Southern Tibet : vol.4 / Page 493 (Color Image)

0493	Southern Tibet : vol.4

From the same camps, I took small panoramic sketches of the group to the S. W.
and W. S. W. from *Camp CII* and to the S. S. E., south and S. S. W. from *Camp CIII*,
as will be seen on Pl. 21 in Vol. IV of the work mentioned, p. 142. P. 139 *et seq.*,
in the same volume, I give a description of the *Sha-kangsham* as I saw it from the
east and north in 1901. Both descriptions agree very well and show that the group
has exactly the same features and configuration on both sides. The identification of
*Sha-kangsham* was very valuable as a means of connecting and checking my maps
of 1901 and 1908. The route of 1901, has no doubt been crossed by the route of
1908 just north of the pass, *Yum-tso-la*. *Camp CV* of 1901, 4,812 m. high, was
obviously situated somewhere in the neighbourhood of the three Tibetan tents between
*Camps CCCLVII* and *CCCLVIII* of 1908, where the two above-mentioned valleys
met and went to *Tongka-tso*. Near *Camp CV* of 1901, there is also a bearing
N. 10° E. to a lake, and from *Camp CVI* there is a bearing N. 60° E. to the same
lake, the latter no doubt being *Tongka-tso*. In accordance with these facts, Colonel
Byström has also plotted this region on the map of 1:1,000,000, sheet *XI*. Just
north of *Sha-kangsham* I entered in 1901, the same road which Littledale had taken
in 1895. He also mentions the mighty snow massif and gives it the correct name.
From this point, where I crossed the road of Littledale and myself, I had now abso-
lutely unknown country to the south for 270 km. as the crow flies, down to the
route of Ryder in 1904, in the *Tsangpo* valley.

On *March 21st*, we made 7.1 km. S. S. E. In these regions, our marches were
very short. Our little caravan consisted of sheep and yaks, both going very slowly,
and accustomed to short marches; our last mules and ponies were quite worn out.
From the camp on *Kangsham-tsangpo*, we had 4 km. to the next pass, situated in
a little latitudinal range which we had to cross. *Camp CCCLIX* was at 4,768 m.,
and the pass had an altitude of 4,972 m., the rise thus being 204 m. and the rate
being as 1:20. From the pass, we had 3.4 km. to *Camp CCCLX*, where the height
is 4,882 m., or a fall of 90 m., the rate being as 1:38. The minimum temperature
of the night was —18.0°. The new day, the weather was good.

The river, *Kangsham-tsangpo*, was divided into several large and small branches.
Around the open water, which could be about 2 or 3 cub. m. per second, the ice was
thin and the animals broke through. The river obviously comes from the snows,
rudimentary glaciers and springs of *Sha-kangsham*, as is also indicated by its name.
I have no doubt that this river goes out into the *Lakor-tso* at its southern shore,
the distance being only 57 km. My *Camp CVIII* of 1901, is situated on a river
which my Tibetan escort called *Some-tsangpo*. For one day I followed the river
downwards to its mouth in the lake. As our *Camp CCCLIX* of 1908 had a height
of 4,768 m., whereas *Lakor-tso* has only 4,600 m., this also is in accordance with
my assumption. On October 19th, 1901, the river carried, at 10 o'clock a. m., only

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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