FROM TONKIN TO INDIA 



Point of Departure of Routes 

 and Names of Rivers about 

 which Information was col- 

 lected. 



Ate NTS K 



Route to Tsarong and I-ha(,a (practicable for 

 mules). 



isf Day: Atent.se to Menkong [N. 60°]. From 

 Atentse follow the road from Verkalo as far as 

 Dong, then branch to the left across a small 

 range and descend on the bank of the Mekong at 

 Lieou-ten-kiao. 



ind Day : Cross the Mekong by a good cord bridge, 

 and ascend the right bank as far as Merechu. 



yd, ^/h, and ^/h Days : Three days are necessary 

 to cross the great chain (very lofty), which bears 

 in this district the name of Milechan (from 

 Milefou, a god worshipped in Thibet). 



Eve/iini; of ^th Day : Sleep at Latou, near the 

 Oukio. 



dth Day : Cross the Oukio by a wooden bridge. 

 Traverse a small chain, and sleep at Kiepo. 



7/// Day : Recross the Oukio by bridge at Kiepo. 

 Surmount a chain, and sleep at Tchrana, near the 

 left Ijank of the Salwen. 



Opposite Tchrana there is a good rope bridge ; on 

 the other side stands the Lamaserai of Menkong. 



From Tchrana another route descends on Lakonra, 

 Aben, Longpou, Songta, and Tchamoutong 

 (Menkong to Tchamoutong, 7 days). 



From Menkong a mule track leads in 6 days to 

 the prefecture of Sounga-Kieu-Dzong. A route 

 leaves this town in the direction of Ciamda and 

 Lhai^a across Pomi by Chiuden-(iomba. This 

 Pomi (or Poyul) is a large and wholly unexplored 

 country, which stretches to the west of the pro- 

 vince of Tsarong as far as Giamda. It is reputed 

 full of brigands and dangers, the refuge a[)[)arently 

 of ail the bandits of Thibet (?). 



The Lha^a route quits the one just described at 

 Latou, near the Oukio, and ascends the course of 

 that river for 20 days to Pomda (way followed by 

 Father Desgodins from Menkong to Tsiamdo). 

 To the west of Pomda spreads a wide plateau, the 

 Tchan-tsao-pa, which takes 5 days to cross ; after 

 which one descends on to the Loutse-kiang 

 (.Salwen), which is spanned by a bridge, and 

 finally the traveller joins the Imperial high road 

 from Tatsien-lou to Lhaca at Oua-ho. 

 Route direct to Tatsien-lou, through the country of 



Meli or Houang-Lama, 34 days at 1 2 or 1 5 m. a 



day. [N. 60° E.] Practicable for mules. 



41 2 



