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

by the Ladak Indus in double that course and from double the area of country.
»Rivers of considerable volume sometimes issue ready formed from glaciers.»

It is strange that hardly any other traveller in these interesting parts of Tibet
than Henry Strachey has pointed out this important fact. I found a striking example
of the truth of this physical law at the source of the Brahmaputra. There it is ob-
vious that the branch, Kubi-tsangpo, which comes down from a group of Himalayan
glaciers must be the principal source and not such branches as those which come
from the dry Chang-tang or rise near to its border.¹

Therefore Henry Strachey concludes that the scanty volume of the Singi-
tsangpo or source branch of the Indus proves that there is no active effluence of
any extent from the north. The gradual subsidence of the Panggong-tso proves
also that this lake received little affluence from the east.

One can of course, as Strachey does, speak of the source of greatest volume
of the whole Indus and place it in the head of the Monlung of Lingti where the
rivers of Sanskar and Lungnak rise. The source of greatest volume of the Shayok
he places in the Kumdan glaciers, whereas the Yapchan river is the longest source
branch of the same. Here, however, he omits the branch from the Remo glacier.
He points to the fact that if there were any active effluence from Panggong-tso, and
the main trunk of the river extended to the farthest affluent of the lake eastwards,
the Kumdan river would be reduced to a tributary and the extreme length of the
main river would be increased probably to 400 miles.

Here he touches a problem to which we have a striking analogy in the com-
bination Satlej—Manasarovar—Rakas-Tal. The eastern half of Panggong-tso, the
Tso-ngombo, is fresh as it has an effluent to the western half which is salt as being
cut off from the Shayok-Indus. As Strachey himself had seen water flowing from the
Manasarovar to Rakas-tal and supposed the latter had a temporary effluent, he had
no cause to make a comparison with the changes which have taken place with the
Panggong-tso. Nobody knows whether the desiccation will continue in future at the
same rate as hitherto. But if it does the Rakas-tal will meet exactly the same fate
as Panggong-tso and the Tso-morari and become salt, whereas the Manasarovar will
continue to remain fresh for a much longer period. This is only a future prospect;
but as long as both lakes are fresh and still have temporary effluence, they belong
to the Satlej. In this respect Strachey had no doubt, and therefore he makes no
comparisons.

He calculates the longest trunk of the Tibetan Indus at 750 miles from its
farthest sources in Seng Tot to Lower Balti. The highest point upon the main
Indus attained by Strachey was Demchok. But Moorcroft and Hearsay had seen
the river at Gartok. Therefore the Indus may be said to be positively determined
for nearly 700 miles. Concerning the real source he says: »Little or nothing is known