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

Kampa-choo, Sampoo or Sangpo. The Brahmaputra is called Tamjoo, Damchoo or
Erechumbo. Later on he calls the Indus, Singchin Kabab or Kampa, the Satlej,
Langchin Kabab, the Kali or Gogra Mamchin Kabab, and the Berampooter, Tacho
or Tamjood Kabab or Kampa. Ka means 'mouth', and bab 'out of' or 'issuing
from'. He tells us the legend connected with these rivers; thus the Indus is named
the river of the lion, from the bravery of the people who dwell along its banks, the
Satlej or bull-river, from the violence of its stream, the Gogra or peacock-river, from
the beauty of the women of the country through which it runs, and the Brahmaputra
or horse-river, from the excellence of the horses on its banks. For the Satlej and
the Gogra he finds the legend still to the point, but along the upper Indus there was
no longer a valiant race, and the natives along the Brahmaputra were buying horses
from Yarkand as superior to their own.

Moorcroft, he says, pointed out the fact, that the river that issues from the
Rawun Rudd was the Satlej, and he is right in saying: 'Concerning the sources of
the four rivers, a few words should suffice, as we have but few certain foundations
to build upon.' As a matter of fact everybody who, in these days dwelt upon
these sources, had to go back upon Moorcroft, and it is curious that several of them
seem to have regarded Alex. Gerard as a first-rate authority, although he had never
visited the lakes.

Cunningham's own inquiries led him to the following opinion:¹

»The Tibetans call the Mansarawar lake, Mapang, and the Rawan Hrad.² Langa. The
name of the latter lake, if unconnected with Lanka and Rama's expedition, is perhaps the
strongest argument we yet have for its being the source of the Sutlej, that river being termed
by the Tibetans of the lang or bull. After many inquiries, I could not satisfy myself that the
two lakes communicated, the one or the other (?), although traditions were mentioned to me
to that effect, and my present belief is, that they are separated by a ridge of some elevation,
an impression to which I think the perusal of Moorcroft's Journal would likewise lead. I also
feel persuaded, after many inquiries made with care, that the Rawan Hrad gives rise to no
river. At the same time I confess, that my informants had never paid any attention to the
point, they being quite satisfied with the legends which made the rivers rise in the holy lake
underground, or in some way.»

It is not said in which year he made his inquiries, but it cannot have been
long before 1844, and then it is interesting to observe that he got the reverse result
to what Strachey found at the very same place. For Cunningham does not believe
in a communication between the lakes, nor in a river issuing from the Rakas-tal

When Gerard observes that, speaking generally, the natives place the sources
of the four rivers at the Manasarovar, Cunningham thinks that he means 'the holy
hill of Gangri' that gave rise to the rivers. This would be in harmony with the
legends, and Cunningham, moreover, finds it true for the Indus, which rises to the