Southern Tibet : vol.4 / Page 542 (Color Image)

0542	Southern Tibet : vol.4

where it sinks to the *Chuwang-chung* valley, the brook of which joins a larger brook
called *Gyäsovang*. From the latter our road ascends to the little pass, *Piang-la,*
4,790 m. high. The way down from this pass crosses a series of hills and ravines,
and has small ridges to its left. To its right is the river, *Tokchen-chu,* flowing to
the N. N. E. This valley and its brook come chiefly out of a considerable range
N. W. of our route, which seems to stretch to the W. N. W., and has some snow
on its higher peaks. This range has a large number of transverse valleys with brooks
and grass and directed to the *Tokchen-chu.* In the *Lungun* valley were 4 poor
tents, a brook and some grass. Just here the valley *Narib-ke* coming from the
S. W., joins our valley. The rock consisted of black, brittle limestone.

On *August 24th,* we travelled 17.2 km. S. W. The first 7.6 km. took us up
to the pass, *Dungmar-la,* 4,858 m. high or 105 m. above *Camp CCCCLXXX,*
giving a rise of 1:72. From this pass we had 9.6 km. to *Camp CCCCLXXXI* where
the altitude was only 3,778 m. or 1,080 m. below *Dungmar-la.* Here the rate of fall
is 1:8.9. In the night the minimum temperature was —2.8°, the last temperature
below freezing point on the journey, the next minimum being +8.9°.

At *Lungun* there was a little nomad village with yaks and sheep. Leaving
it we ascended the terrace and then had slowly rising undulated ground with shallow
erosion beds. Immediately to our right is the brook, *Narib-ke,* and beyond it, to
the west the pass, *Kongkong-la,* belonging to the above-mentioned partly snow-
covered range, which reminded me very much of the *Surla Range* in the *Trans-
himalaya.* A part of this range is seen on Pan. 552, Tab. 105, taken from *Dungmar-la*
and is the last in my collection of panoramas.

The pass, *Dungmar-la,* is as flat as a plateau. It is adorned with a cairn
with poles, rags and yaks' horns, everything painted intensely red. A *mani* with
very well inscribed stones, starts from the cairn to the S. W. The view is beautiful.
To the south and S. W. we see the range which we have to cross in *Shipki-la,* and
just north of it, is the wild, deep-cut furrow of the *Satlej.* To the west is a con-
siderable valley with snow mountains in its background, and surrounded with grey,
wild and rocky peaks, pyramids and pinnacles. From this valley a considerable
tributary to the *Satlej* comes out and turns south. Its name is *Tomlang-tsangpo.*
On our route, *Dungmar-la* is a very important point as it may be said to mark
the boundary between a country which still had a good deal of the *Chang-tang*
character, whilst to the S. W., the morphology of the peripheric country exclusively,
is pronounced. The pass also seems to be a boundary between the nomads to the
N. E. and the chiefly agricultural villages to the S. W.

The district S. W. of the pass was called *Tagha.* We cross it from the pass;
the slope down to *Tomlang-tsangpo,* is very steep. The ground is gravel, sand or
fine dust, with some scanty vegetation. *Shing-chigma* is the name of a part of the

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