Southern Tibet : vol.7 / Page 746 (Color Image)

0746	Southern Tibet : vol.7

northern regions of Tibet we have two such itineraries, viz. those of Wellby-
Malcolm, and mine, both from 1896. That the latitudinal stretching of the folds
prevailed in northernmost Tibet, i. e. north of 37° North. Lat., has been proved chiefly
by the Russian expeditions unter Prshevalskiy, Pievtsoff and Roborovskiy.
Wellby's and my own expeditions prove that the same orographical law also holds good
for the belt of land situated between 35 and 36° North. Lat. Between 32½ and 35°
extend the uncertain plateau regions, although we may feel pretty well convinced
that the same folding law even here is en vogue, as is indicated by certain sections
of Bower's, Rockhill's and my routes, as well as by the many ranges which have
a latitudinal stretching and which must be crossed in passes. Regarding Southern
Tibet, south of 32½° the great folds are built up latitudinally, or rather parallel to
the general stretching of the Himalayan system.

Considering the self-contained basins of Northern Tibet we found the mean
altitude of 12 Kwen-lun lakes to be 4891 m., and 6 lakes in Wellby's depression
to be 4956 m. (p. 499—500 above). Whilst Wellby and Malcolm travelled through the
whole of Tibet from Lanak-la to the uppermost Chumar or Namchutu-ulan-muren,
I only explored the eastern half of the latitudinal valley which is the neighbour of
Wellby's to the north.

In my valley I passed only 20 lakes; to the south and S. E. from the eastern
end of my lake No. XX I saw two more at no great distance. On their journey,
in 1886, Carey and Dalgleish passed along these two lakes and a third one situated
just east of them, after which they crossed a river Chumarin-dsun-kuba which again
was crossed by Rockhill, in 1892. The latter, which is a left tributary to the
Chumar, certainly not very long ago drained off at least the whole eastern part of
my valley at the southern base of Arka-tagh. But that considerable time has elapsed
since the lake No. XX was cut off from the oceanic drainage is evident from the
strong salinity of this lake.

In the following table I have put together the absolute altitudes of the lakes
in my valley of 1896. The heights of Lake XIII and Lake XII are approximate, as
the route passed at some distance from their shores; Dutreuil de Rhins' Lac de
l'Antilope is added, whereas his Lac de Corbeaux which belongs to the same valley,
was left too far from his route west of it, as well as from my route 1896 east of
it, to have its altitude determined.

Lake XX . . . . . . 4616 m. Lake XIII. . . . . . . 5050 m.
Lake XIX . . . . . . 4810 » Lake XII . . . . . . . 5090 »
Lake XVIII. . . . . . 4920 » Lake IX . . . . . . . 4946 »
Lake XVI . . . . . . 4932 » Lake IV . . . . . . . 4968 »
Lake XV . . . . . . 4896 » Lake II . . . . . . . 4900 »
Lake XIV . . . . . . 5078 » Lake de l'Antilope · 4920 »

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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