under the modern laws of China, to buy themselves off from punishment, except in a few cases of aggravated crimes. They are therefore, not allowed to appear as accusers, because they are enabled by this privilege to escape the penalties of false witness. (Staunton, Penal Code of China, ss. 20—22; 339.) According to the Leu Lee, "Women con victed of offences punishable by strokes of the bamboo, are permitted to retain a single upper garment while the punishment is being inflicted, except in cases of adultery when they shall be allowed the lower gar ment only." (Ta Tsing Leu Lee, sec. 22.) Under these laws if the outraged husband discovered his wife committing adultery he could kill her or the adulterer, or both. The law was so considerate of female of fenders that, except in a few cases, they were not committed to prison when accused of any crime, but were allowed to remain with their husbands or relatives until the day of trial arrived. Dower and dowry are unknown among the Chinese, although among the wild abo riginal tribes of the empire it is usual for the wives among the wealthy families to receive marriage portions. (Gray, China, Vol. II, P- 304-) Tibet, "The Forbidden Land," was long subject to the empire of China. It is well known that the people of that strange land recognize as legal both polyandry and polygamy. Landor, in his recent book, says that there is no such a thing known in Tibet as a standard of morality among unmarried women of the middle classes, and therefore from a Tibetan point of view it is not easy to find an immoral woman. When, in Tibet, a young man's atten tions are accepted he goes, accompanied by his father and mother, to the tent of the lady. There he is received by her relations, who have been notified of the intended call and are found seated on rugs and mats. After the usual salutations and courtesies, the young man's father asks on behalf of his son for the
young lady's hand; if the answer is favorable the suitor places a square lump of yak butter on the girl's forehead; she does the same to him; the marriage ceremony is then consid ered over, the buttered couple being now man and wife. If there is a temple near by, katas, food and money are laid before the images of the gods and saints, and the par ties walk around the inside of the sacred place. If there be no temple at hand the new husband and wife make the circuit of the nearest hill, or in default of that, of the tent itself, always moving from left to right. This ceremony is repeated with prayers and sacri fices every day for a fortnight, during which time libations of wine and general feasting continue, and at the end the husband con veys his better half to his own tent. The law of Tibet, though hardly ever obeyed, has strict clauses regulating the con duct of married men in their marital rela tions. So long as the sun is above the hori zon no intercourse is permitted, and certain periods of the year, such as the height of summer and the depth of winter, are also proscribed. A Tibetan girl in marrying does not enter into a nuptial tie with an individual, but with all his family, in the following somewhat complicated manner. If an eldest son mar ries an eldest sister, all the sisters of the bride become his wives. Should he, how ever, begin by marrying the second sister, then only the sisters from the second down will be his property. If he chooses the third then all from the third, and so on. At the same time, when the bridegroom has broth ers, they are all regarded as their brother's wife's husbands, and they one and all cohabit with her, as well as with her sisters, if she has any. Owing to the odd saroir faire of the women, and the absolute lack of honor and decency among males and females, this mat rimonial arrangement seems to work as sat isfactorily as any other kind of marriage would likely do. If a man has married a second sister and
