Untitled

24
EAST ASIA.
the Upper Yarkand valley. But Hodgson would prefer to call it Ninjin-tang-la
(Nyeushhen-lang-la), after the magnificent peak of the Tengri-nor-a suggestion
which would introduce needless confusion into the nomenclature of this region.
For the same reason we should perhaps reject the Tibetan term Gangri, or Snowy
Mountain," already applied to several summits in West Tibet. Klaproth has proposed
Gang-dis-ri, adopted by Markham, while Petennann and others call the
chains andgr u P 8 south of the plateau simply the "Tsang Mountains," after the
Tibetan province of that name, which they shelter from the northern blasts.
Another line of crests and summits, which might
be called the Trans-Hima-
layas, stretches between the Tsang or Gang-dis-ri highlands and the glittering
peaks of the Himalayas, and sends down glaciers on either side. The South
Tibetan is
depression
thus divided east and west into two secondary and parallel
depressions.
The middle chain, forming a continuation of one of the Ladak ranges,
lifts its snowy peaks above the southern edge of the Satlaj valley, and farther on
above that of the Tsangbo. Although less elevated than the Himalayas, it forms a
more important water-parting, and is pierced by fewer river beds. For about 480
iniles the Trans-Himalayas completely enclose the Tsangbo basin, while the deeper
gorges of the Himalayas allow several streams to escape towards the plains
of the
Ganges. But not all the running waters of these upland regions find their way to
the ocean, and some vast cavities in the intervening plateaux are filled with lakes
without any outflow, such as the Chomto-dong and Palgu-tso. The water of the
Chomto-dong is perfectly sweet and limpid, which would seem to imply that an
outlet existed till comparatively recent times. All these highlands are crossed by
passes exceeding Mont Blanc by 1,500 and even 3,000 feet in altitude.*
MOUNT KAIJ.AS: SOURCE OF THE FOUR SACRED RIVERS THE UPPER SATLAJ
AND INDUS.
The Tibetan region, where rise the Satlaj and the Tsangbo, is a holy land both
for Brahmins and Buddhists a fact undoubtedly due to its geographical importance.
The transverse ridge connecting the Himalayas with the Gang-dis-ri, and
through it with the whole Tibetan plateau, not only forms the necessary route
between the two great valleys which stretch far into regions of different aspect, but
Chief altitudes of the Lacustrine Basin, the Gang-dis-ri, and the Trans-Himalayas :
Lacustrine Basin.
Feet.
Thok-j alung, highest inhahited place on
the globe 16,000
Targot-yap, highest peak of ihe Targotl''h
24.000
Lake Dangra-yum .... 14,900
(iyakharma Peak ..... 20,800
Lake Tcngri-nor 15,'JOO
Gag-dis-ri Kanye.
Mariam-la ...... 14,500
'
. Khomorang-la .
. . 18,500
Kailas, or Tise ..... 21,700
Feet.
Ninjin-tang-la 24,000
Pass west of this mountain . . . 18,600
Baknak Pass, north of Lassa . . . 17,600
Trans-Himalayas.
Snowy Peak (langur), south-west of
Janglacheh . . . . . 23,960
Tunglung-la
Lagulung-la
. . . . . . 19,200
. . . . . . 15,900
Klmmha-la, south-west of Lassa . . 17,000
Lake.' Palti
13,400
Khoro-la, west of Lake Palti . . 16,500