GOLDMINES IN WESTERN TIBET. 2 5 9
Central and Eastern Tibet this latter morphological type is the rule. In Western Tibet, the first case is the rule, all depending upon the general orographical relief of the country. In the regions where we now travelled, both forms were met with, as the one, of course, gradually goes over in the other as one proceeds to the east.
On the section to Camp CCCXXXIX, the ground was a little more undulated than had hitherto been the case. Most of the march we followed the erosion bed which drains to the east. The water-parting threshold, therefore, seems to be situated only a short distance east of Camp CCCXXXVIII. The fresh snow very soon disappeared and then, as usual, only remained at protected places. Grass was growing everywhere as also seems to be a characteristic feature of the broad latitudinal valleys. Antelopes were living here in large numbers. After having followed the northern bank of the principal erosion furrow for several kilometers, we entered the bed and again left it at an interesting point. Here we found about 5o pits or holes dug in the ground, the fresh appearance of which made it plausible that they had been worked, at least many of them, the last summer. It was again one of the very primitive gold mines which are so common in Western Tibet. The holes were from one to five meters in diameter and about one meter deep. Some of them where old, as could be seen from their rounded edges. In the neighbourhood was a little stone wall behind which some hunter used to look out for antelopes. In a small tributary valley from the south, a stone cairn had been built at the side of a sheepfold. Only 5 minutes from the first gold mine, there was in the slope at the right side of a little tributary, a second one of the same kind, which did not seem to have been worked for many years.
East of the gold mines we had to cross several shallow valleys from the south with rounded slopes between them. On their west or lee sides, some snow was always accumulated. Tents or old camps were not seen. In one of the valleys, where everything necessary was to be found, we made Camp CCCXXXIX. From a point with a commanding view to the east, a higher mountain could be seen, but nothing that could be called a »Snowy Range». Eastwards, the country seemed to be very favourable for our progress. The W. S. W. wind this day began at noon, and was strong and biting cold. A short panorama, 423, Tab. 77, was drawn to the N. W. and N. E. showing the tops of the very flat conical peaks and rounded ridges.
On February 261h, we proceeded 11.4 km. eastwards, and now at last the ground decidedly fell in the direction of the route. Camp CCCXL, 4,876 m., was 232 m. below the previous camp, and we descended thus at a rate of I : 49. The minimum temperature was - 2 5.2°.
From the camp we still had some very flat protuberances and the valleys between them, to cross. The latter, as well as the one in which we had passed the night, turned to the right or N. E. and joined the principal watercourse of the valley which
IIIFカラー高解像度
