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

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west the low hills. The high regions of the mountains were still hidden in clouds,
and only one peak could be seen to the west. Many *mani* walls are built along
this road, more specially at Sati-keri. A series of small valleys all dry open from
the west; only Piju is comparatively large; it has a road over Piju-la to Narung.
Entering a little valley with a diabas rock, Chasang, in its middle, and otherwise
sandstone at its sides, we ascend slowly to Chasang-la. The gravel is fire-stone
and sandstone. On its northern side a valley called Bando goes down. Camp 184,
west of a little lake, Tso-tot-karpo, is at a height of 4,594m. (15,068 feet).
Along the foot of the hills the road continues N.W.; to the N.E. is the great
plain of the Tsangpo. Shapche is a tributary from the west, the mouth of which
we cross; the living rock is glauconitic sandstone and graywacke sandstone. Gakum
and Chikum are left tributaries, the first with a brook. To the N.E. is a promontory,
Tebo-lugmik. Yakchen-la is a little pass to the east of our road. Higher up in
the main valley the rock is breccia and graywacke sandstone. Camp 185 is at
4,796m. (15,731 feet).
The ascent to the pass Tagu-la, 5,026m. (16,485 feet), is steep; the view is much
hidden by surrounding mountains. Only parts of the ranges north of the Tsangpo can
be seen, as, for instance, some snowy peaks to the N.8°W. Quite near us to the
N.32°E. is the group, Kirtse-rinak, and N.55°E. Pompo-nagur; to the N.78°E. a part
of the Lunpo-gangri appears over the saddle of Yakchen-la. In the distant S.E.
snow-covered mountains raise their heads; three snowy peaks, by the guide called Di,
Tanja, and Yara, are seen to the S.28°E. To the S.S.E. are the heights of Gakum-
dumboche, S.1°E. is the peak Mubo-gärang, and S.S.W. Chikum. On the pass the
rock is graywacke sandstone, and west of it tight quartzitic mass.
West of the pass the road follows the Tambap valley, open and broad. Quite
a new panorama now opens up to the west, with a mighty part of the Himalaya
called Mogum-gangri. The rock is tight quartzitic mass. From the south enters
a tributary Pipu, from the west Ngyunglung. The great plains of the Tsangpo
appear again with the meandering river in the middle, looking blue in the distance.
The general flatness of the country is surprising, and no high mountains are within
sight. Camp 186, Tambap, is at 4,785m. (15,695 feet). The rock is sandstone.
The next march takes us farther down the Tambap valley W.N.W., and out
on open desolate ground; the bed of the Tambap is broad and shallow without
terraces. North of the road is a series of low hills. From the S.W. enters a great
valley Tovö-latsa from Tsen-la with a road to an uninhabited region called Kala.
Our road approaches the hills to the right, consisting of tight quartzitic mass
and diabas or basalt; a part of these hills is called Denjung; the specimens of rocks
to our left are the same as just mentioned, and limestone.
The road then follows down to the N.W. the valley Närung-tsangpo, containing
very little water, most of it in isolated pools in the bed. The valleys Churu and
Lungpa-tokpa enter from the left. Takdong is a valley, the mouth of which is seen