国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

IO2   THE SOURCE OF THE BRAHMAPUTRA ON THE TA-CH'ING MAP.

noms de hameaux, de campements, ou de rivières que Nain Singh indique ne se retrouvent pas sur la carte chinoise; mais il s'accorde avec celui-ci sur la distance des points extrêmes.» The fact that Nain Sing's names are not to be found on the Chinese map only proves that the Pundit's map is richer than the Chinese in this respect. But the fact that he, and after him Ryder and Rawling, followed the Maryum-chu, whereas the two Chinese itineraries mentioned surveyed the source branches from the S.W. explains the misunderstandings about the source of the Brahmaputra, which reigned in European geography until I was able to clear up the hydrography. It also proves that the problem could not be solved and the branches not even roughly surveyed from a distance. It is almost a consolation for European geographers, that the confusion prevailing in different Chinese works is as great as in the European. The difference between the Wei-tsang-t'u-chih and the Tach'ing-i-t'ung-yü-t'u is even greater than between Sir Richard Strachey and Nain Sing. The Chinese have, however, never fallen into the mistake of calling the Maryum-chu the main branch of the Tsangpo. Some authors give it the same rank as the southern branch, others do not even mention it. Some call the Chemayundung a tributary, others make it the main branch. The following is the Tach'ing text as given by de Rhins:I

Le Tsan po est formé de la réunion de deux rivières principales: le Tam tchouk ou Tamdjam kamba (source du cheval) dont les sources se trouvent dans les monts Kouben gang tsian,2 Goumang et Tam tchouk khabab, et le Giangghia sum la ou Dzian dzia tchou.

Le Dzian dzia est formé de quatre rivières qui naissent au nord-ouest, dans les monts Maryoung, Changou yarak ri, Chadziar ri. Elles coulent environ Ioo li (22 milles) vers l'est. Le Dzian dzia, qu'elles forment en se réunissant, parcourt 50 li (I I milles) au sud. Il reçoit à droite le Tchar tchou qui vient de l'ouest; et, à 6o li (i 3 milles) en aval, il se jette dans la gauche du Tsan po.

Le mont Kouben gang tsian (Cocoun Ken tchian de d'Anville) est à 258 li (55 milles) à l'ouest des Djochot (Daksam). Il est très élevé, couvert d'un énorme glacier et fait partie de la même chaîne que le mont Goumang et le Tam tchouk khabab qui est situé à 34o li (75 milles) des Djochot.

Les monts Maryong, à 28o li (62 milles) des Djochot, relient les Tam tchouk khabab aux monts Changou yarak ri situés à 280 li (62 milles) au N.O. des Djochot.

This passage is extremely important and interesting, but it has to be well compared with the Ta-ch'ing map and still more with my map of the country as it really is. Discussed alone it leads to a misunderstanding which otherwise may easily be avoided.

Translated in an intelligible way it runs as follows : The Tsangpo is formed by two principal rivers : The Tamchok-kamba, or source of the Horse, the sources of which are situated in the mountains of Kubi-gangri, Chema-yundung-gangri and Tamchok-kabab, — and the Maryum-chu.

I Op. cit., p. 517 et seq. 2 Kubi-gangri!