IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
| |||||||||
|
| IIIF Color HighRes |
| Southern Tibet : vol.7 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Citation Information
| THE KARA-KORUM ROAD. | 175 | ||
| are the Oxus, Sir or Jaxartes, one of the heads of the Indus, and a portion of the waters of Tibet.»' The same information, viz. that the Indus has one of its sources, nay the principal source west of Kashgar, had been given to CHERNICHEFF. How any one of the rivers of Tibet could have its source in the vicinity of Lake Sarikol is difficult to see, even if the name Tibet signifies Ladak, as is obviously the case. That Burnes could find this information likely at all seems to indicate that he did not quite understand the importance of the Kara-korum System. RITTER did not believe in such marvellous tales. At another place Burnes, however, drops the story about the Tibetan waters coming from the Pamir: »The high plain of Pamere lies between Budukhshan and Yarkund .... The centre of this table-land is the lake of Surikool, from which the Jaxartes, the Oxus, and a branch of the Indus are said to rise.»2 On the map accompanying his work there is nothing that could permit such a conclusion. Nor is the following passage in accordance with the map: »The tract that lies beyond the Beloot mountains and Budukhshan, and between it and Cashmere, is filled up by the cantons of Chitral, Gilgit, and Iskardo.»3 There is a river Bolor and a place Bolor on the map, but no mountains of that name. The following bit of information collected by Burnes proves to be much more reliable than some of those quoted above, and contains a rather good description of the difficulties of the Kara-korum road. I had a most interesting account of the country lying between Yarkund and Ladak, in Tibet —, from a native who had travelled there, and which will convey any but favourable notions of this channel of commerce, frequented, as it 'appears partially to be. The traveller set out from Ladak in March , and reached Yarkund in sixty days , after encountering a series of disasters and difficulties from a storm that arose in passing the mountains of Kara Korum. The number of actual marches does not exceed 28, but seven whole days were occupied in crossing Kara Korum, which is described as a low ridge at the eighth march .... — Though Kara Korum is not a high range of mountains it must be elevated, since a difficulty of breathing was experienced .... — Inhabited country was reached on the 18 day from Ladak. At the seventeenth march the travellers entered a defilé among hills which extended for five or six miles, and is called Yengi Dabban. The road led entirely over ice, which was notched into steps before they could proceed. On returning to Ladak in June, the ice had altogether disappeared : even Kara Korum was free from snow. This is singular, as it must be higher than Hindoo Koosh, which is covered by eternal snow. To the south of Kara Korum all the rivers join the Shyook; and it is evident, therefore, that that ridge, low as it actually appears, is the highest part of the range. North of it the water flows into the river of Yarkund .... The number of horses which perish on this line of route is great; and it is not an unusual thing for an owner to pick. up his goods next year on the spot where they were left. | |||
| I Op. cit., Vol. III, p. 161. 2 Op. cit., Vol. III, p. Igo. 3 Ibidem p. 181. | |||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright (C) 2003-2019 National Institute of Informatics and The Toyo Bunko. All Rights Reserved.