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0550 Southern Tibet : vol.3
Southern Tibet : vol.3 / Page 550 (Color Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000263
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CHAPTER XXXVI.

THE EIGHTH CROSSING.

The last of my eight lines across the Transhimalaya starts from Gyekung, Camp 241, at 4 802 m, and proceeds nearly westwards to Gartok, at 4 467 m. On this line the highest pass is Jukti-la, 5 825 m. The difference in height between Gyekung and this pass is 1 02 3 m on a distance of 160,6 km in a straight line, or 186,6 km along the road; the difference in height between Gartok and the pass is I 358 m in a distance of 25,7 km in a straight line, and 30,3 km along the road, but the continental, or Indian, water-parting is situated on the Bokar-la, 5 178 m high.

'The road from Gyekung to Gartok goes down the Gyekung valley and follows the southern shores of the two small lakes Nirma-gyam-tso and Nyanda-nakpo-tso. The whole plain on which these lakes are situated and which continues some distance further west, is called Mugu-telep. The greatest part of the plain is arid and inpregnated with salt, and clouds of white salt dust are whirled up by the wind; only round the lakes and at a spring, Govu, is there good grass. From Govu the following names were given: to the N. 81° E., at two or three days' distance, a fairly high mountain, Chamar-ri; to the east a mount Beylung; to the S.E. the mountains Gomolo and Ya-ngolum; to the S.S.E. Tardolung; to the S.S.W. Ya-rakpa; to the S. 62° W., not far away, a dark rock Takgiya; to the N.W. Nyanda-nakpo; to the N. 19° E. Ti-ralpa; to the N.E. Donggu; in the same direction, but at great distance is mount Tama-shipcha, and to the N. 59° E. mount Tava-kale.

Farther west on our road are two more salt pools, the largest called Tsolongcho. A little ridge of hills is crossed in a pass called Sigu-ragling-la, and N.W. of it the ground is almost perfectly level, the undulations, at any rate, not noticeable to the eye. On both sides are low detached hills; the country is like a desert, the ground consists of yellow clay covered with fine gravel. There are also two small lakes to the right, Tso-kar and Pul-tso ; to the N.E. it is said to be two or three days' journey to Gerke. The country becomes more and more open, it is an endless plain, one of the greatest I have seen in western Tibet; grass is rare.

At the fresh springs of Luma-rigmo the height is 4 614 m; near it is a rather large saltwater pool. A little detached peak to the S. 13° W. is called Nyuri; to the S.W. is a low ridge Dongchen; to the S. 6o° W. the valley Changmo-lung with