Southern Tibet : vol.4 / Page 436 (Color Image)

0436	Southern Tibet : vol.4

been swept away by the strong S. W. wind and probably accumulated along the
base and at the lee sides of the hills to the N. E. The snow-patches still left on
the plain were tough and leathery like parchment and their surface was yellow
from wind-driven, fine dust. Only in the furrows and especially at the lee sides of
the terraces, the snow was blown together in greater masses. The shore-line runs
fairly straight to the E. S. E. After some kilometers we leave behind the projecting
rocky promontory of the southern shore, east of which there may be a rather deep-
cut inlet to the south. This is, however, impossible to verify from our route. The
southern shore of Shemen-tso has never been mapped. Deasy travelled beyond the
mountains of the southern shore, Bower followed the northern, and Rawling surveyed
at some distance from the northern shore.

The ground gradually becomes soft sand, perfectly barren, and perhaps inundated
in the summer when the lake no doubt rises to a certain extent. At some distance
from the shore, there are two old beach-lines. The red hills east of the plain come
nearer to the shore, and finally form small, more or less detached, groups on the
shore itself with capes and promontories. On the slopes of these hills the old beach-
lines are very sharply marked, being at about 10 and 20 m. above the surface of
the lake. They form a very characteristic feature of Shemen-tso, and may be seen
nearly everywhere along its southern shore as two sharply drawn dark lines. Where
the shore turns south and S. W., we ascend the top of the 20 m. terrace and finally
march east and N. E. to Camp CCCXX. The reddish ridge running out on this
little peninsula consists of reddish grey dense limestone of the same kind as the
whole time since Camp CCCXIII. At several places along the shore of this penin-
sula, springs come up, and at such places there is no ice. At one place a spring
came up, the water of which was not absolutely fresh. There was nearly no grass,
but the common hard plants grew in abundance. The camp was at about 15 m.
above the lake and just on the slope from the highest terrace. The view to the
N. E. from Camp CCCXX, was very curious and reminded one most strongly of
the benches of a Greek amphitheater. The intervals between the terraces were white
with snow, but the terraces themselves, yellowish red from the colour of the lime-
stone sand, gravel and boulders. This characteristic view is shown both on the
accompanying sketch in water colours, and on Pan. 405, Tab. 72. Pan. 402A and B,
Tab. 71, constitutes the immediate continuation of the latter. To the E. N. E. it shows
rather high snow-covered mountains. To the east, S. E., and south it represents the
view of the lake and the world of mountains forming a frame around its shores. In
the fine weather of the day, the Shemen-tso indeed represented a scenery of rare
Tibetan beauty and majestic desolation.

On February 5th, we marched 8.6 km. along the shore E. N. E. and S. E. to
Camp CCCXXI. It was like a rest to our 15 surviving ponies and mules to follow

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