Southern Tibet : vol.4 / Page 231 (Color Image)

0231	Southern Tibet : vol.4

*Dungtsa-tso* to our left. Near the lake there were many granite boulders at the
foot of the hills. The lake was quite frozen over, the ice beautiful, partly transparent,
partly white from air-bubbles, and too thick to let us examine the quality of the water,
which, however, no doubt was fresh as the Tibetans had told us. Hares, rabbits,
ravens and some small birds were seen, but no big game. The height is 4,973 m.
We follow the shore first to the S. W., then to the S. E. and ascend a little pass
some 50 m. above the lake from the southern side of which a little valley goes to
the south; in its lower part there are ice-sheets. On the hills at its sides were seen
two flocks of sheep, 22 ponies and a number of yaks, as well as one black
tent. Lower down in the valley near our *Camp LXV* were 5 Tibetan tents and
several sheepfolds of stone with their convexities turned up the valley to the
north. Just S. E. of the camp there is a little salt lake, from which the Tibetans
of the region fetch their necessary provision of salt. At its northern shore large
flocks of sheep were seen and many yaks. At no great distance from the latter
some 80 kyangs were grazing. At the western shore, there was a fine fresh-
water spring.

The Tibetans of this place had arrived 10 days ago and were natives from
*Gertse*. They intended to stay here for about three months; after which lapse of
time they wander hither and thither in valleys where the grazing is good. In the
beginning of summer they return to *Gertse*. Their six tents were said to have
40 inhabitants in all. They possessed about 1,000 sheep, 60 yaks and 40 ponies
together and, therefore, were comparatively well off. They were rather to be regarded
as shepherds than as hunters, though, of course, they hunt occasionally.

The geographical names we got from our first Tibetans now proved to be
correct. The mountains to the east thus were said to be called *Ngemba-dungtsa*,
and the mass to the west *Chipcha-karmo*, though this name now was pronounced
like *Chupeha-karna*. Regarding the small lakes, there was a difference in the in-
formations we had obtained, for the Tibetans of *Camp LXV* said that the little salt
lake was the *Dungtsa-tso* proper. It may be that this version is the more correct
one, for one could see around the white shores how the Tibetans had dug out heaps
of salt, which is probably taken from here by sheep caravans in summer. The little
lake may, therefore, have a certain economic importance, and under such conditions
it would seem natural that it had a name of its own. No other geographical names
of this place were known to these Tibetans. They reckoned 10 short days' marches
to *Bogtsang-tsangpo*, which proves that they are accustomed to make longer marches
than we were, for in fact we took 15 days to reach the river. To *Dangra-yum-tso*
they reckoned 20 short days. Of the latter lake they gave the curious description
that it was divided into two halves with a mount between them; there were said to
be four monasteries on its shores.

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