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0288 Southern Tibet : vol.7
Southern Tibet : vol.7 / Page 288 (Grayscale High Resolution Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000263
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182

At the top of the Basha valley he has »Arundoh» and its »Immense moving
Glacier» and, coming in from the north, a valley corresponding to the Kero Lungma
and »3 days with Coolies to Nagyr,» at the top of which is a »pass», corresponding
to the Nushik-la.

Along the Mustak Range he has the legend: »The Mustak is extended from
Gilghit to Nubra, and visible from the top of the Subu Pass, between Ladak and
Nubra.» Ladak is called Middle Tibet, or Butan or Bod. The eastern tributary to
the Shayok on which he has the legend: »Stream from Chang Thung or the
shepherds' Plains,» is probably the Chang-chenmo, which later on was to be explored
by Henry Strachey.

There is also a Sketch map (Pl. XLI), of the Countries north of Iskardo and
Ladak, which gives us a not at all bad idea of the situation of the Kwen-lun and
Kara-korum Mountains.¹ Considering the early date at which the maps of Vigne
were drawn, they must be said to be marvellously well done. From some points
of view Vigne had a clearer idea of the Kara-korum Mountains than even SHAW
who travelled more than 30 years later. He is the first scientifically trained traveller
who has visited these regions and who has returned with perfectly reliable material
gained by personal observation. Vigne believed that the principal crest of the
Kara-korum was passed on the road between the Shayok and Yarkand, as is indeed
the case, but at the same time he correctly interpreted the descriptions he got from
natives, saying that to the east of the Kara-korum road the country becomes more
flat and open, while to the west the high snow-covered group of the Mus-tagh was
to be found. This was what RITTER and GRIMM on their maps and diagrams had
called the Baltü-Glätscher or glaciers of Baltistan. And finally Vigne collected very
interesting information about the roads crossing these nearly inaccessible regions;
amongst others, the road crossing the Mustagh Pass.