Southern Tibet : vol.4 / Page 473 (Color Image)

0473	Southern Tibet : vol.4

From the camp nothing was seen of the landscape; everything disappeared in
dust. Only the next morning, I was able to draw a panorama, 427, Tab. 78, from
N. E. to south. It gives a view of the great plain to the S. E. which is bounded
at a great distance by low mountains. On the other side of the hill of our camp,
there was a tent inhabited by four men from Senkor, a well-to-do nomad with his
servants. He had 700 sheep here and 300 at another place. His family and his
large tent were at Senkor. He asserted that going S. 15° E., we would have only
three days to the headquarters of the Gertse Pun or governor of Gertse. Going
S. 40° E. we would come across tents from Gertse every day, provided that we would
be able to find their dwelling places. His own tent was said to be the last from
Senkor. The name of the place around Camp CCCXLV, was Pankur.
On March 5th, we covered 12,8 km. S. E. crossing the large plain which is
a very flat basin. The first 5,4 km., we went down to the deepest point of the
depression, being at 4,649 m. From this point the ground again rises to Camp
CCCXLVI, at 4,704 m or 55 m. In the first case the rate is 1:55, in the latter 1:135.
The minimum temperature was —16,8°. The morning was perfectly clear with sunshine
and calm weather. At 8,30 o'clock a. m. the usual S. W. storm began, and within a
few minutes, the whole landscape around again disappeared. On the way down to the
lowest part of the depression, the ground is pierced by shallow erosion beds all of
them containing snow. It will easily be understood how important it was for us to
find snow nearly everywhere in these remote and dry regions of western Tibet.
Sometimes we could march several days without finding open or frozen springs and
if it had not been for the snow, our situation would sometimes have been rather
critical. For the nomads this struggle for existence is easier. They are since gene-
rations familiar with the country and they know the location of every spring in the
district they visit with their herds. From several nomads we heard that this winter,
1907—1908, was regarded as less cold than usual and more windy than other years.
We had also found that the strong wind makes the temperature higher.
The shallow erosion beds we were crossing or following were directed to the
lowest part of the depression where the fine silt brought down by the summer water,
had formed a perfectly horizontal surface of yellowish clay. Here the last low hills to
our right or west were left behind. As far as one could see, the country to the
south appeared to be very flat and open. Here the plateau character is very pro-
nounced. From the depression the ground slowly rises in the direction of a little
low ridge where some snow had accumulated. Here Camp CCCXLVI was pitched,
not far from a frozen spring, surrounded with poor grass and the usual plants.
Nomads had dwelled here and had a sheepfold of stone.
The storm went on with enormous vehemence. It was as if a yellowish red
or brown cover had been expanded over the whole country, consisting of these

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