Southern Tibet : vol.1 / 393 ページ（カラー画像）

0393	Southern Tibet : vol.1
南チベット : vol.1

It is of interest to note the comparatively correct idea he had of the general oro-
graphic arrangement in Asia. To make clear the »elevations and declivities» he tells
us the rate in which the ground is rising or falling for travellers coming from dif-
ferent sides. We know, he says, not only from Marco Polo, Goës and others, but
also from travelling Tatars, that those who approach Tartary from Persia and India
are three days on the road before they reach the heights of Tartary viâ »Belur and
Pamer».

Let us now turn our attention to his map, the southern half of which I have in
reproduction, 4/5 of the original size. In the upper corner to the left, not visible on Pl.
XLIX, he has a dedication to King Frederic of Sweden. In the lower corner to the left
is this title: Nova Descriptio Geographica Tattariæ Magnæ tam orientalis quam occi-
dentalis in particularibus et generalibus Territoriis una cum Delineatione totius Im-
perii Russici imprimis Siberiæ accurate ostensa. Baron A. E. Nordenskiöld who by
his own arctic journeys was familiar with Siberia and a brilliant student of old maps, says
of Strahlenberg's map that it is a valuable original work, in which a man with a know-
ledge of topographical drawing has added his own experience to all the most import-
ant facts known of these countries in his days. The first copy was completed be-
fore Strahlenberg's return from his captivity in 1721. »It was sent to a merchant at
Moscow, but when he died shortly afterwards, the map happened to be shown to
the Tsar Peter, who did not return it». Strahlenberg, however, who was still in pos-
session of his original sketch, spared neither pains nor expense, during the last three
years of his captivity, in travelling far into the country in order to observe everything
of note with his own eyes, and to set it down geometrically for a new map. After
his return home he saw to the engraving of this map and published it in Das Nord-
und Ostlich Theil von Europa und Asia, Stockholm 1730. Strahlenberg was also
the first to determine positions astronomically in northern Asia.¹

F. G. KRAMP says that Strahlenberg's map »in many respects superseded
Witsen's work».² So far as Eastern Turkestan and our regions further south are
concerned I would add, that the two maps cannot be spoken of at the same time. For

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