Southern Tibet : vol.4 / Page 538 (Color Image)

0538	Southern Tibet : vol.4

sides, innumerable ravines enter, being only about one foot broad, 2 or 3 feet deep
and vertically cut down in the loess ground. Often they appear in whole systems
close to one another. Their edges are softened by the rain and gave way under
the weight of the horses. The valley is narrow, sometimes like a gorge, where one
has to march in the muddy bed itself. Sometimes it is broader. Here and there
the ground consists of fine gravel or coarse sand. The height of the hills to our
sides, decreases. At some places solid schist crops out at their base. Finally the
valley turns N. W. and in its background, higher, rounded hills appear. At a spring
and some grass and bushes, we made Camp CCCCLXXIII. Pan. 550, Tab. 105,
is a view to the N. 50° W. from this place. The living rock in our valley consisted
of greyish black schistose limestone.

On August 17th, we marched 20.3 km. N. N. W. and N. W. In the firs
1.3 km., we rise 191 m. or to 4,276 m., a rate of 1:6.8. In the whole distance to
Camp CCCCLXXIV, the rise is 109 m. or 1:186. The short distance up to thet
edge or threshold with the usual cairn, the valley has the same appearance as before,
between its walls of loose material, and with small tributary valleys entering from
the sides. Reaching the very head of the valley, the landscape changes its appearance
at once and completely. The cañon character with vertical lines comes to an end,
and slowly rising, slightly undulated forms begin; the landscape becomes open, the
ground consists of hard, fine gravel, and there is high, though scarce, grass. Several
ravines and shallow beds are crossed. The name of the region is said to be Kaling-
tang. To our right is a mount with three peaks. The road is readily visible as
two or three paths on the ground, and here and there are cairns or small manis.
From a dominating height with a larger cairn, we have a far-reaching view to the
N. W. across innumerable cañon valleys, of all dimensions down to the smallest rami-
fications and insignificant beds. To the west and N. E., snow-covered mountains are
in sight. The last part of the day's march took us through one of these cañon
valleys with nearly vertical formations of loess and pebble and shingle at the side.
This valley joins as a left tributary, the larger Shangdse valley which comes from
N. 55° E. and goes S. 25° W. so far as can be seen.

On the left side, the ground is swampy and there are barley fields and the
village, Shangdse, of some 50 common Tibetan mud and stone huts. The gompa
of the same name is situated on the right side, perhaps 100 m. above the valley.

On August 18th, we marched 13.5 km. N. W. The end point is situated 28 m.
below the starting point, the former being at 4,166 m., viz. Camp CCCCLXXV. But
before reaching this camp, we have to ascend a point at 4,486 m., or 320 m. higher.
From this point to the camp, 3.3 km., the descent is, therefore, as 1:10.3. Leaving
the village to our right, we cross the river which now had the following dimensions
breadth 17 m., average depth 0.3 m., velocity about 1 m., and volume, approximately

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