Southern chains, but the towns and principal monasteries, where are the centres of population, are chiefly in the valley of the Brahmaputra, and its tributaries from the north and south.
Except as regards the region round Teshu Lumbo, and the route to Lhasa, which were visited by Bogle, Turner, and Manning, our modern knowledge of the upper valley of the Brahmaputra or Tsanpu is derived entirely from the accounts given by the Pundit despatched by Colonel Montgomerie in 1866, and the young Tibetan sent in 1872.
The Tsanpu rises, in longitude 82° 28’ E., at the Mariam-la pass,[1] 15,500 feet above the sea, and flows, in its upper course,[2] over an elevated series of plains, where sheep, goats, and yaks abound, with many large glaciers belonging to the Central Chain of the Himélaya in sight to the south. It receives two large rivers on the left bank, flowing from the Northern Range, called Chachu Tsanpn, and Charta Tsanpu ;[3] and at Janglaché,[4] a fort and large monastery, in longitude 87° 38’ B.., 13,580 feet above the sea, the river, here called the Narichu, becomes navigable. It thus descends 2000 feet in a course of about 350 miles. A few miles below Janglaché, another river, called the Raha Tsanpu, after a parallel course on the northern side, empties itself into the main stream. From Janglaché, people and goods are frequently transported down the river in boats to Shigatzé,[5] a distance of 85 miles. Shigatzé, with its neighbouring palace-monastery of Teshu Lumbo, the residence of the Teshu Lama, is the principal place in the Tsang province. It is in 89° 7’ E. longitude, 29° 4’ 20" N. latitude, and 11,800 feet above the sea.
- ↑ The Mariam-la pass is 60 miles east of Lake Mansarowar, the source of the Sutlej, the interval being partly occupied by another lake.
- ↑ The Pundit says that the river here has three names, Tamgan Khamba, Machang, and Narichu Sangpo. On D’Anville’s map the upper course is called Yarou Tsanpou.
- ↑ The Naouc T'sanpu and Sanki Tsanpu of D’Anмille.
- ↑ Tchanglasé of D’Anville; and Dzianglodzé-dzoung of Klaproth. The French Dz is equivalent to our J.
- ↑ The Jiksé of D’Anville, and Jika-dze (mountain pass) of Klaproth.
