Southern Tibet : vol.4 / Page 162 (Color Image)

0162	Southern Tibet : vol.4

the east, but had not, so far, been met with in these parts of the country. On the
east side of the great bed the grass came to an end, and the soft plain was barren
except for a few yapkak plants. But the barrenness continued only for two or three
kilometers, and at the foot of the eastern hills the ground was quite yellow with
good grass, though dry and hard as usual. At two or three places springs came
up with brackish water; but the ice-sheets around them were fresh. The place was
often visited by yaks and kyangs as their dung was abundant. To the north and
N. E. moderately pyramidal, though flat peaks bounded the basin.
Pan. 55A and 55B, Tab. 9 taken from Camp XL, shows the shallow depression
to the S. S. W., S. W. and west and all the hills and ranges surrounding the camp.
On October 16th the march was only 8 km. E. S. E. to Camp XLI situated
at a height of 5,061 m. and showing a rise of 61 m. from the previous camp, or a
rate of 1 : 131.
A short distance beyond Camp XL, there is a large erosion bed, with a 2 or
3 m. high terrace at its right side, obviously being the principal watercourse of the
region, which is joined by the others in the neighbourhood. It had a narrow ribbon
of ice along the terrace where the depth of the bed is greatest, and this ice con-
tinued the whole way down to the S. W. and S. S. W. and finally to the dry lake.
Here the living rock is limestone-breccia. Beyond this bed we cross open country
for a few kilometers, a region that probably may be regarded as part of an irre-
gular latitudinal valley. The ground is soft sand and fine gravel. To the south
abundant grass is seen at the foot of the hills, which there bound the plain. Several
shallow furrows are crossed, all obviously joining and piercing the western hills and
finally destined to the lake.
On the eastern side of the plain we enter a valley between rounded hills of
soft yellow material. The higher hills on both sides are red and built up of limestone-
breccia. From both sides small tributary valleys open, some of them containing
frozen brooks. To the S. S. E., south and S. W. a black range is seen that must
be avoided by marching east of it. Our valley has now a width of 100 m. and is
sharply bounded by hills. Grass is abundant everywhere and there is a large
quantity of yak's and kyang's dung. The valley turns around and our route runs
E. S. E., S. E., east, N. E., N. N. E. and finally north. At Camp XLI the rocks of
red limestone-breccia fall steeply down to the bed, which is filled by grey gravel and
sand. In the neighbourhood, wild yaks were grazing.
During the following seven days' marches we cross a flat irregular protuberance
of the plateau-land. During five of these days the height constantly becomes more con-
siderable, whilst during the last two days it again slowly goes downward. On October 17th
our direction is S. E. for 14.3 km. The height of Camp XLII is 5,247 m., or 186 m.
above Camp XLI. The rate of the rise is thus as 1 : 77.

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

Citation Information

OCR Text

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