Southern Tibet : vol.4 / Page 523 (Color Image)

0523	Southern Tibet : vol.4

the fall of the river still is gradual. As the river here passes in its rocky gorge,
the road has to wind amongst the mountains north of it. The descent is, therefore,
by no means gradual, on the contrary, the road goes up and down the whole time.
It crosses two secondary thresholds, the highest of which is 4,535 m. high or 240 m.
above *Camp CCCCLXI*. Our road at first runs S. W. with a low ridge to the
right and swamps and meadows with springs to the left. The projecting spur of
the ridge near the *Satlej* is called *Palgye-pugu* and on its top, there are ruins of
walls called *Kardong*. Just west of the spur, a valley, *Charnak-chu*, comes down
from the region of *Jarko-la*, so far as it is visible from the N. 6° W. This river
was not very swollen; it was divided in several branches, and an approximate cal-
culation gave a breadth of 73 m., an average depth of 0.15 m., a velocity of 1 m.
and a volume of 11 cub. m. per second. The water was nearly black. Thus the
*Satlej* receives a new considerable addition. The largest tributary so far, is, however,
the *Halchor-chu*, which now is visible, coming like a brownish grey body of water
out of its narrow valley to the S. E. If it were true that this river was as big as
the *Satlej*, the joint river should, below its entrance, carry at least 180 cub. m. per
second and should, therefore, already here, be much larger than the *Tsangpo* the
summer before.

At the junction with the *Charnak-chu*, the valley is broad and flat and the
*Satlej* divided into several branches. The landscape begins to assume the features
of cañons, with very steep slopes and terraces; at the right side of the *Charnak-
chu*, there is a block standing, at the base of which are the ruins of 10 *chortens*;
another *chorten* is seen on the bank of the *Satlej*. Just below this widening, the
*Satlej* enters its narrow gorge, where there is no possibility of progress, at least not
in this season. The road, therefore, has to cross two ramifications from the moun-
tains on the right side and two secondary thresholds. First one has to cross the
mouth of the valley, *Tsaldôt*, which is narrow and by which no road or path exists
to higher regions. On its other side, our road goes very steeply amongst gravel
and small furrows up to the first threshold, *Tsaldôt-la*, from which we have a fine
view backwards the way we have come, the valley being visible so far as the drizzle
allows. It is a very picturesque view. The ridges and ranges surrounding us are
of about the same height and give one the impression of a general evenness. But
the *Satlej* and its tributaries are deep-cut in nearly vertical cañons down through
the earth's surface. The *Transhimalaya* was not in sight on account of the rain.
Though the *Satlej* is quite close to our left, it is not visible, but we see its winding
gorge with nearly vertical rocks. Beyond *Tsaldôt-la* the road may be about 200 m.
above the river. The ground is rocky or full of gravel and blocks, and sometimes
we have real abysses to our left. The first pass is 4,495 m. high, the second one
is 4,535 m. From the latter we have a fine view of the slighty winding *Satlej*

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