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

CHINESE DESCRIPTION OF THE SOURCE OF THE SATLEJ.   I 19

to have heard its name, Kubi-chu. The Chinese and d'Anville cut the Chema into two parts, of which the upper joins the Kubi, the lower the Maryum-chu. Even on Ryder's map it is difficult to tell which river is meant to be the Kubi.

The source of the Brahmaputra has, in other words, wandered about in the periphery of a semi-circle, the centre of which is at the confluence of the different branches.

I have already once published I an extract from the Shui-tao-ti-kang about the Satlej and its relation to the two lakes: 2

»The Kang-ka-Chiang 3 comes out from Kang-ti-ssû-shan,4 on the south-east of which there stands Lang-chuan-ka fta ftu-shan,5 magnificent like an elephant. [The relief is gradually accentuated more and more towards the south-western frontiers, and culminating at Kang-ti-ssû-shan.6 The mountain has a circumference more than 140 li. On all sides the mountain forms precipitous walls, more than I,000 feet high above the surrounding mountains, and accumulated snow seems as if hung on cliffs. Hundreds of springs pour down from the top, but flow under the ground on the foot of the mountain. It is situated on the extreme west of the Ts'ang Region, 310 li north-east of Ta-ko-la-chêng7 in A-/i,8 more than 5,590 li south-west of Hsining-fu in Shensi Province. Its longitude is 36°41W. and its latitude 3o°5'N.9 In olden times the place was unknown, but can be doubtfully referred to as A-nok-ta-shan in the annotation of Shui-ching. In the neighbourhood there are four high mountains, of which the southern is called Lang-chuan-ka-pa-pu-shan lying 25o li south by east of Kang-ti-ssû-shan, and 27o li east of Ta-ko-la-chêng. The natives call it so, because the form of the mountain resembles an elephant. On the east of this

mountain there stands Ta-mu-chu-ko-ka j5a j5u-shan,1O which is the source of the Yalu-tsang pu-River. I I This mountain runs south-westwards to Men-na-ko-ni-êrh-shan and then to Sa-mu-tai-kang-shan, and extends to the south of A-li to the country of É-no-tê-ko.] Springs come out from the northern foot of the mountain, and accumulate into a lake [3505'W. and 29°1'N.]. The water flows north-westwards for 7o li and receives a stream coming from the north-east. [The stream lies in the

I Trans-Himalaya, Vol. II, p. 183 et seq.

2 Professor Ogawa of Kyoto has kindly made the translation for me. I have not altered his

English.

3 Kang-ka-chiang means the Ganges river.

4 Kang-tise, Kailas.

5 Langchen-kabab-mountains, or the mountains of the source of the Satlej, as Langchen is the Tibetan name for Satlej and ka means mouth, and bab (pa-pu) pouring out; thus: the mouth from which the Elephant river is pouring out.

6 The passages within brackets are printed in the original Chinese text with smaller characters as explanatory notes to the geographical names mentioned in the text.

7 Taklakhar.

8 Ngari(-khorsum).

9 In reality its latitude is 31°21/2'.

I° Tamchok-kabab or the Source of the horse-river, i. e. Brahmaputra.

II Yaru-tsangpo or Brahmaputra.