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

problems that can only be settled by scientific exploration.» Amongst the other
problems which had to wait for exploration was obviously Transhimalaya. For
Saunders' representation of the Mekong and Salwen as tributaries to the Tsangpo-
Brahmaputra was just as wrong as his representation of the Transhimalaya. In spite
of there having been no exploration he draws the upper Mekong and Salwen defi-
nitely as tributaries to another river, a fact that proves that his map, in the unknown
regions, is built up on hypotheses, not only regarding the rivers but also regarding
the mountains. In his able and most interesting memoir Saunders says himself,
under 4), regarding the Kwen-lun as being the northern limit of the Tibetan high-
land: »But all detailed knowledge of the interior of this extraordinary country is
wanting, and it must continue to be a sealed book to Europeans until friendly
pressure is put upon the Government of Peking to allow European intercourse between
India and the Chinese dominions.»

Saunders also regards the Kara-korum as a »range», for he says: »The upper
valleys of the Sanpu, the Sutlej, and the Indus, appear to form a huge elevated
trough separating the Himalaya from the northern part of the table-land of Tibet,
and from the snowy range into which that table-land contracts at its western end.
This range is crossed by traders in its narrowest parts, through the Mustagh pass,
and also through the Karakorum pass . . .»

One notices in Saunders' memoir the want of real knowledge. So for instance
he says of the Indian water-parting that it »divides the Tibetan system from the Indus
basin on the west, and from the Sanpu or Brahmaputra basin on the east. The
only part of the Tibetan lake basins explored by Europeans is the western extremity
crossed by the Changchenmo route between the Punjab and Yarkand.» And of the
northern range of the Himalaya which divides the Sanpu from the Ganges he says:
»In these regions geographical knowledge is limited to the routes of Capt. Turner,
Dr. Hooker, and Major Montgomerie's Pundits; but it is high time that a resolute
effort should be made to render them accessible to European science.» With so little
material it could not be easy to draw reliable maps.

Saunders regards one »range» as dividing the Indus from the basins of the
Tibetan lakes, which is not correct. He makes this range commence with the Kara-
kash pass, and thinks that it should »be considered a part of the great system of
mountains which surrounds the elevated Tibetan basin towards the south, and forms
the water-parting between it and the basins of the Indus and Brahmaputra. Its north-
ern base is throughout upon the great plateau which it supports and limits, while
its southern base rests upon the upper courses of the Indus and Brahmaputra or
Sanpu. That part which rises from the left bank of the Sanpu, has long been
known to geographers as the Gang-dis-ri mountains. The western part has re-
cently been explored by one of the Indian Pundits instructed by Major Montgomerie,
and that surveyor has reported the name of one of the highest peaks to be Aling-
Gang-ri. The name established on the Sanpu portion of the range is thus found