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.

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The higher one ascends the more dominating the Kailas appears. The rise m becomes steeper, and amongst heaps of blocks the road goes up to Tseti-la, 5,628

(18,459 feet) high. The pass is like a platform between two low thresholds. The view does not reach far, as it is hidden by surrounding mountains. From the northern side of the pass a brook goes down to the N.W. and west, and probably joins the Dunglung-chu. Tseti-la is therefore only a secondary pass. The real water-parting pass between the Satlej and Indus is situated a little farther north on a flat threshold, called Tseti-lachen-la, 5,466m. (17,928 feet) in height.

On this pass there is an oblong pool which sends out a brook to the N.E., and is the source of the northgoing Tseti-chu, a left tributary to the uppermost Inclus. The valley is broad, its bottom is covered with good grass, swamps, and moss : the brook has hardly i cub.m. of water, which occasionally forms small rapids. Lower down, the bed is bordered by well marked though often interrupted erosion terraces. The mountains to the left side are low, those to the right more considerable. The breadth of the valley increases.

On the first half of the road granite prevails, after which quartz-porphyry becomes more frequent. Finally the Tseti-chu joins the Indus at right angles, at a place called Singi-buk, where the height is 5,o79m. (16,659 feet). The Indus has here a left side terrace 7m. high, and sweeps close along the side of a mighty porphyry massive on its right side. Here the Indus carried only 4.5cub.m. a second in the afternoon, on September 9th. A right tributary joining the Indus a little below Singi-buk, is called Shinglung-ota. In its upper part is the pass Ngoma-chande-la with a road to an uninhabited region 2 or 3 days north called Tashi-toche. Four days down the river is a place Gechu-rap, which is probably the same as the Giachuruff of the Pundits. I

Following the Indus eastwards through its comparatively broad valley one soon reaches the junction of the Indus with the Lungdep-chu, which, though it carried about 3cub.m and is thus much stronger than the Indus, is regarded, by the Tibetans as a tributary to the Singi-kamba. If the volume of water alone should decide which were to be regarded as the main river and which the tributary, the Lungdep-chu ought to be regarded as the source of the Indus. In the lowest part of its course this brook comes from S.4o°E., but its source is said to be situated almost due south from the junction and at a distance of one short day's march. It comes from the same head range in which Tseti-lachen-la is situated; from the right or S.E. it receives several small tributaries. The mountains visible in its upper part seem to be comparatively low and to have very little snow on their northern sides.

I On the map, PI. XVV, Giachuruff has a height of i 5,730 feet which must be at the river itself, for Giachuruff is a ford. Niacharphu, higher up the river, is given as at a height of 15,70o feet. I have 16,659 feet for Singi-bup. I could get no information of the Pundit's Jiachan. The distance between it and Singi-bup must be considerable as the difference in height is 300 meters, provided that the altitudes of the Pundit are reliable, which is doubtful.

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