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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| Scientific Results of a Journey in Central Asia, 1899-1902 : vol.4 |
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Citation Information
1
CAPTAIN RAWLING. SOUTHERN TIBET.
519
drinkable. All of us suffered considerably from drinking the water which flowed past the camp, and it was not until a well had been sunk and fair water obtained that the ill effects left us.»
The weather had of late been very hot, on one day the thermometer having registered 700 Fahr. in the shade. Thunderstorms rolled across the plains daily, either rolling up from the west or forming on Deasy group, and generally accompanied with snow ... These storms were accompanied by hail and snow and terrible squalls of wind, which at times swept us from our feet and lowered the tents to the ground.»
»On August 6 we reached the shores of Lake Markham ... Lying roughly north-east and south-west, Lake Markham has a length of about 17 miles, a width of from 4 to 5 miles, and an area of 7o square miles. It is regular in shape, and is bounded on the north by low rolling hills, and on the south by a rugged ridge. Its shores are composed of sand and shingle, and its banks shelve slowly. On its waters and along its shores breed in large numbers the Brahmini duck. No fish or shrimps were seen. A river with a strong current runs by many channels into the lake from the west. The water of the lake at its western end is fresh, but as one travels towards the east the water becomes more and more impregnated with salt, until at its eastern end it becomes undrinkable. At the time of our visiting Lake Markham there was no overflow, the surplus water being apparently absorbed by the soil, or lost by evaporation. There is, however, a narrow channel at the eastern extremity, which at this date was very dry, but which bore evidence that at some season of the year the water escapes by this channel and drains into the low-lying ground to the north, which is white with salt.»
»The country to the north and east appeared a barren waste. To the east the desert plain stretched for 5o miles, only broken by scattered salt lakes and pans, and by rocky knolls and pinnacles rising abruptly here and there. Beyond this again rose low-lying ranges and rolling hills. All around appeared dead; no fresh water, no vegetation, and no animal life — a veritable Dante's Inferno.»
»The ranges here ran north and south, the valleys between being full of low undulating grass-covered hills.»
»On August loth the direction was again changed, this time towards the south-west, the caravan following the line of least resistance. The country to the south-east consisted of great salt plains and jagged ranges. In the centre of these plains lay salt lakes, all of which had the appearance of rapid diminution in size. In some places, in fact, only salt pans remained. The low-lying land for several miles round the lakes was void of vegetation, but on the highlands grass grew luxuriantly and game was plentiful.»
»Three marches further on the caravan arrived on the shores of Huping Tso, a fine sheet of fresh water almost divided into two by a rocky peninsula. The shore on three sides was flat and boggy, while to the south it was bounded by a rocky range, down whose precipitous sides many small streams added their quota to the volume of water. The lake, however, was mainly fed from the distant mountains to the north, upon whose summits snow still lay. The water was absolutely fresh; nevertheless, no wildfowl were to be seen. In the lake weeds and shrimps abounded, but we were unable to see any signs of fish. A broad and sluggish river flowing
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