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

The Munjam-chu is the next tributary to the Singi-kamba; it also comes
from the S.E. and is parallel to the Lungdep. It is said to have its source in a
region called Jömö-membär; there is also a pass called Jömö-la, which the guide
reported as situated N.N.E. of the Manasarovar. On the other side of Jömö-la one
is said to descend to Aong-tsangpo. Not far from Jömö-la, somewhere between
Tseti-lachen-la and Surnge-la, must therefore exist a triple water-parting, viz. between
the Indus, Nganglaring-tso and the Satlej. From the Munjam junction only low
mountains with very little snow are seen to the south and S.E. All the valleys in
this part of the Transhimalaya, especially those directed northward from the water-
parting, carry very little water. Farther east the north-going rivers are much stronger.
The rise of the main valley is extremely slow, hardly noticeable to the naked eye.
Singi-yüra is a rock to the north with a curious effect of weathering, namely, a hole
straight through. Singi-chava is a dominating though rather low peak south of the valley.
Above the Munjam junction the Indus has not more than ¹/₃cub.m. of water
left. The source of the Singi-kamba is situated at a short distance north of the
road and at a height of 5,165m. (16,941 feet) at Camp 236. It is called, as often
mentioned above, Singi-kabab, or the »Lion's Mouth«. The water issues in the form
of several small springs from below a terrace of white, porous limestone, falling 3° to
the S.10°E. Above this terrace the detritus scree rises immediately and very slowly to
the foot of the mountains above. The springs are said to pour constantly, winter and
summer; the water forms some small basins full of algæ. The temperatures in
different branches of these springs were 9.2, 9.5, 9.8 and 10.2° C. on September 10th.
At this point, the situation of which had been discussed and searched for
during some 2000 years, the famous Singi-kamba or Indus is born. But the infant
river, which is a mere brook, is much shorter than both the Lungdep and the
Munjam. Continuing north-eastwards one still remains for a considerable distance
within the drainage area of the Indus, for in fact and strictly hydrographically the
Singi-kamba is only a right or northern tributary to the Bokar-tsangpo, which,
itself, is only a very insignificant brook. Compared with the latter, both Lungdep
and Munjam have a greater quantity of water and may be somewhat longer than
the Bokar, though all of them are very short. From a hydrographical point of
view it may be said to be a matter of taste which of these different brooks should
be regarded as the principal source of the Indus. The question is of no great con-
sequence, for, whichever branch should be chosen, its source is situated at a short
day's march from Singi-kabab. The problem cannot be settled in any more satis-
factory way than to accept the Tibetan view and regard the Singi-kabab as the
source of the Indus, in spite of its being the shortest and one of the smallest of
the several source branches. Any attempt to persuade the Tibetans that Singi-
kabab were not the real source would fail, for it has tradition in its favour, it is a
sacred place adorned with mani pyramids and prayer-stones, and it is one of the
four famous kababs. And, after all, the Tibetans may perhaps be right even