are not long-lived or so robust as the women.
This practice existed long before Buddhism-was introduced into that country, which religion is gradually uprooting the practice which is scarcely sanctioned among the more intelligent or better classes. From the description given by M. Notovitch it is evident that like other foreign travellers he has formed his opinions of the people from those with whom he came in contact. I know full well how difficult it is for a foreigner to get access to the better classes of Oriental society; in very rare instances, where one has influence with a native of high standing, has he the opportunity to see or know the better side.
We will leave polyandry and follow our traveller in his journey. From Karghil he went to the village of Surghol, twenty miles from the former and standing on the banks of the Wakha. Neat it are to be seen masses of rocks forming long broad walls, upon which have been thrown, in apparent disorder, flat stones of various colours and sizes, on which are engraved all sorts of prayers in Urdu, Sanskrit and Thibetan characters.
