Southern Tibet : vol.4 / 540 ページ（カラー画像）

0540	Southern Tibet : vol.4
南チベット : vol.4

or loess, though on the heights and in shallow valleys, gravel began to be more
common. On the road to *Camp CCCCLXXVII*, living rock cropped out at the
sides of small valleys, being on the first half of the road, greyish dark dense lime-
stone as hitherto, and with a yellowish tint if weathered. As a rule, the strata are
very folded.

At the left side of a valley of moderate size, there is a little monastery, *Sumur-
gompa* and two or three huts. *Ldat* is a right tributary valley to it. In the latter,
we camped at a spring surrounded with grass. From *Camp CCCCLXXVII*, the
view is far-reaching across the enormously accentuated and wild country to the N. E.
and E. N. E., a labyrinth of deep-cut valleys coming down from the partly snow-
covered *Ladak Range*, as shown on Pan. 551, Tab. 105.

On *August 21st*, we had a piece of road more accentuated and fantastic than
ever. We made only 11 km. on the map —, in reality much more —, as the line
is very undulated both horizontally and vertically. In the first 2.6 km., we rose
179 m. to the pass, *Dato-la*, 4,657 m. high, being a rate of 1:14.5. In the next
3.8 km., we sank no less than 830 m. or to the bottom of the valley of the *Ngari-
tsangpo*, where the absolute altitude is only 3,827 m. On this section of the road,
the fall has the enormous steepness of 1 m. on every 4.6 m. On the third section
of this road, which is 4.6 km. in length, we ascend from 3,827 m. to 4,351 m. or
524 m., giving a rate of 1:8.8. These figures give a very good idea of the profile
of this extraordinary country.

From *Camp CCCCLXXVII*, the road thus takes us up to the pass, *Dato-la*,
from where we have a magnificent view of the valley of the River *Ngari-tsangpo*,
enormously deep, cut down in solid rock, surrounded by the most picturesque land-
scape in all directions, with tributaries, and tributaries of tributaries, from the smallest
ravines to large valleys joining the *Ngari-tsangpo*. From the cairn at the edge,
the road seems to disappear in a vertical abyss. It runs down along the sides of
the mountains, through narrow gorges, across projecting spurs. It took us one hour
and a half to reach the bottom of the valley. At a period with heavy precipitation,
the river has cut down its course with such force and in comparatively so short a
lapse of time, that the weathering and destruction of the mountains at the sides
have not been able to follow. Therefore, the sides of this river, from the edges of
the plateau and down to its bottom, are so steep. *Optil* is the name of the natural
bridge which has been formed by two or more enormous blocks fallen down from
the slopes above. The river literally disappears under them. A fissure of 2 m.
breadth is left open between the blocks and spanned over by a little wooden bridge,
perhaps 25 m. above the river.

The river comes from N. N. W. So far as the eye reaches, it is as wild and
narrow as here. It drains the district of *Chumurti* and the country south of the

国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

引用情報

OCR読み取り結果

国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト 『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

引用情報

OCR読み取り結果

国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ