Southern Tibet : vol.4 / Page 466 (Color Image)

0466	Southern Tibet : vol.4

slowly falls eastwards, but still at a much steeper gradient than we had experienced for
several days. We then followed the southern side of the principal watercourse. Here
were several remains of Tibetan camps, and the usual stones for the cooking pot, tent
stones, and sheepfolds. A little lower down we again passed a gold mine, where a
little canal, about 100 m. in length, had been dug from the brook of the bed, and
led to a furrow of flat stone plates on which the gold dust is washed out. Now there
was only ice in the bed; in the summer spring water is, no doubt, constantly running.

At the gold mine the valley begins to become as narrow as a gorge, very
deep-cut and enclosed between nearly perpendicular rocks of no great height. Just
east of Camp CCCXXXIX, the living rock consisted of dark quartz schist; just below
the gold mine it was greenish grey sandstone, and east of it we had greyish red
quartzitic sandstone. Somewhat lower down, the loose gravel of the valley consisted
of yellowish white limestone and flint. Where the valley is at its narrowest or only
5 m. broad, we have to march on the ice in its bottom. Here and there the ice
forms small cascades in which steps have to be made with the axes. After this we
follow the northern side a bit. Some of the tributary valleys are very deep-cut, like
gorges. Higher up the slopes to the south, the hills are more rounded and covered
with grass, which, however, becomes more scarce towards the end of the march. In
the valley there is now an open spring and an extensive ice-sheet. On the top of
the terrace at the left side we passed two big sheepfolds. At several points stone
cairns had been built. Human signs became more common, and still the country
remained as desolate and abandoned as ever. Once, not far from the last camp,
we had seen quite fresh footprints of a man who had gone up into the valley of
a southern tributary, where, perhaps, a tent was situated.

Finally our direction becomes S. E., we cross the ice a few times, and after
that stick to the right side, crossing some small tributaries from the south. At an
abandoned Tibetan camping place, there were heaps of sheep dung in the folds;
very welcome, as no other fuel was to be found. The valley now becomes broader,
and where the ice and the snow seemed to come to an end, we camped. Only from
N. N. W. to S. E., the view was free. It is to be seen on Pan. 422, Tab. 77. East-
wards the country looked unusually easy and favourable for our march. For several
days we would obviously have comfortable ground. The mountains E. N. E., were
very far away, and no high peaks were visible at all. To the S. 79° E., there was
also a gap, through which no mountains at all could be seen in the distance. In spite of
the strong wind, there was not much dust in the air, and even the farthest moun-
tains could be clearly seen in light blue tints. Of wild animals, nothing but hares
and a raven were seen in this region. In the night wolves were heard.

On February 27th, we made 12.7 km. E. S. E., still descending 207 m. or to
4,669 m. (Camp CCCXLI), being at a rate of 1:61. The minimum temperature

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