THE ROADS BETWEEN CHANG-TANG AND SOUTHERN TIBET. 265
stone-huts are extremely rare north of the water-parting, but nomads are numerous south of it. Settled life on the Chang-tang can hardly be spoken of except at Dangrayum-tso, Kyaring-tso and Tengri-nor and then at monasteries such as Serchik-gompa, Mendong-gompa, Lunkar-gompa and Selipuk and finally at one or two gold-fields as Tok-jalung. On the other hand the change from nomadic to settled life can be studied in the valley of one single tributary south of the water-parting; for round the upper course of the Bup-chu, for instance, nomads are living, while near the junction with the VIü-chu stone-huts will be found on the banks of the river. The higher the country and the more inhospitable the climate, the scarcer the population until it disappears altogether on the great heights north of Bogtsang-tsangpo. The most numerous population will be found in the deepest valleys as seems to be the case in the Shang valley where, to judge from the meagre reports we possess, one goes from villages and monasteries towards black tents, on the way to Khalamba-la. Such is also the case with the Mü-chu as will be seen presently. A map of the population of Tibet would show that by far its greatest part is settled in the valley of the Tsangpo and its tributaries.
Many meridional roads maintain the communication between southern or settled Tibet, the Tsangpo valley, and the great nomadic plains of Chang-tang. The one I have just described is one of the most important of all. As a rule it can be said that these roads become less and less frequented from east to west. The most important of all is the highway viâ Reting and Nak-chu to the country of the Sokpos or Mongolians, which, however, does not touch Chang-tang proper. Then we have the roads to Dam-largen-la and Goring-la and the Shang road viâ Khalamba-la. Next comes the road of Ta-nakpo-chu and Pa-la, of which nothing else is known than what I have reported above. Then the Sela-la road which I have described and which represents my first crossing of the system.
Travellers from Shigatse to Chokchu, a district on the western side of Dangrayum-tso, use the Sela-la road, at least I met some caravans bound for that district. They may either go by Pongchen-la, east of Ngangtse-tso and to Ombo at the northern shore of the Dangra, or they may continue down the Tagrak-tsangpo and go south of Ngangtse-tso and Dangra-yum-tso, which would be nearer and more comfortable.
Proceeding southwards from Sela-la the road gradually becomes greater and more worn by traffic; it often consists of a hundred pathways parallel with each other, the result of sheep caravans. Manis, cairns and flags are numerous the whole way long, especially on all passes, river-crossings and at hot springs, but also between such places along the road. Approaching Ye such religious monuments become more and more common.
On account of the traffic wild animals are very rare; I never saw yaks, kyangs or antelopes south of Sela-la.
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