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

TIMIKOVSKIY's DESCRIPTION OF TIBET.   7i

the Himålå, stretches out beyond the lake Mansrowar, a considerable way towards Gartope. Beyond this point there seem at present to exist no grounds, on which even a conjecture may be formed concerning the nature of the country.»'

On his famous journey through Mongolia to China G. TIMKOVSKIY got some information about Tibet. His short description contains many mistakes, but as his journey attracted great and justified attention, his geography of Eastern Turkestan and Tibet was for a long time considered as reliable as the description he gave of countries and places he had seen himself. A few quotations are therefore in their place in this connection.2

He says that Eastern Turkestan, in Europe usually called Little Bokharia or Jagatai, is, on the east bordered by China and the Kuku-nor Mongols, and on the west by the Snowy mountains, i. e. Mussart, Musstag or Imaus. On the south it is bordered by Tibet. In 1758 the country was conquered by Emperor Chien Lung who called it the new line, for, as it was enclosed on the north and south by high mountains it resembled a strip of land. On the south-western (!) side was the Turkish or Tatar town Lobnor.

»Die ganze Strecke von Pitschang gegen Westen bis nach Ilzi auf 4 00o Li (286 deutsche Meilen), von Ilzi gegen Süden bis nach Klein-Tibet, auf 5 000 Li (357 d. M.), und eben so 4 bis 5 000 Li gegen Osten, ist gänzlich unbewohnt und mit unzähligen Quellen bedeckt. Auf dem dadurch gehenden Wege sieht man entweder nackte Steppen und Moräste, oder senkrecht empor ragende Berge, mit ewigem Schnee bedeckt, Einöden und Flüsse. Es ist kein Ort, wo es nicht eine Quelle gäbe ... das Wasser hier ist grösstentheils gelb. Alle diese Quellen und Flüsse, die von der Südseite der Schneeberge in der neuen Linie herabfliessen, vereinigen sich endlich in Lobnor. Neben diesem See liegen zwey Flecken, deren jeder ungefähr 500 Häuser hat.»

He has heard the names of all the towns of Eastern Turkestan, gives even the number of their inhabitants, the products and the trade of the country, and has a fairly correct idea of the situation.

The part of Tibet where »Dshessilumbu» is situated and Bogdo Lama resides he calls Little Tibet, whereas Great Tibet is the country of the Dalai Lama.

The frontiers of Tibet he describes in the following way : 3 »Westlich von Chlassei-Ziokan, weiter jenseit Dshessilumbu fängt die Gränze von Neri an, die durch Gantessiri nordwärts in das nerische Städtchen Kerdudsun geht. Die andere Gränze geht südwestwärts über Ssänge-Charaker bis Nelam, das an das indische Königreich Gorka gränzt.» He knows that Ngari's neighbours are two nations: Latdk and Guguldse. North of Lhasa the plain regions begin, and in the west Lhasa is in communication with Little Tibet. To the north, »through the desert», and passing Muru-ussu and Gurdson Gutscha one comes to the frontier of Kukunor. In old

I Journal of a Tour through part of the Snowy Range of the Himalå, Mountains, and to the sources of the Rivers Jumna and Ganges. London 182o, p. 283.

2 Reise nach China durch die Mongoley in den Jahren 182o und 1821, Leipzig 1825. Band II, p. 72 et seq.

3 Loc. cit. p. 177.