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

NAIN SING'S DESCRIPTION OF NIEN-CHEN-TANG-LA AND TENGRI-NOR.

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peak does above the Mansarowar Lake. The whole of these peaks were very imposing as seen from the monastery, which also commands a full view of the whole of the lake.»

Now, for the first time, a reliable explorer saw the famous mountain from the north (Pl. XVII). It had been seen by Europeans before, but only from the southern side. But it was known to exist and the whole range on the southern shore of the lake had been entered, for instance, on the map of Asia in Stieler's Hand-Atlas for 1826 (Pl. X). Even the name was known and 4o years before the native explorer's journey Ritter had called the »Nien-tsin-tangla-gangri» an extraordinarily high glacier group, forming a remarkable boundary pillar between Lhasa and Tengrinor. Montgomerie's explorer talks of the magnificent snowy peaks of Ninjinthangla. The explorer did not, from descriptive point of view, add much to what was known before. The important addition is that he fixed the situation of the group.

The high peaks of Nuchin Gasa are probably identical with the Mts Samtan gangtsa of the Ta-ch'ing map or a part of them. On the saine Chinese map the peaks of Nian tsian tang ra are also entered, although too far to the east.

The explorer also did a good service in giving us a reliable map of the lake, which had so long been represented on European maps with the outlines as on Chinese maps. He characterizes it with the following words: »Though the water of the lake is so salt as to be unfit for drinking, it is nevertheless quite frozen over in November, the lake being about 15 200 feet above the sea; when the explorer saw it the surface looked as if it was made of glass; it is said to remain in that state till May, when the ice breaks up with great noise. The lake contains fish, and quantities of small shells are found on the banks. The lake itself is a great resort for pilgrims.»

He returned along the southern shore, February 7th, to the Dorkia monastery and had now made the circuit of the lake in 15 days. Then he went eastwards again along the northern shore. At Nangba Do he heard of a lake called Bul Cho (Pul-tso), which was visible from a peak he climbed. At Chang Phang Chuja near the north-eastern corner of the lake, the hot springs had a temperature of 130°.

Having followed the north and east shores a second time, the explorer turned south, and crossed, on February 23rd the Dam Niargan La, a name that also belongs to the district south of the pass. The explorer heard of a road from Dam Niargan to Lob Mir and to Jilling or Sinning. It is 1 o days to Nakchukha, thence 45 days to Sokpohuil (Sokpoyul). Montgolnerie correctly believes that Lob Niir is mistaken for Koko Mir. Fifteen days more take the traveller to Sining-fu.

The farther way goes south to Chana La. Lachu Sumna is obviously a place where three valleys meet. Dhog La is situated between two tributaries, and so is Chak La and Phembu Gong La. All these secondary passes are situated between western, or right, tributaries to the Ki-chu, an arrangement which is very like the orography further west, where the road from Sela-la crosses the southern ramifications