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

11

62 THE LAKES AND THEIR SURROUNDINGS BEFORE THE JOURNEYS OF TI-IE STRACHEYS.

There are four principal lakes in Tibet. The Ma-pham yu-ts'ho (Mansarovara), in Nari, is the most considerable, of a circumference of about one and a half day's journey. In U-tsang the Yarbrokyu-ts'ho, Mu-le-strum-ts'ho, and Nam-ts'ho ch'hukmo are likewise of great extent. There are many others of inferior rank or less compass; as, that of La-nacr

d

to the west of Ma-p'ham. From Rtiok (near I,adak) to the east or south-east there are many salt lakes.» T

Csoma never entered Tibet. His sketch of the geography of this country, to which he was longing for such a great part of his life and at the threshold of which he died. — is only a compilation from Tibetan sources. It is therefore much more interesting than compilations made in Europe from European sources. Still I cannot help quoting one of them, not because its author, W. F. PAL\IBLAD, is a countryman of mine, but because it is very clever considering it was so early as in 1821. He describes the Lamas' journey to Kentaisse and the disturbances which prevented them from continuing

their survey in S.W. Tibet.   Only from verbal descrip;:ion they drew the upper course of the Ganges,
which they made start from 29° 3o', and from that time flows on all maps, above the snowy mountains, an upper Ganges which is shown as taking its origin from a lake, Maunseroar, or from two lakes, or sometimes from four; then, after a long course to the west, it is made turning to the S.E. and, through the well-known waterfall, the Cow's mouth, rushing down the Hurdvar-mountains. As this cascade is situated at 3o° N lat., cartographers found themselves obliged to remove the sources of the Ganges further to the north than reported by the Chinese astronomers. Thus d'Anville placed them at 36° N lat.; Tieffenthaler at 33° 15'; Arrowsmith, on an older map, at 34°. Finally it was proved by the journey of Raper and Webb, which was undertaken for the purpose, that the Ganges is formed by the Baghiratha Ganga, rising at Gangoutri, and Alakananda Ganga, coming from Bhadrinath ... Arrowsmith's map of 1816 was the first to note these geographical discoveries.» — The Magazine »Svea, Tidskrift för Vetenskap och Konst», Uppsala 1821, p. 9.

In his »Handbok i Geographien», Vol. I, part I, Uppsala 1826, p. 290 et seq. Palmblad has also an excellent description of Tibet, showing that he was very familiar with the whole literature on the subject existing at his time. »On the southern side of the Kailas-mountains, not far from the origin of the Leh-river, some source-branches begin, which form the river Setledshj (Satadru, Satudra); other branches it (the Setledshj) receives from the southern Himalaya mountains, and one, perhaps the main branch, from the lake Rawan-hrad. This lake is situated rather near the eastern one, the famous Manas-sarôwara or Mansaröwar, in the language of the country called Mapang. This lake, the most sacred of all water known by Hindus, has oval form ... These are the two lakes which by the Lamas ... were reported to be the sources of the sacred river, Ganges, just as the Burramputer was shown as flowing from two other more easterly alpine lakes ... It may be regarded as certain that one of the main branches of Setledshj takes its origin from the lake Rawan-hrad.» On different, quite correct grounds, he says that the mistake of the Lamas may willingly be excused. »And we should not forget that it is the opinion of all Hindu geographers, that Ganges has its source in Mansarowar which probably therefore has won its sanctity.»

As so many other geographers, Palmblad misunderstood Andrade, on account of the description of his journey given by Kircher. He specially refers to this place in China Illustrata, p. 49: Est in altissimis montibus Thebeth, perpetua hive candentibus, ingens lacus, maximorum totius Indiz fluminum hydrophylacium, ex quo Indus, Ganges, Ravi, Athel natales suos ducunt. Therefore Palmblad says of Andrade that he finally reached the top of Himalaya, and saw below his feet a great lake (probably Mansarowar), which, as he believed, was the common source of the Ganges and another great river which flows through Tibet (Tsanpu)». This is also in accordance with Delisle's map of 1705.

Concerning the Indus, p. 565, he has also a very complete bibliography and arrives at the result that the source of this river must be situated much further away than formerly supposed. But its source is not known with certainty. He thinks it is situated N.W. of the Manasarovar, on the northern slopes of Kailas. The Shayok comes from the Kara-kurrum mountains, and is, on a part of its course, called Khamdan (Kumdan). Again he says : »Setledshj ... has its origin from the lake Rawan-hrad .. . (p. 568). In the high region where Indus, Setledshj and Dzang-bo have their origin, are situated the two lakes Mansarowar (Ma-pang) and Rawan-hrad. The Hindus are firmly persuaded, now as in Andrade's time, that the Ganges, Setledshj and Gogra begin from here; this is without foundation;