National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

It was on the strong recommendation of Dr. J. H. Marshall, C.I.E., Director-
General of Archæology in India, that the Government of India applied to the
Moravian Mission Board for the loan of the services of Dr. A. H. Francke with
a view to his carrying out an archæological survey of the districts which once formed
the kingdom of Western Tibet. These mountainous regions, now belonging to the Indian
Empire and therefore here indicated as "Indian Tibet," had never been explored by any
scholar combining a knowledge of local history and antiquities with a thorough acquaint-
ance of Tibetan. These rare accomplishments Dr. Francke had acquired in the course
of his many years' sojourn in Ladakh and Lahul, the fruits whereof had been made
known to the learned world through a series of valuable publications, among which was
his "History of Western Tibet." Dr. Francke was, therefore, singularly fitted for the
proposed task, whilst his previous wanderings in the mountains of "Indian Tibet" had
trained him to endure the severe privations and hardships which must always attend a
journey through so inhospitable a country. We, therefore, owe a great debt of gratitude
to Bishop B. La Trobe and the Moravian Mission Board for placing the services of so
excellent an explorer at the disposal of the Government of India.
Starting from Simla on the 14th of June, 1909, he travelled up to Satluj Valley
through the hill-state of Rampur-Bashahr, and by the Hang Pass (16,000 feet) reached
Spiti. He then crossed the Pharang Pass (18,300 feet) and continued his journey through
Rubshu along the wild shores of Lake Thsomo Riri. Two more mountain passes, the
Phologongkha Pass (16,500 feet) and the Thaglang Pass (17,500 feet), had to be sur-
mounted to enable the explorer to reach Ladakh, the real centre of the ancient realm of
Western Tibet. After a brief stay at Leh, the ancient seat of the rGyal-po rulers of that
country, Dr. Francke travelled westwards, and, after crossing the Photho La (14,000
feet), the Namika Pass (13,400 feet) and the Zoji La (11,300 feet), reached Śrinagar on
the 16th of October.
In the course of his four months' travel—it will be seen—Dr. Francke had to cross
seven mountain passes of an average height equal to that of Mont-Blanc. In the valleys,
also, the roads in these hill tracts are often of the most primitive description, while the
crossing of rivers by rope bridges adds to the perils of the journey. Owing to the nature
of the country to be traversed, the explorer had to march on foot most of the way from
Simla to Śrinagar, except where the rarified air compelled him to mount the yak
—certainly not the most comfortable means of locomotion.
The journal, however, here published, bears ample evidence that the exceptional
difficulties of the road had little effect on the spirits of the explorer, who was animated
by the true enthusiasm of the scholar and who, moreover, was compensated in no small
measure by the solemn grandeur of that mountain scenery so seldom seen by cultured
eyes. The very important additions to our knowledge of the archæology and history of
Indian Tibet are the best reward for labours so strenuous and so cheerfully borne.