Southern Tibet : vol.4 / Page 525 (Color Image)

0525	Southern Tibet : vol.4

cultivated. Below it on the same side, two or three larger *manis* have been built.
Then the river is pressed together to a very narrow stream of water which rushes
down through its rocky bed with tremendous foaming and roaring and in a series
of white, boiling rapids. At the wooden bridge, the river is only 13.1 m. broad.
A short distance below the bridge the *Satlej* again becomes broad and compara-
tively shallow and the velocity is slow. At the right bridge-head, there is a red
*chorten*. The monastery *Chung-lung-gompa* or *Kyung-lung,* is built at about 100 m.
above the river on the top of a terrace, the sides of which have been modelled out
in a most fantastic way by the rain and erosion. The location reminds one very
much of the monastery of *Lama-yuru* in *Ladak*. Below the *gompa* there are several
*chortens* and *manis*. Several grottoes and holes in the terrace walls seem to have
been used as dwelling places. A little below the bridge we camped on a meadow
at the left bank, some 20 m. above the river.

On *August 5th,* we travelled 21.3 km. south of the *Satlej*. Our *Camp
CCCCLXIII* at *Chung-lung-gompa,* was at an altitude of 4,259 m., *Camp CCCCLXIV*
was at 4,270 m. Between the two, we crossed a pass, *Munto-mangbo-la,* of 4,534 m.
From our meadow we went down to the river, leaving the *gompa* to our right and
5 tents to our left. For an hour the road follows along the left bank. The *Satlej*
is here imposing, working its way between steep hills and sometimes there is
hardly room enough left for the road. Small transverse valleys enter from both
sides, springs are numerous and the ground occasionally swampy. We reach a point
where the river again enters a very narrow gorge between perpendicular and partly
overhanging rocks. The whole mass of water presses against the left side and forces
the path to leave the course of the river. We, therefore, ascend the hills to the
left of the *Satlej;* it goes steeply up to a considerable height, the gorge of the
river is seen deeper and deeper below our feet, and the distance from it increases.
We ascend higher and higher. Finally we reach the flat and gravelly secondary
pass, *Munto-mangbo-la,* at 4,534 m. Near it, several cairns were built. From here
the gorge of the *Langchen-kamba,* as the *Satlej* is called by the Tibetans, is seen
like a deep cañon in the earth's crust, but not the river itself.

From the pass the slope down is gradual. A series of cairns is passed again.
From the last one of these, the descent becomes very steep down to a deep-cut
valley where the height is 4,342 m., or nearly 200 m. below the pass. This tribu-
tary from the left or south to the *Satlej,* is like a cañon, and receives several small
tributaries from the right; it contained a little brook generally flowing below the
gravel in the bed.

The path then follows the bottom of this valley up towards the second pass
of the day, being 4,483 m. high, and also marked by some cairns. At a short
distance from it, we have more dominating peaks both to the north and south.
40. IV.

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