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

the Tsangpo from his route. »From Shigatze the great river is again visible at the
point where it receives the Penanangchu River¹ from the south.» This was about
150 paces wide in December. Next time he saw the Tsangpo was at Khambabarche,
where he crossed it to Chushul. »From Chushul the Pundit could see the river
flowing eastward for 20 or 30 miles, and was informed that it continued to flow
in that direction for a great distance.» Finally he says that the Kichu Sangpo
is navigable for small boats for about 30 miles, and in January was about 250
paces wide.
Regarding the colour, the Pundit made the following observations: ² »At Chushul,
585 miles from its source, the water of the Brahmaputra was in January very clear,
and again in April at the same point the water was only slightly less clear, though
the river had swollen. As to the tributaries, the water of the Charta Sangpo and the
Chaka Chu rivers was very clear in October, and in May, after the river had swollen,
the water was still only slightly less clear.» The Raka Sangpo was very clear in
October. From the qualities of the water, MONTGOMERIE draws the conclusion that,
as the four northern tributaries were clear, they could not come from glaciers, or,
if they did, the glaciers must be very remote or very small. For at the time of
Nain Sing's journey nothing was known of the mountains to the north. His con-
clusion is partly correct, for even the glaciers of the Lunpo-gangri are small, although
they are not remote.
Nain Sing reported that »the main river below Tadum (Tradum) is never
fordable, even at the broadest part». ³ A few pages further on, Montgomerie says:
»The river is nowhere fordable from its source to near Lhasa.» ⁴ Only the first
statement is correct, for between the source and Tradum I passed two fordable
places of the Tsangpo. The six great tributaries Nain Sing passed he found to be
rapid, deep streams, »that are not fordable during summer, and only one or two
can be crossed with difficulty on large horses and yaks when the rivers are low, at
other times they are invariably crossed by means of boats». This is no doubt
generally correct, although the Chaktak (Charta)-tsangpo in the beginning of June
1907 could easily be crossed even by small ponies and mules.
Referring to the main river Montgomerie says: »After receiving so many large
tributaries, it may be a matter of wonder that the river was not broader, but that it
should not be so is quite in accordance with what is known of the upper course of the
River Indus, which rises not far from the Mansarowar Lake, and flows through the
same style of country as the Brahmaputra». He believes that the six tributaries of
the Indus, Zanskar, Dras, Saoroo, Shayok, Gilgit and Caubul rivers, are not equal
to the six tributaries of the Brahmaputra above Lhasa, as described by Nain Sing.