| 232 WESTWARDS TO LADAK. had in Tibet. The authorities of Rudok had of course selected men who, they were certain, would know how to guide us to Noh and Tso-ngombo without a mistake; they were men who did know the road; for the main thing was to get me out of the country as fast as possible, and it is therefore extremely probable that they also knew correctly the names of the geographical features. At Camp CXXIV I had moreover an opportunity to control their information. They told me that a moderately-sized lake, the Aru-tso, lay 4 or 5 days' journey to the north. The southern shore of this lake, which extends as usual from north-west to south-east, reappears on Deasy's map at a distance of i i o km. north-north-east from the last-mentioned encampment, and that, at the rate we were marching, would be exactly 4 to 5 days' journey distant. Bower discovered the lake, and called it, as Deasy also does, the Aru Cho. The altitudes given by the two English travellers are however essentially different; for, while Bower gives the altitude at r 7, r 5o feet, Deasy puts it at 16,21 o ft. Deasy's calculation is the more trustworthy. My guides declared that robbers haunt the neighbourhood of the lake, although their further statement, that the depredators came from such distant parts as Amdo, Naktschu, and Naktsong is not very credible. The year before five robbers had been seized by the authorities of Rudok in the narrow glen of the Ravur-tsangpo. To the north of our route there were said to be no settled inhabitants, not even a single tent. All our guides were acquainted with Jarkent (Yarkand), which they called Jartschan, and they knew also that caravans travel to and fro between that city and Leh. After a cold night, in which the thermometer dropped to — 26.5°, we continued on the t oth November towards the north-west, through the big latitudinal valley, thus leaving Deasy's route again on the north, after crossing over it at three points. I got an opportunity therefore to correct the erroneous conception which he formed as to the part of the highlands that lies south-west of his route. On his map both the mountain-ranges and the principal valleys are shown running from south-west to north-east, whereas the prevailing direction is as usual from south-east to north-west. Along this latitudinal valley we covered what, considering our exhausted condition, was the unusually great distance of 32.2 km., and all the way to the Panggong-tso, with unimportant exceptions, the orographical arrangement remained the same. The valley is open and broad, and is shut in by low red ranges. The snowy peak to the north was soon hidden from our gaze. Sometimes we travelled upon hard gravel, sometimes upon level clay; as a rule the long, narrow expanses of clay lay on the right of our route. Beyond that, to the north-east, follow gypsum formations, and there, we were told, lies a little lake called Luma-sambo, though we did not see it. I cannot make out, as I have said, what relation it bears to the Ravur-tsangpo. Possibly this name applies only to a spring-fed pool, or a marsh, or the last surviving relic of a former lake. It answers to one of the six pools that are shown on Deasy's map. Possibly there does proceed, as Deasy implies, some river-arm from that region, though at the time of our visit that country was very arid; not a single drop of water was to be seen to the right of our route. The district in which we encamped was stated by my guides to be called Tar-tova, though Deasy calls it Kangni. They gave the name of Gogtse to a |
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