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

a temple called Jekep. From here they marched about 50 miles to the east and north,
of which the two first marches were on the high road to Lhasa. Then they turned
to the north and kept under a large range of hills running north and south. From
there they returned to the lake for fishing and shooting, after which they travelled
by easy marches towards »Gortok». The author says that their principal object was
»to track the course of the Sutluj and see if there were any outlet from the lake
northward». The result of this expedition was negative:

»We carefully skirted both the Mansurwur and Rakhas lakes, and found from the nature
of the ground that it was quite impossible that any affluent from either lake could reach the
Sutluj, nor was there any trace of an old bed or watercourse, as mentioned in Henry Strachey's
paper to the Society regarding his journey in 1846; besides which it would be against the laws
of gravity for water to reach the Sutluj from the Rakhas Lake, as it would have to travel a
very uphill journey. The Sutluj turns almost at right angles on meeting a small range of hills,
and at the nearest point must be fully 12 miles from the Rakhas Lake.»

The travellers took the greatest pains to examine the course of the river, and traced
it step by step till it entered the Kylas range, where we could step across it without wetting
the soles of our shoes, besides walking over every inch of the ground from the small range of
hills to the Rakhas Tal; and we are both convinced that it is quite impossible there can be
any connection between the two, neither is there the slightest trace of any stream or old water-
course connecting the Mansurwur and Rakhas lakes: in fact, the Mansurwur Lake is surrounded
by a small range of hills, and though fed by many streams from the Kylas range, there is no
possibility of any escape (except from evaporation) on the north side of the lake. We took
the best evidence procurable, and except in one instance, when the man said he thought that
water from the lake might percolate underneath the hill and thus reach the Sutluj, our own
ideas were strengthened and substantiated by the opinion of every one we met; in addition to
which it was so palpable, that we need hardly have asked any questions.»

The whole paper is little more than 3 pages long and it is rather clever to
get in so many mistakes in so short a space. He is no doubt right in saying it
would be impossible for the water to escape from the Manasarovar to the north, as
from the north a good deal of water runs down to the lakes. If the two travellers,
and this is mentioned twice, touched only the northern shores, one should in this
circumstance find an excuse for their not having found any river-beds, whether dry
or wet. But it is positively said, that not the slightest trace of any stream or old
water-course connects the two lakes. It makes a very ridiculous impression when
sportsmen try to promulgate false information against the statements of the most
reliable and careful observers who had ever been at the lakes before, — not for
fishing, but for doing geographical work.

Fortunately enough Dr. Thomson was present at the meeting when this paper
was read, and he strongly defended the two Stracheys, saying they were men quite
capable of recognising a river when they saw it . . . He was sure that Richard
and Henry Strachey's observations would be found quite trustworthy, when carefully
studied by other observers. To which Captain Smith replied he had no wish what-
ever to criticise Captain Strachey's observations. He and his friend went out for