CHAPTER V.
KOKO-NOR AND TSAIDAM.
The lake—Colour of its waters—Island and temple—Fish—Legendary origin of lake—Its shores—Birds —Animals—The Kulan or wild ass—Eleuth Mongols—Low standard of civilisation—Kara-Tangutans—Their predatory habits—Mongol tradition concerning them — Administrative divisions of Koko-nor—We buy fresh camels — Tibetan envoy — Favourable opportunity of reaching Lhassa lost—We determine to advance—Guides—Temple of Kumbum and its sacred tree—Tibetan medicine—Route along shore of lake—Ponhain-gol—Huc's account of river inaccurate—Southern Koko-nor range—Djaratai-dabas salt basin—Princess of Koko-nor—The Tsing-hai-wang—Our reception—My reputation as saint, prophet, and physician—Baumsteitismus, a universal panacea—Mongol ailments—Plain of Tsaidam—The Baian-gol—Saline vegetation—Karmyk berries—Scarcity of animal life—Inhabitants—Lake Lob—Wild camels and wild horses—Autumn on Koko-nor—Clear atmosphere—Cultivated land—Crossing the marshes—Tsung-zasak—Mongol guide 'Chutun dzamba.'
Lake Koko-nor, called Tsok-gumbum by the Tangutans, and Tsing-hai[1] by the Chinese, lies to the west of Si-ning, at a height of 10,500 feet above the level of the sea. In shape it is an ellipse with its longer axis running from east to west. It is from
- ↑ The Mongolian name signifies 'light blue' — the Chinese 'dark blue.' We could not ascertain the exact meaning of the Tangutan name. The inhabitants of the region, and in general the Southern Mongols, call it Khoko-nor, i.e. softening the k into kh.
[The Tangutan, i.e. the Tibetan name of the lake is properly Tso-ngonbo, as written by Della Penna, or Tsot-Ngon-po, as written by Huc, meaning just the same as the Mongol and Chinese, viz., 'Blue Lake.'—Y.]