National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

noms de hameaux, de campements, ou de rivières que Nain Singh indique ne se
retrouvent pas sur la carte chinoise; mais il s'accorde avec celui-ci sur la distance
des points extrêmes.» The fact that Nain Sing's names are not to be found on the
Chinese map only proves that the Pundit's map is richer than the Chinese in this
respect. But the fact that he, and after him Ryder and Rawling, followed the
Maryum-chu, whereas the two Chinese itineraries mentioned surveyed the source
branches from the S.W. explains the misunderstandings about the source of the
Brahmaputra, which reigned in European geography until I was able to clear up the
hydrography. It also proves that the problem could not be solved and the branches
not even roughly surveyed from a distance. It is almost a consolation for European
geographers, that the confusion prevailing in different Chinese works is as great as
in the European. The difference between the Wei-tsang-t'u-chih and the Ta-
ch'ing-i-t'ung-yü-t'u is even greater than between Sir Richard Strachey and Nain
Sing. The Chinese have, however, never fallen into the mistake of calling the
Maryum-chu the main branch of the Tsangpo. Some authors give it the same rank
as the southern branch, others do not even mention it. Some call the Chema-
yundung a tributary, others make it the main branch. The following is the Ta-
ch'ing text as given by de Rhins: ¹

Le Tsan po est formé de la réunion de deux rivières principales: le Tam tchouk ou
Tamdjam kamba (source du cheval) dont les sources se trouvent dans les monts Kouben gang
tsian,² Goumang et Tam tchouk khabab, et le Giangghia sum la ou Dzian dzia tchou.

Le Dzian dzia est formé de quatre rivières qui naissent au nord-ouest, dans les monts
Maryoung, Changou yarak ri, Chadziar ri. Elles coulent environ 100 li (22 milles) vers l'est.
Le Dzian dzia, qu'elles forment en se réunissant, parcourt 50 li (11 milles) au sud. Il reçoit à
droite le Tchar tchou qui vient de l'ouest; et, à 60 li (13 milles) en aval, il se jette dans la
gauche du Tsan po.

Le mont Kouben gang tsian (Cocoun Ken tchian de d'Anville) est à 258 li (55 milles)
à l'ouest des Djochot (Daksam). Il est très élevé, couvert d'un énorme glacier et fait partie
de la même chaîne que le mont Goumang et le Tam tchouk khabab qui est situé à 340 li
(75 milles) des Djochot.

Les monts Maryong, à 280 li (62 milles) des Djochot, relient les Tam tchouk khabab
aux monts Changou yarak ri situés à 280 li (62 milles) au N.O. des Djochot.

This passage is extremely important and interesting, but it has to be well
compared with the Ta-ch'ing map and still more with my map of the country as it
really is. Discussed alone it leads to a misunderstanding which otherwise may easily
be avoided.

Translated in an intelligible way it runs as follows: The Tsangpo is formed
by two principal rivers: The Tamchok-kamba, or source of the Horse, the sources
of which are situated in the mountains of Kubi-gangri, Chema-yundung-gangri and
Tamchok-kabab, — and the Maryum-chu.