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

THE BOKAR-LA.

337 its hills; Ri-mare is a mountain not far off to the S. 81° W.; Depto-nakpo is a dark mountain to the W.N.W. Far to the N.W. is a mountain Tota, beyond which is Tok-jalung, at a distance of three days; Nargu-rigmo is a valley to the N. 53° W.; near Camp 243 to the N.N.W. is a low mountain, Talung-tebötö ; Takung is a mountain to the N.N.E.; to the N.E. are the comparatively high, pink-coloured, bulky mountains Toymo; Tagsang-karpo is a flat, brown mountain S.S.E. and Ri-mugir some of the hills along the road from Camp 242. The rock is lava.

On the next section of the road, to Camp 244, we approach the range which is situated on the right side of the upper Singi-kamba, which is crossed in the Bokar-la. Though the country is extremely level to the eye, the ground rises gradually to the west, from 4 614 to 4 700, 4 766 and 5 021 m. The hills and rocks are small, strongly weathered and isolated on the plain like islands in a sea. One such rock touched by the road, consisted of porphyrite, another of volcanic tuff; the ground is hard, the gravel glassy lava, all more or less windworn. Ri-maryul are some hills surrounding a little valley to the south, Nguyuma and Takdong are the mountains to the north, Chang-molung is the plain itself. Beyond a little threshold is the valley Nasecho with an open spring. Looking eastwards from the threshold one has a very extensive view over the plain, an extremely flat depression, a highland desert, low, flat, levelled, windworn, weathered and disintegrating rocks, a country swept clear by innumerable storms, a dry, arid and desolate country. At Sariyul there is another spring and some grass.

From this place the road gradually rises towards the first class water-parting pass

Bokar- or Bukar-la, 5 178 m high, from the western side of which the drainage goes to the Indus. Some peaks are visible: to the S. 63° E. is the rocky mount Kungtilbu; to the S. 5° W. is, in our neighbourhood, the peak Yula-naktso; to the S.W. is Marbu-kabra, a low flat ridge; to the S. 63° W. is a dominating nameless peak, and east of it a place often mentioned, Sambuk-sumdo, where several roads meet. To the S. 8o° W. the district Bomba-Singmet is shown; to the W.S.W. extends the immense and desolate plain which is bordered by distant hills.

The country is as desolate as ever, and there is hardly any sign of life. Snowy mountains are not within sight; only one peak to the S.S.W. has a little snow-patch. To the S.S.W. the country is open, but to the south are some mountains, of which one is called Shungu. Having crossed the plain and a low threshold, the

road enters a valley. There is a spring Pulduk-kar and a watercourse, Kung, with comparatively high mountains in the background. From several other springs the water forms a little brook, the valley becomes more and more narrow and sharply marked and there is some grass. The right side erosion terrace is 6 m high; the left side terrace is more interrupted ; these well developed terraces remain as proofs of a precipitation of which now very little is left. The valley joins the Indus at Sambuk-sumdo at 4 698 rn. The rock on this section is porphyrite and quartz-porphyrite.

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