Southern Tibet : vol.7 / 879 ページ（白黒高解像度画像）

0879	Southern Tibet : vol.7
南チベット : vol.7

Upper Yarkand-darya from that of the Oprang. »When the map is drawn we perhaps
shall be able to judge what relation this chain has with the Aghil and the Karakoram.»¹
Seven years after the paper of DE FILIPPI was read to the Royal Geographical
Society, Lieut.-Colonel H. WOOD published an important article on his survey in the
Upper Yarkand valley, being a part of the Italian expedition.² WOOD points out
that previous to 1914 our knowledge of this region was based on the sketches and
reports of JOHNSON of the Survey of India in 1864—1865, and of HAYWARD in
1868, but that SHAW had, in 1876, expressed doubts as to the accuracy of this
mapping. He returns to the interesting fact that the Shayok and Yarkand rivers
»have a joint origin in one glacier». In the following words he explains the mistake
committed by HAYWARD regarding the presumed source of the Yarkand-darya: »He
reached this place in December, when the whole country was deep in snow, and his
description therefore is somewhat misleading in places. No glaciers extend into the
basin, nor are there any on the adjoining slopes. His visit was very hasty, and it
is certain that he could not have seen the large western valley at the south end of
the amphitheatre, for he was a careful and accurate recorder of everything that he
saw. Nor is the basin a lake, as he surmised, though a small tarn, entirely discon-
nected from the river system, actually exists in it.»
The source of the Oprang (or Uprang) valley, which was not explored, is supposed to
be situated some 30 or 40 miles further east than YOUNGHUSBAND had suspected in 1889.
From south of the Dapsang plateau to Kirghiz-jangal in the north the only
formations are limestone and sandstone, which, at least for the southern portion of
this belt of land, agrees with my results farther east.
The little sketchmap accompanying WOOD'S article gives a very clear idea of
the important geographical discoveries made by the Italian expedition so far as the
source branch of the Yarkand-darya is concerned. Unfortunately we could not make
use of it when the map in 1 : 1,000,000, accompanying the present work, was drawn
by Colonel BYSTRÖM. A comparison between Sheet VII of our map and WOOD'S
sketchmap clearly shows how necessary the exploration of this nearly unknown region was.
When the detailed acount of the work of the Italian expedition in due course will be
published we will no doubt be able to improve our general orographical maps of this extre-
mely complicated and difficult region. Of particular interest it will be to learn in how far the
importance of the Aghil Range in its relation to the Kara-korum System will be cleared up.
By his strictly scientifical methods DE FILIPPI has inaugurated a new era in the history
of exploration in these parts of High Asia, and he may indeed be said to have maintained
the place of honour held by Italy in the great continent ever since the days of MARCO POLO.

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