THE MOUNTAIN TARKOU AND THE RIVER TARKOU TCHOU. 53
The situation is not improved by the statement that north of this river, Tarkou tsang po tchou, and consequently north of the Dangra-yum-tso, is situated a range of mountains, Tarkou ri, crowned by seven peaks, very high and steep, and i oo li long. This mountain which, as far as the length and the peaks are concerned, is rather well drawn is of course identical with the Targot La discovered by Nain Sing, who passed a considerable distance north of it, whereas I camped at the foot of the mountain. On the Chinese map (always Première transformation de la carte chinoise of de Rhins, our P1. VI) Mts Tarkou are placed N.W. of Dangrayum-tso, although they are situated at the southern shore of the same lake.
It is not to be wondered at that de Rhins has been puzzled by this labyrinth of lakes, rivers and mountains. In vain he has tried to find some points for comparison from Nain Sing's map, such as Tchok ba ya mar, Roc soum, Mok tchoung, Polong tin tang or other mountains entered on the Chinese map. And he says: »Toutefois, bien que la chaîne du Targot la signalée par Nain Sing, dans le sud du lac Dangra you mtso ne soit pas un point déterminé pouvant servir de point de repère, cette indication concorde d'une faon générale avec la position approchée de la chaîne à laquelle appartiennent le Roc soum, le Mok tchoung et le Polong tin tang.»
It is hard to see how l'argot La can agree with the imaginary Chinese range to which belong the three last-mentioned peaks. De Rhins suggests the existence of a range stretching N.W.— S.E. in a region where no such range is known to exist. He believes that mount Tarkou is the highest massive on the range north of Tarkou tchou. And in spite of the difficulties he accepts the Chinese description with the following words:
»Le texte ne précise pas la longueur du Tarkou tchou; mais son importance nous est signalée par l'épithète du 'Tan po' et les 'centaines de li' qu'il parcourt. Les détails du texte et le tracé de la rivière sur la carte 22 sont tels qu'on ne saurait mettre en doute son existence et en supprimer l'indication, comme l'ont fait quelques cartographes. — Même en admettant les distances exagérées du tracé chinois par rapport au Tengri nor, on ne saurait ni identifier les lacs Tang la et Tang tchoung du bassin du Tarkou tchou aux lacs de mêmes noms (Dangra et Tang djong) qui se trouvent sur l'itinéraire du second voyage de Nain Singh par environ 84° de longitude, ni s'appuyer sur cette fausse identification des noms pour supprimer le tracé du Tarkou tchou et des lacs qu'il traverse.,
It is surprising that de Rhins could make such a mistake as to call this identification false. It would indeed be a curious coincidence if a small Tang tchong lake were situated a short distance north of Tangla mtso, as on the Chinese map, and a small Tang Jung Cho at the same short distance north of the Dangra Yum Cho, as on Nain Sing's map. De Rhins reminds us of the hypothetical river Hota Sangpo of Nain Sing, entering Kyaring-tso. If this river existed, he says, as the Pundit has drawn it, it should occupy the territory where, according to the Chinese map, the Tarkou tchou is situated. And he does not in the least hesitate as to which of the two authorities he shall give the greatest confidence. »La carte chinoise
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