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| Scientific Results of a Journey in Central Asia, 1899-1902 : vol.4 |
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Citation Information
THE NAKTSONG-TSO, ITS SOUND, AND ITS WESTERN HALF. . 65
When the eastern arms began to flow across a relatively higher part of the delta, the current broke away and shifted its mouth a step farther west. But, as I have
already remarked, during the high-water period certain parts of the eastern arms are
also probably used as channels of discharge. Thus the water spreads itself by means of the sloping sedimentary delta into those parts of the Naktsong-tso which lie
north and south of the delta. To judge from the relief of the lake-bottom, larger
masses of sediment have accumulated to the north of the delta than in basin No. I; for a considerable area to the north is so shallow that it cannot be very long be-
fore it becomes completely levelled up. In that quarter the one-meter curve runs at such a great distance from the existing shore-line that the intervening area is almost as great as that part of the delta which lies above the water-level. In fact this river, the source and character of which unfortunately I had neither time nor opportunity to investigate, is in a fair way to fill up the entire western part of the lake with sediment. By its valley too — which runs principally, I have no doubt, from west to east — the ice-stream travelled, to which I have in the preceding pages ascribed the origin of the fjord-like sound. In considering the directions in which the glacial streams would flow, we must not of course lose sight of the fact, that there would be local deviations. In this region, if we may draw any inferences from the positions of the mountain-ranges, the ice-streams would appear generally to have come from the south and south-west. If that was so, then the particular ice-stream I am discussing must have been an exception to the rule. Probably in the locality in which we now have the river-delta it divided, that is to say, it sent off a second arm to the north-east; here we discovered also a narrow passage, though it speedily widened out towards the east.
From the deltaic region a bay penetrates towards the west, and is inclosed on both north and south by naked crags, those on the former side being especially imposing. The bay does not however penetrate particularly far inland. At its innermost angle the strip of shore is especially flat.
After issuing from the mouth of the stationary deltaic branch, we paddled towards the north-east, across the very shallow basin of the Naktsong-tso, the depth reaching i m. at only one point. As this shallowness is unquestionably caused, as I have already said, by deposited fluvial sediment, it may be pretty safely assumed, that there exists a channel of deeper water along the northern side of the basin and quite close to its shore; and in this surmise I am strengthened by the circumstance that, farther east in the same direction, the one-meter curve runs close to land and the depth rapidly increases as you put out from land. Along this shore too there rises a mountain-range, with a precipitous descent to the south, the range reaching its greatest altitude beside this particular basin of the lake, but sinking towards the east. Directly north of the river-mouth the range is pierced by a steep-sided transverse glen, which terminates at the lake. At the head of that glen, at the distance of about one kilometer from the shore, there is a second range parallel to the first one, and presenting the usual rugged, craggy appearance; like the other ranges in that region it stretches from south-west to north-east. Between the various ranges lie small and unimportant latitudinal valleys, the dry rivulets of which converge upon the transverse glen. This itself possesses a stony and rather steep watercourse,
9
He din, Tourney in Central Asia. IV.
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