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

THE SOURCE OF THE INDUS.

97

His brothers had heard the name Sénge Khabåb, »descended from the Lion's mouth»; they had also heard the name Singi-chu or Lion River, in which the old Sanscrit word Sinha was better preserved. He thinks this name points to the existence of a very powerful opening of the source, and as the topographical situation corroborates his conclusion, he thinks the Singi-kabab rises from a glacier. Everybody familiar with the hydrography of Tibet would have believed the same, and it is exceptional that this river rises from a rather moderate source; and it is this source which is called Singi-kabab, whereas the river itself is called Singi-kamba. He correctly regards the Singi-branch as the principal river and the Gartang as its tributary.

The mountains N.E. of the sources of the Gartang (Gartung, Gartong or Garchung) were estimated at 3,000 or 4,000 feet above the valley. Farther N.W. Adolph and Robert could see the continuation of the Kailas range. On their way back they crossed the Satlej and took the direction of the Mana pass.

In September Adolph went again to Tibet, crossed the Mana pass (18,406 feet) and the Bioko-la (18,45o feet), which the Pundits had estimated at 19,200 feet. On the way back he visited Tholing (12,369 feet), and Chdprang which he found inhabited, only in summer, by some 15 families. The Nélong pass he fixed at 18,32o feet. In Western Tibet we shall have to return to the important results of the Schlagintweits on several occasions.'

A curious contribution to our problem is given in a paper: A Trip to Thibet, Kylas, Source of the Sutlej, and the Mansurwur and Rakhas Lakes, by Captain H. U. Smith, I. X4.2 Together with Mr A. S. HARRISON, M. A. he started at the end of June 1865 from »Nynee Tal» and by deceiving the »Tartar guard» they succeeded in reaching >,Kylas» or rather, the village of Darchin. They found the Manasarovar to be about 15 miles from Darchin, and encamped at the head of the lake under

I At about the same time, or 186o, the regions we are discussing, were described in the following words in geographical hand-books: »L'Indus prend sa source dans l'ouest de Tibet, sous le nom de Sing-kha ou Sinh-kha; un de ses principaux affluents, le Setledje, vient aussi du Tibet, presque des mêmes montagnes qui voient naître le Yarou-dzangbo-tchou, et il y porte le nom de Lang-diing; il franchit un defilé de l'Himalaya, pour pénétrer ensuite dans l'Hindoustan.» Géographie Universelle de Malte-Brun, revue, rectifiée et complétement mise au niveau de l'état actuel des connaissances géo-

graphiques par E. Cortambert, 'Tome III, Paris 186o, p. 226 et seq.

This passage is perfectly correct. The source of the Satlej and the source of the Brahma-

putra are situated in nearly the same mountains. So it was given on d'Anville's Lama-map and so it

is described in Chinese texts. And so I found it to be in reality.

Of the sacred lake we read in the same work: »Le plus fameux lac du Tibet est le Mapham-

dalaï (c'est-à dire mer non surpassée) appelé par les Hindous Manasarovar; il n'a cependant que 8o kilom. de circuit. Il est formé, au pied de l'Himalaya, par les eaux qui découlent de la montagne neigeuse de Lang-sten-kabab-gang-ri; l'eau en est verte et de bon goût ... Il est environné de montagnes, excepté vers quatre petites vallées qui s'ouvrent dans la direction des quatre points cardinaux

et qui en forment les portes.

The opinion that the lake should be formed by the waters corning down from the Langchen-

kabab-gangri, or »Snowy mountains of the source of the Satlejs', touches also the real facts. For even if all the other rivers and brooks contribute to feed the lake, the uppermost Satlej or Tage-tsangpo

is the principal feeder.

2 Proceedings of the Royal Geogr. Society. Vol. XI, 1866-7, p. 119 et seq.

13-131387 II.