| where he has discussed the probability of a continuous range north of the Tsangpo. He never mentions Hodgson's Nyenchhen-thånglå Chain, which he probably despised in comparison with the serious field work he had himself started. He does not defend a Kailas, Gangri or Gangdisri range. Such speculations he leaves, without jealousy, to the arm-chair geographers. For his own account he only accepts and thoroughly digests real authoptic work in the country itself. For, if Hodgson in 1856 could state beyond doubt that the eastern continuation of the Karakorum was identical with his Nyenchhen-thånglå, and Stieler's Hand-Atlas, in 1861 could represent the eastern continuation of the Kara-korum under the name Chor Kette (Hor Range) far to the north, how could one know which of these views was correct? And could not possibly the Gangri range and the Nyenchhen-thånglå be two quite different systems, more or less parallel with each other ? Until new proofs were brought; forward Montgomerie certainly thought the wisest thing would be to leave the orographic mysteries alone. The explorer could furnish Montgomerie with some additional information about the northern road or »Janglam», »which runs far north of the course of the Upper Brahmaputra River passes by the Namcho or Tengri Nûr Lake, and from thence by Shellifuk Lake to Rudok». Thus both in the west and the east this road was heard of, although nobody knew how and where it went. As I crossed it several times I am able, in a later chapter, to give some more detailed notes about it. Montgomerie says that the route over Dam Niårgan to Lhåså must be the same which was taken by Huc and Gabet. This is very unlikely as the missionaries certainly followed a more easterly road. In his résumé of the very good service done by the explorer, Montgomerie once more returns to our mountain system saying: »The explorer was much struck with the magnificent glaciers to the south of the Namcho, or Tengri Nûr Lake, and they will no doubt prove to be very extensive, as the man is a good judge of their size, being well acquainted with Himalayan glaciers near India.» In his article: Great Tibet. Discovery of Lake Tengri-nor, Sir CLEMENTS MARKHAM gives another résumé of the same journey we have just discussed. In this article he says that the semi-Tibetan explorer has »discovered and marched completely round the Tengri-nor, which has hitherto been placed on our maps merely on the authority of old Chinese surveys of unknown authorship». Only when such lakes, rivers or mountains as are impossible to identify from d'Anville's map are visited by modern travellers can one speak of discoveries. But regarding the particular lake Tengri-nor, it is marked beyond doubt and at its approximately correct place on d'Anville's map under the name of Terkiri Lac, a slip of the pen for Tengiri, Tengri. But it is no exaggeration to say: »This is one of the most important geographical discoveries that has been made for many years.»' |
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