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

KLAPROTH'S MAP OF 1836.

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Ikhang tchou, and on its upper course is Gar, Garo or Gartok. The joint Indus is called Singhe tchou, as is indeed the case.

The source branches of the Brahmaputra are shown exactly as on d'Anville and the Ta-ch'ing map. But Klaproth has, in a very unfortunate way, removed the M. Tamtsiogh kabab ghang to the north from the place it has on d'Anville (Vol. I, Pl. LI). The tributaries of the Tsangpo are exactly the same as on d'Anville and the Ta-ch'ing map. The Djadak tchou, our Chaktak-tsangpo is shown as breaking through a mountain range, which is in reality the case. Further west is the range M. Hlounbo gangri, which is the same as our Lunpo-gangri.

I have already discussed Klaproth's representation of the three lakes Dangra-

yum-tso, Shuru-tso and Amchok-tso on his map of 1828 (Pl. II). Comparing this map with the one of 1836 (Pl. III), we find that the former is far superior to the latter, as far as these lakes are concerned. Even the names are much better transcribed on the first map: Dangra youmdzo, Chourou youmdzo and L. Amtchouk. On the latter they are called : Dhwang la you mtso, Dzirou you mtso, and Amtsiogh mtso. In the first case they are shown as situated nearly on the same meridian, as is the case in reality; in the second they form a triangle, the Dangra-yum-tso being placed direct east of Shuru-tso. It is difficult to see for what reason Klaproth has spoilt what he believed was correct in 1828. 1 But probably, as no other material existed he has thought wiser, when publishing his great map of Central Asia in 1836, to adhere to the Chinese hydrography. Therefore Shuru-tso and Dangra-yum-tso are shown as parts of the hydrographical system of Dargou zzang bo tchou and thus belonging to the hydrographical system of Tengri-nor. As I found the Targo-tsangpo comes from the S.E. and flows into the Dangra-yum-tso at its southern shore. The Chinese topographers were certainly never in this part of the Transhimalaya, for otherwise they could not have made such mistakes. But they were in the regions of Tarok-tso, Chaktak-tsangpo, Tsa-chu-tsangpo and Ragatsangpo for here the main hydrographical lines correspond to reality.

Klaproth's placing of the Niantsin tangla gangri in relation to Tengri-nor is no improvement upon the Chinese maps. For he places this high glacier group at the eastern shore, while in reality, it is nearer the western. But with the exception of the lake, the range of Nien-chen-tang-la is very well drawn on Klaproth's map, far superior to much later maps, for instance Hodgson's of 1857.

Sometimes, as in the case of the last-named range, one feels tempted to believe that Klaproth by pure intuition found the right way in the unknown regions of Asia, and there is much truth in the words with which Abbé Huc finishes the narrative of his famous journey: »Ecrire un Voyage en Chine, après quelques promenades aux factories de Canton et aux environs de Macao, c'est peut-être s'exposer

I Pl. IV and Pl. V are reproductions of Klaproth's hand-drawn maps of 1821 which, by the kindness of Professor Meisner at the Royal Library of Berlin, have been put to my disposal. In the map-collection they are signed E 1910 and E 183o.