Southern Tibet : vol.4 / Page 318 (Color Image)

0318	Southern Tibet : vol.4

Already from *Camp XCII,* we had begun to rise very slowly in the direction
of the next latitudinal range. On *December 23rd,* the ascent continued at the same
slow rate. The distance was 10 km. to the S. E. and the absolute altitude of
*Camp XCIV* is 4,932 m. or 61 m. higher than at *Camp XCIII;* this gives a rate
of only 1:164, which is even more gradual than the previous day, or 1:142.

The S. W. wind continued as strong as before, and the temperature of the
night was —18.2°.

The road follows along the base of the western hills where tussock-grass grows
and where the ground, in the summer, is swampy. Small valleys open from the
S. W. and turn N. 75° E. so far as one can see. They are probably bound to the
same depression as the *Sertsang-chu.* Three of them contained ice. Flocks of sheep
and yaks are grazing here and there. After having passed the undulating slopes
of the hill-base, we go down to even ground, or rather to the entrance of a valley
where two tents and some sheepfolds stand near the left side of a bed filled with
ice, and stretching a rather long way to the N. N. E. across the plain. To our right
we now have the gentle slopes of the western hills pierced by millions of rabbits'
holes; it nearly seems as if these small rodents, just like the nomads, preferred the
lee sides of the hills. To our left we have a long swamp with ice-sheets between
tussock-grass, and formed by the watercourses from the upper parts of the valley.
Three more tents were passed before we reached *Camp XCIV,* situated at the point
where a tributary comes in from the S. W. Large flocks of sheep were seen in
the region. The name of the place is *Tomo-shapko.*¹ The rock is yellowish white
chalk-limestone. The valley is open, but not very broad, and surrounded mostly by
soft rounded hills. At such a place a panorama would not show very much. The
Tibetans of this place were unfriendly and would not give any kind of information,
nor sell milk or sheep, which at other camps had been easy to obtain. It was cold
and the storm was severe; sometimes one cannot understand how it is possible that
men can live in this inhospitable country.

The march of *December 24th* goes, as a whole, to the S. E. and is 18.6 km. in
length. From *Camp XCIV,* we had 14.5 km. to *Lamlung-la* which is 5,179 m. high or
247 m. above the last camp, the ascent thus being at a rate of 1:59. On the southern
side of the range, the slope is much steeper or a 351 m. fall in 4.1 km.; *Camp XCV*
being at a height of 4,828 m.; the rate of slope is here, therefore, as 1:11.7.

The wind stopped at midnight, the lowest temperature was —18.4°, and we
had good weather the whole day.

Just above *Camp XCIV* the rock at the right side of the valley was greyish
yellow sandstone and greyish yellow and red Barrémien-limestone. Just south of

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