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have their sources. Still further east we know the line of Shang-chu and Khalamba-la
to Tengri-nor, a road that has been completely done by two expeditions. It is,
however, only known in great features. North of the Nien-chen-tang-la, or from
Khalamba-la, a river, Dungche-chu, goes down to a salt lake, Tengri-nor, and south
of the same pass a river, Shang-chu, goes to the Tsangpo, exactly as in the case
of our first crossing, where Naong-Tagrak-tsangpo goes to Ngangtse-tso from Sela-la,
and Sele-nang-Bup-chu-Mü-chu goes down to the south. But it is not known whether
the valley, Ta-nakpo-chu, which is situated between the two, has the same geo-
graphical value and position as its two neighbours. If such be the case, — as is
hardly likely —, it comes from the great continental water-parting, or in other words,
from a pass on the Nien-chen-tang-la which has exactly the same importance and
functions as the Sela-la and Khalamba-la.

Even the following information which I got from a reliable man at Namachang,
Camp 111, does not throw sufficient light over this complicated region. He said
that we had to make our choice between two different roads to Shigatse. If we
took the eastern road we should not find nomads for some 10 days; water is suffi-
cient, although less than further west; some grass is to be found. In the summer
a few tents are pitched along the road. There are several difficult and high passes;
the highest of all is Pa-la, which is ›three times as high‹ as the Pongchen-la, as
my informant put it. The western way, the one which I took, is said to be two
days shorter than the eastern; it is full of gravel, but avoids passes. The informant
had never travelled the western road himself, but knew the eastern one from many
journeys. If Shib-la, Chesang-la, Dangbä-la, Ta-la and La-rok, from the native
point of view are not regarded as passes, the passes on the eastern road must in-
deed be very high and difficult. My informant said that the distance between the western
and eastern road was two days' journey. This can, however, only be the case at
certain places, for the eastern road crosses the Sela-la, unless there are two passes
with that name, which is not likely. Anyhow the two roads diverge from each
other south of Sela-la.

The following names on the eastern road were given, although most of them
are of little value, their surroundings and situation being unknown. From Nama-
chang: Kechung-säri, a small mountain; Chabuk, small mountain; Yakchen-sumduk,
mouth of a valley looking north, coming from the Pabla range or rather its eastern
continuation, and being a tributary to the Tagrak-tsangpo; then follows the Sela-la
or Se-la; south of it is a small valley, called Loma-tarchuk or Chesak; Marchem, a
valley of which we have heard above as situated east of the Terkung valley below
Sela-la; Nien-chungsa, a valley; Kungcha-la, a pass; between the ranges, in which
the Sela-la and Kungcha-la are situated there is a river going westwards, obviously
one of the tributaries to Bup-chu and Mü-chu; Laptse-karchung, a valley; Shingtu-
navar, a plain with tents, — probably the same as Chingdu, so often heard of as
situated east of our road; Pang-tebré, valley looking north, and coming from the