The eastern section of the Northern Range forms the natural northern boundary of Great Tibet; for although an extensive region farther north is included on the maps as part of Tibet, it is really inhabited by wandering, independent tribes, called Hor and Sok.[1] Tibetan influence, so far as we yet know, is here confined to the route to Rudok and the Thok Jalung gold fields,[2] and to a few monasteries in the mountains and on the banks of Lake Tengri-nor, although Tibetan sovereignty must be considered as extending to the Kuen-lun Mountains. This lofty region is almost entirely unknown to Europeans, except through the Lama surveys.[3] It is drained by streams flowing into a system of inland lakes, and its elevation above the sea has only been ascertained at three points. Mr. Johnson, in his journey to Khotan, entered the region of inland drainage by the Chang-chenmo pass, and found the height of the Lingtsi plain to be 17,000 feet. The Pundit of 1867 found the gold mines of Thok Jalung, which are on this lofty plateau, to be 16,330 feet; and Colonel Montgomerie's explorer of 1872 reached the shores of Lake Tengri-nor, and ascertained its height to be 15,000 feet above the sea. The great Northern Chain of the Himalayan system, called the Karakorum Range in its western section, is here known as the Ninjinihangla or Nyenchhen-tang-la Moun- tains, and separates the inland system of lakes from the basin of the Brahmaputra. To the westward it commences at the famous central peak or knot called Kailas[4] by the Hindus, and Gangri by the Tibetans, which is 22,000 feet above the sea.
- ↑ Horsok is the name given by the Tibetans to the whole region between the Northern Himálayan Range (Nyenchhén-thangláa) and the Kuen-lun. It is inhabited by two distinct races, called Hor and Sok: Horpa is the western half of this region, and Sokpa the eastern half, as well as part of Sokyeul, round the Kokonor Lake. They are all styled Khachhen (Muhammadans) by the Tibetans. Sokyeul is the same as Tangut. The Hor are Turks, and the Sok are of Mongol race. Yeul means an encampment, so that Sok-yeul is the encampment of the Soks or Mongols.
- ↑ The northern slopes of the range are reported to contain a whole string of gold fields, extending from the meridian of Lhasa to that of Rudok.
- ↑ See p. lxi for some account of this survey.
- ↑ On the map of D'Anville, in Du Halde, it is called Kentaisse.
