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

South of Tangut is a lake Cara Nor, the same as Ides' Cananor, the Chiamay
of older maps. As on most maps of the time Indus and Ganges reach too far north,
37 and 38° N. lat. India therefore becomes, to a great extent, the immediate neigh-
bour of Eastern Turkestan, and Tibet is removed eastwards as if it were situated
between India and China.

Regarding the second map, Pl. XLIV,¹ we find that the geography is ex-
actly the same, only the names are changed. Both Tibets are now joined under the
name Tangut, and in the northern half is the town Tangut. On the upper Yekegoll
is a place Akaschin.² Lassa has been changed into the town Dsurdsut, which in the
text was said to have been conquered by Ogus-Chan, and Cara Nor is now called
Lac Möhill, situated in Cara Kithai, which practically coincides with upper Burma.
The map therefore, as its title indicates, agrees with Abul Ghazi's text, but not with
real facts. The editor believes that the author, with his Cara Kithai, means Tonkin
or Cochin China, as being situated south and S.S-W. of China.

The following passage gives an idea of the conception one had at that time
about the nature of Tibet. In a note the editor says that for travelling from Great
Tartary viå Tangut to Tonkin, and Pegu, one has to follow the boundaries of China
or Great Mogul, for it is impossible to pass through the central parts of Tangut
on account of the vast sand deserts which occupy the interior of this kingdom, and
which stretch from the very frontiers of the Kingdom of Ava, to a considerable dis-
tance northwards and beyond the frontiers of the Kingdom of Tangut. All that
was known of the interior of Tibet had been brought back by Grueber, and he had
shown that it was possible to cross the country.

Hwangho, under the name Cara-muran, is said to be one of the greatest
rivers in the world; it has its source at 23° N. lat. on the boundaries of Tangut
and China, ³in a great lake, which is enclosed within the high Mountains separating
these two States³. From its source the river runs north along the frontiers of Xien-si
and Tangut to 37° N. lat., after which it continues outside of the great wall and
waters Tibet, which shows how very vague the knowledge of these regions was.

On the two maps, Pl. XLIII and XLIV, Jerkeen or Jerkehn is still north
of Caschgär, and there are Axu, Kutschaï, Chateen, Luczin, Turfan, and Chamill;
the Tarim is finally to be seen, after such a long absence, since Ptolemy; it
empties itself into a great lake, which must be the Lop-nor though situated north
of Turfan. The mountains south of this basin are called on our map Imaus Mons,
on the other Mus Tag.⁴ Very likely this more intimate information of Eastern Tur-