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THE STRACHEYS, CUNNINGHAM, AND GUTZLAFF.   225

care for the more reliable information Strachey had obtained much further east, and which was published six years before Cunningham's hook.

Sir RICHARD STRACHEY's contribution to the problem runs as follows: >. Regarding the source of the Brahmaputra we have no real information. It appears, however, most probable that a strip of Tibet, 20 or 3o miles broad, along the northern face of the watershed, drains through the Himalaya into the Ganges, as far eastward, at least, as the meridian of Calcutta, and possibly farther; and that the Sanpur Tachok-Tsangpu (Tibetan), which must surely be the Brahmaputra, rises to the N. of this belt in a manner similar to the Indus. We cannot, therefore, say with any great degree of probability that the source of the Brahmaputra is to be found in the immediate vicinity of the lake Manasarowar, but indeed rather the reverse; though it is not unlikely that the drainage of the N.E. face of the E. portion of the Kailas range may fall into the Sanpu.» '

He openly says that nothing is really known. He correctly finds it most probable that the source is rather far from the lake, and is wrong in suggesting that the river should get some water from the N.E. side of the Kailas. The comparison with the Indus is not quite clear. If he alludes to the Sanskar branch and means that the Tsangpo gets most of its water from ranges farther south, he is correct, for indeed the precipitation of the S.W. monsoon is diminishing towards the N.E.

Another version is given by Dr. GUTZLAFF: »The Yarou-Dsangbo (the clear river of the West) is one of the largest in Asia, traversing Tibet, and running through 14° of longitude. Its source is near the Mapama lake, where other great rivers of Asia take their rise, in about 30° N. lat. and the 77° E. long., on the frontiers of Ari, at the Tsamtserg mountain. This is not far from a lofty peak, named by the Hindoos, Oneuta, and considered by them to be the highest in the world. It stands in connection with four other mountains, which take the names of Horse, Elephant, Lion, and Peacock, and extend 48 geographical miles to the high chain of Ari . . . The Dsangbo here receives many tributaries from the N. (such as the Esunshia, Somia, Archoo, and the Navuk-Dsangbo). Several others join it from the S., running down from the Himalaya mountains, and swelling its course through a fertile broad valley.»2

It is easy in this description to recognise d'Anville's map. The source of the Yarou-Dsangbo is placed at a mountain called Tsamtserg, — Tamchok and amongst the northern tributaries we recognise the Archoo and Navuk-Dsangbo, improved from Artchou and Naouc Tsanpou. The Esunshia and Somia are obviously d'Anville's Kianskia Somia R.

On a beautiful map of India, from 1827,3 where the lakes and their surroundings are still taken from Moorcroft, we also find a representation of the >Supposed

T Journal Royal Geogr. Society, Vol. 21, 1851, p. 64.

2 Journal Royal Geogr. Society. Vol. 20. 1851, p. 198•

3 Map of India from the Latest Surveys of the best Authorities. Published principally for the use of the officers of the Army in India . . by Kingsbury, Parbury & Allen. London 1825, Drawn & engraved by John Walker. Additions to Sept. 1827.

29-131387 /1.