Southern Tibet : vol.7 / 316 ページ（白黒高解像度画像）

0316	Southern Tibet : vol.7
南チベット : vol.7

high up, but finds it highly improbable that any permanent lake exists. But a
temporary lake could be formed by the stoppage of the river by a glacier.

As THOMSON reckons the Kara-korum Pass to the Kwen-lun, it is quite natural
that he should regard other passes west and east of it as belonging to the same
system. Therefore he says that he knows only four passes over the Kwen-lun. The
most westerly is the Muztagh Pass, situated at the source of the right branch of the
Shigar river. A road to Yarkand formerly led over this pass, and was frequented
by merchants, but had now for many years been unused. It was said to be quite
impracticable for horses, from which Thomson inferred that there were many glaciers.
The second pass he found marked in VIGNE's map as the Ali-bransa Pass at the
head of the tributary which joins the Shayok opposite Kapalu. The third was the
Kara-korum Pass, the only one frequented. The fourth, on the road between Rudok
and Khotan, was mentioned by MOORCROFT.

With this material we are justified in concluding that Thomson did not think
of the possible existence of still another mighty mountain system north of the one
in which he had reached the Kara-korum Pass. He did not confound the Kara-
korum with the Kwen-lun and he did not ignore the Kara-korum System. But he
was influenced by HUMBOLDT's theories to believe that the system he had reached
was the Kwen-lun, and that Kara-korum was only the name of one of its passes.
For he clearly says¹: »To the westward of Karakoram the direction of the Kouenlun
is seemingly as nearly as possible parallel to the Indus, but to the east of that pass
nothing certain is known regarding it. In Humboldt's map it is laid down as running
nearly from west to east on the authority of Chinese geographical works. Its course
is unquestionably to the north of the Pangong lake, but till it has been explored by
European travellers its direction must, I think, be regarded as involved in much doubt.»

It is refreshing to read such sound and scientifically perspicacious views ex-
pressed so long ago. They were to lose something of their authority when SHAW
many years later nearly denied the existence of a Kara-korum chain and RAWLINSON
misunderstood the geography of these complicated regions. But now, it is a pleasure
to give Dr. THOMSON the credit he always could claim. Thereby we have only to
remember that he calls the northern Kara-korum, Kwen-lun instead of Kara-korum.

But he is perfectly aware of the existence of another lofty range south of the
one with the Kara-korum Pass. He is sure that it »runs parallel to the Indus from
south-east to north-west. This range, which is continuous with that by which the
Indus and Shayok rivers are separated, terminates (or more properly originates) in
the still unknown mass of mountains which lies to the north of Lake Manasarovar.»
Regarding this range he makes the same mistake as CUNNINGHAM, joining the

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