| | | 354 THE ROAD TO TAROK-TSO. Following the tsalam or salt-road north-westwards along the foot of the mountains, one crosses a little brook from a hot spring which forms a swamp to the right of the road. Buptsang-tsangpo keeps to the right side of the valley. Lunkargompa is situated on a hill of quartz-porphyry and quartzite, at a height of 4 7 56 m, and at the left side of the Lunkar valley, from which a brook goes down to the lake. As I was not allowed to approach the Tarok-tso I had to content myself with the view I could get from the hill. The westernmost part of the lake is visible to the N. 26° W. behind a projecting headland, over which the tsalam, or great salt road, proceeds. Some oblong lagoons are seen along the southern shore, south of this headland. I could not make out whether there is water communication between the Tarok-tso and Tabie-tsaka or not. One informant said there is a channel, and a depression, N. 2° W., is seen between the lakes. Another informant asserted there was no visible communication, though Tarok-tso is fresh. Perhaps there is a channel with intermittent flow, as from the Manasarovar. The centre of Tabie-tsaka seems to be situated directly north of the hill of Lunkar-gompa. Between both lakes is a low ridge, Elung-ri, with a pass, Gongdong-ngopta-la, west of which the channel should exist ; from the pass both lakes are within sight. The distance between Lunkar-gompa and Tabie-tsaka is a three short days' march. To the N. i3° E. is a peninsula, and to the N. 2I°—N. 2 3° E. and N. 2 7° E. there are two rocky islands near the northern shore, though one or both may be peninsulas. To the N. 5 7° E. is the easternmost visible part of the lake, which, however, may continue further east, though hidden behind a headland. The Buptsang-tsangpo, one of the greatest plateau-rivers of Tibet, empties its water into the lake. Tarok-tso is elliptical with its long axis running west and east. In the valley a little above Lunkar-gompa our Camp 424 had a height of 4 787 m. |
IIIFカラー高解像度
