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

66 THE LAKES AND TIIEIR SURROUNDINGS BEFORE THE JOURNEYS OF THE STRACHEYS.

north of the mountain of the Satlej, which has one source at least among its western ravines, and perhaps also of the Brahmaputra. The latter takes its rise in all probability among the eastern off-shoots of the Kailas; he was told that the Gogra arose in the Manasarovar lake, i. e. on the southern slopes of Gangri,

or Kailas.

He is right only regarding the two first rivers, for really one of the source-branches of the Satlej can be said to rise on the western side of the Kailas, namely, the river of the valley Dung-lung, although it really comes from the southern slopes of the Transhimalaya, I on the other side of which the Indus rises. But this was unknown in Cunningham's days. It is not the first time we find the Brahmaputra to be supposed to rise on the eastern side of the Kailas or its off-shoots. The Gogra as rising from the lake is a revival of Tief'enthaler's opinion.

Cunningham finally discusses the question of the rise and fall of the Manasarovar, which Gerard had taken as proof of the existence of an outlet.2 Cunningham correctly points out that if there is a rise and fall there cannot be an outlet, for an outlet should reduce the fluctuations. In August 1812, Moorcroft had considered the rise and fall to amount to four feet. But Cunningham, judging from the analogy of such of the streams north of the Himalayas as he had seen, calculates the levels of the lakes to occur in November, and thus the rise and fall of the Manasarovar could be estimated at 6 or 7 feet, a difference which, in his opinion, precludes the probability of a free egress for its waters, although it does not absolutely prove there is no such egress. The rise and fall of Rakas-tai was unknown and this argument does not affect the rise of the Satlej in it. Cunningham's belief was that the river had no connection with the lake.

On JOHN WALKER'S map of Kashmir, 1842, illustrating G. T. VIGNE's book, the »Ladak or Western Branch» of the Indus is also called Sinh-Kha-bab or the Lion's Mouth. Between Chumba and Jammu, Vigne mentions a small lake Mansa, on his map, Manasa, of which he says : »Månsa is an abbreviation of Manåsa, the mind-born, and sarovara, or sara, a lake; i. e. the lake produced by the mind or will of Brahma, the creator. Of the same name, 'Månsarovar', is the great lake visited by Mr Moorcroft, whence the Indus takes its rise.» 3 If he had studied Moor-croft more attentively, he would have found that he absolutely denies that any river takes its rise from the lake.

I At least one of its branches comes from Tseti-lachen-la. On the little map in my book »'Trans-Himalaya», Vol. II, this river has, by mistake, been drawn as if it were in some connection with the Indus, which is, of course, not the case. The mistake is, however, only to be found in the English edition, not in the Swedish original.

2 Loc. cit. p. 236.

3 Travels in Kashmir, Ladak, Iskardo, the countries adjoining the Mountain-course of the Indus, etc., Vol. I, London 1844, p. 179.