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0358 Southern Tibet : vol.1
南チベット : vol.1
Southern Tibet : vol.1 / 358 ページ(白黒高解像度画像)

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doi: 10.20676/00000263
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226   MAPS FROM THE FIRST THIRD OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.

In another book which was written by the elder PETIS DE LA CROIX who died in 1695, but which was published in English in 1722, and accompanied by a map of Delisle, we are astonished to see that no other authors are consulted on matters Tibetan, than the Arabs.' The author believes that the »reader will be glad to know some particular account of Tebet», which is situated between 3o and 40° of Lat., and between I oo and I m° of Long., »according to the situation, given it by the Eastern Geographers». — »It contains part of the Region called Turc-Hinde, because it is a part of Turquestan on the one side, and of India on the other. Some divide it into two Parts, calling it the Great and Lesser Tebet. The Great borders on China, the Less is situate to the East of the little Kingdom of Kaschemire, just behind the Mountains; and they are both but six Weeks Journey over. This Country is full of Towns and Villages well inhabited; the People are so good humour'd and chearful, that they breathe nothing but Joy and Pleasure. But what is most surprising, is, that there is a Mountain called Jabal Assumoum ('the Mount of Poison'), which inspires all those with Melancholy who come near enough but to smell it, nay, even turns their Tongues black, in such a manner, that they remain black all the rest of their Lives.» Then follows the ordinary story of the musk and rhubarb. Of the Jaxartes or Sihon he knows that it has two sources in Mount Imaus, and falls into the Caspian Sea.2

It is in vain that one reads through the many volumes of »Recueil des Voyages qui ont servi a l'etablissement et aux progrez de la Comftagnie des Indes Orientales», 3 for there is not a word about the interior of the country. The musk trade is described, as it was carried on in Goa, and it is said to come from Tartary through China. When Mount Caucasus is once mentioned, the quotation is from Pliny. The whole collection is nothing but capes, islands, ports, ships, coasts, seas,

I The History of Genghizcan the Great, ... Collected from several Oriental Authors, and European Travellers ... By the late M. Petis de la Croix Senior ... faithfully translated into English, London 1722, p. 58, 116, and 173.

2 In connection with Caschgar and Hyarcan he has a very surprising story which sounds like a good joke. A M. Sparvenfeldt, who was Master of the Ceremonies to Ambassadors at the King of Sweden's Court, being at Paris in 1691, assur'd the author that he had read in the ancient Annals of Sweden that the Swedes took their Original from the City of Caschgar in Turquestan».

Probably Petis de la Croix has misunderstood the learned Sparfvenfeldt, though the latter was said to have thoroughly mastered fourteen languages. As a matter of fact Sparfvenfeldt was very far from the opinion that the Swedes originated from Asia. On the contrary, he was, — as his famous countryman Olof Rudbeck, who lived at the same time, — persuaded, that Sweden was the origin of humanity. To prove the correctness of this theory he was despatched, in 1688, by King Charles XI, upon an expedition of several years, which brought him so far as to Spain and Africa.

3 Rouen 1725; Tome V, p. 13, Tome VI, p. 400.

In another work, Histoire de Timur-Bec, Petis de la Croix, Paris 1722, there is a map, Carte de l'Expedition de Tamerlan dans les Indes, which shows great discrepancies with Delisle, i 7 years earlier. The little map is of no importance whatever, but I have given a reproduction of it Pl. 1V. It shows that Delisle was not generally accepted. Petit Tibet and Grand Tibet are well placed; the western Himalaya and Kwen-lun are visible; at the upper Satlej is a place Mansar, which reminds one of Manasarovar; Mt Couké is also below Mansar. The Ganges comes from a lake below which is the eternal Cow: Wache de piere adorée Par les Guebres» (!).