Southern Tibet : vol.7 / 27 ページ（白黒高解像度画像）

0027	Southern Tibet : vol.7
南チベット : vol.7

0027

Southern Tibet : vol.7

南チベット : vol.7

In Chapter XXXII of his narrative where MARCO POLO describes »the Great
River of Badashan», the wild sheep and other things, he also mentions two names
which, in later centuries, and still in our days, would become very famous: Pamir
and Bolor. Sir HENRY YULE calls this chapter »one of the most interesting in the
book», and a »splendid anticipation of modern exploration», an opinion with which
everybody who has visited these regions will heartily agree.

Marco Polo, of course, cannot have any knowledge of the Kara-korum, but
he has, at any rate, passed very near the northern slopes of its ramifications on
his way eastwards. He knows Badakhshan, Syghinan, Vokhan, Pamier, Bolor and
Pashai, and he has heard of Keshimur. But the gigantic mountains between Bolor
and Keshimur were a terra incognita to him and would remain so to Europe, for
some five hundred years more.

The great traveller's own words run as follows:

The plain is called Pamier, and you ride across it for twelve days together, finding
nothing but a desert without habitations or any green thing, so that travellers are obliged
to carry with them whatever they have need of. The region is so lofty and cold that you
do not even see any birds flying. And I must notice also that because of this great cold,
fire does not burn so brightly, nor give out so much heat as usual, nor does it cook food
so effectually.

Now, if we go on with our journey towards the east-north-east, we travel a good
forty days, continually passing over mountains and hills, or through valleys, and crossing
many rivers and tracts of wilderness. And in all this way you find neither habitation of
man, nor any green thing, but must carry with you whatever you require. The country
is called Bolor. The people dwell high up in the mountains, and are savage Idolaters
living only by the chase, and clothing themselves in the skins of beasts. They are, in
truth, an evil race.

These words of Marco Polo, describing his journey across the Pamirs, are
classical. From a geographical point of view, there is very little exaggeration in it.
The plain of Pamier is what STRAHLENBERG, in 1730, called Planities Pamer on
his map.¹ The great Venetian has been riding through uninhabited mountain desert
for 12 days, after which he continued for another 40 days through mountainous
regions, which seems, indeed, to be rather slow riding. This country is called
Bolor. Even his observation that food does not cook sufficiently is correct, which
is more especially the case with the rice. In the same chapter he has been talking

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