Southern Tibet : vol.4 / Page 470 (Grayscale High Resolution Image)

0470	Southern Tibet : vol.4

day with the violence of a storm and the sky was overclouded. Of the landscape,
only the nearest mountains were visible.

On *February 29th,* we had a march of 11.7 km. S. E. On this section the
ground descended 126 m. or to 4,633 m., being a rate of 1:93. Thus at least it
became clearly visible that we had crossed a flat threshold, and were now de-
scending towards the centre of a new depression. The minimum temperature had
been at only —15.5°, for the night had been cloudy, and it had snowed. About
half the area of the even ground was white, the hills nearly completely. In the
morning, we had a fresh S. E. wind, which after 9 o'clock a. m., went over to S. W.
and at noon had grown to one of the severest storms we had experienced so far.
The clouds swept quite along the ground, and were, as a rule, very low. Only
occasionally, the surroundings came in sight.

After we had passed the opening between low hills, it became quite evident
that the country sloped to the S. E. To the left or N. E., we have the range sepe-
rating our valley from the old one. To the south at a greater distance, are higher
mountains. Between our route and these southern mountains, a depression seems to
be situated, containing what seemed to be a lake, though it may have been an
optical illusion caused by the clouds. We continue S. E. towards the eastern pro-
longation of this depression where two small lakes, or rather pools, are situated. A large
herd of *Pantholops* antelopes and a lonely kyang fled as we approached. To our
left a flock of about 100 sheep with two shepherds, appeared. Near the shore a
man was driving 6 yaks loaded with ice to a tent in the neighbourhood. Crossing
two old deformed beach-lines, we reached the N. W. shore of the eastern lake, which
was called *Lumbur-rigmo.* It was all frozen over except a few places where springs
came up. The grass in this region was not so good as hitherto. Fuel was scanty.
The nomads living here were 9 persons from *Gertse;* they had 200 sheep and some
yaks and seemed to be poor. A few kilometers eastwards, were two tents from
*Senkor.* The 100 sheep we had first seen, belonged to them and had only arrived
to drink from the little lake. Otherwise, the road to the east was regarded as un-
favourable; no tents would be found, and the grass was bad. To the S. E. we would
have two days to the little lake, *Yakrung-tso,* »The lake of the yak valley», in the sur-
roundings of which were several tents. The latter, however, were difficult to find,
for they, as a rule, were hidden in small valleys and rarely pitched on the open
plains. The nomads of *Lumbur-rigmo* were also hunters, as could be seen from
their guns, knives and skins, and flesh of five *Pantholops* antelopes. As soon as
the spring gets warm, they travel five days westwards to the region of *Sogbarong*
where they pass the summer. In the autumn they again return to *Lumbur-rigmo.*
Usually only half of the household is wandering to these part of the *Chang-tang,* taking
with them most of their sheep, goats and yaks, whilst the other half remains at

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

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

Citation Information

OCR Text

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