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『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

24   COLEBROOKE, WEBB AND RAPER ON THE SOURCE OF THE GANGES.

On the results of his journey Webb wrote to Colebrooke: Considering the most important information gained, to be a knowledge that the sources of the Ganges are southward of the Himalaya, I subjoin my reasons for adopting this opinion.

And he gives the reasons why it is proved by his journey that the source or sources of the Ganges are situated on the southern side of the Himalaya, I and he adds, that from intelligent natives he had their assurances, that no river, except one, exists westward of the Manasarôvara lake; that this stream is called the Saturuz (Satalaj) river; and that it turns southerly west of Jamoutri. 2

Although Webb had no opportunity to visit the lakes himself, he was clever and critical enough to gather reliable information about them, and he had a very sound and clear view of the complicated hydrography.

Colebrooke agrees with Webb, but it is difficult to understand his entire meaning in saying: it is presumable, that all the tributary streams of the Ganges, including the Sarayu (whether its alledged source in the Aldnasarovara lake be credited or disbelieved), and the Yamuna, whose most conspicuous fountain is little distant from that of the Ganges, also rise on the southern side of that chain of mountains. From the western side of the mountains, after the range, taking a sweep to the north, assumes a new direction in the line of the meridian, arise streams tributary to the Indus, and perhaps the Indus itself.>> On the other hand he is right in finding it »probably true, that the sources of the Sampoo or Brahmaputra and its tributary streams, are separated only by a narrow range of snow-clad peaks from the sources of the rivers which constitute the Ganges, or which serve to swell its stream

Colebrooke finishes his highly interesting and able remarks in pronouncing an opinion which is not strange for 1810, namely, that probably no other mountains than the Cordilleras de los Andes were higher than the Himalayas. In another article3 he explains the causes why he thought it wise to speak of the Himalayas as only second in height.

On a later occasion Webb got another piece of reliable information about the sacred lake. It was in 1816 when he ascended the then almost unknown passes,

ondern den Südgehängen; sein Lauf sei also weit kürzer und unmittelbarer Hindostan angehörig, als die Lainakarten es vorstellten; d'Anville's und Rennell's Karten über den obern Lauf des Ganges konnten ferner nicht mehr gelten, da es nun schon, nach den Erkundigungen, ausgemacht war, class der Strom, der aus den heiligen Seen, im Norden der Haupt-Schneekette gegen West fliesse, nicht der Ganges, sondern ein anderer Strom sey, welcher? das blieb noch unbekannt. Aber der Ganges, so viel schien, und dies war auch Colebrooke's Ansicht, entschieden, stehe nicht mit den heiligen Seen (Marias-Sarowara etc.) der Plateauhöhen in Verbindung, eine Vorstellungsweise, zu welcher seit ältester Zeit die Hindu-Mythe vom Meru, Kailasa und der heiligen Ganga verführt hatte.» Die Erdkunde von Asien, Band II, p. 5or.

I As I have mentioned above, WEBB does not seem to have known that almost 200 years earlier Antonio de Andrade had made the journey up the Ganges and not only reached the pass of Marra, but even gone beyond it. Vol. I, p. 163.

2 Loc. cit. p. 433.

3 ,On the Height of the Himalaya Mountains..,)Asiatic Researches, Vol. XII, i8i8, P. 253 et seq.