126 Geographical Notice of Tibet. [April, 



Bhutan. There are counted now about forty thousand families. The 

 whole province of Bhutan consists of four districts or valleys, which 

 if counted from east to west, are as follows : Thet-yul, Thim-yul, 

 Patro or Pato, and the middle district. » The principal place is Teshi- 

 ctihos-dsong. 



Lakes. — There are four principal lakes in Tibet. The Ma-pham 

 yu-tslio (Mansarovara), in Nari, is the most considerable, of a circum- 

 ference of about one and a half day's journey. In U-tsang, the 

 Yarbrokyu-ts'ho, Mu-le-sgrum ts'ho, and Nam-ts'ho ctihukmo are 

 likewise of great extent. There are many others of inferior rank 

 or less compass ; as, that of La-nag to the west of Ma-p'ham. 

 From Rudok (near Ladak) to the east or south-east, there are many 

 salt lakes. 



Medicinal or mineral waters. — Between LTand Ts'ang there are 

 some hot springs, used in curing cutaneous diseases and the gout But 

 such hot springs are numerous in the mountains lying east from the 

 Ma-p'ham lake ; especially at one place there is a hole out of which 

 continually issues vapor, and at certain intervals, hot water is ejected 

 with great noise to the height of 12 feet. 



Glaciers. — The summits of many of the Tibetan mountains remain 

 through the whole year covered with snow. But there are especially 

 four glaciers or mountains covered with ice or frozen snow ; as 

 Tise, Havo, Shampo, and Pule. 



Mines. — Mines are rarely excavated in Tibet. In the northern part 

 of ffi&ri, and in Guge, some gold dust is gathered, as also in Zanskar 

 and Beltistan it is washed from the river. If they knew how to 

 work mines, they might find in many places gold, copper, iron, and 

 lead. 



Petrifactions are found at many places in Tibet, especially in Nari. 

 On the 2nd and 3rd range of the Himalaya mountains, there are several 

 sorts of them. Salgrams and shells are found most frequently, in 

 many places. All such petrifactions are denominated in Tibetan, 

 according to the resemblance they have to anything ; as, sheep-eye, 

 sheep-horn, sheep-brain, swine-head, bird-leg, cow-tongue, stone- 

 trumpet, &c. They are not objects of reverence in Tibet, neither of 

 curiosity. Some of them, after being burnt and reduced to powder, 

 are used as medicaments in certain diseases. 



In the whole of Tibet, there is, in general, a deficiency of wood, both 

 for fuel and for building, or timber, especially in Nari and U-tsang. 

 In Bhutan and Beltistan there are many sorts of fruit trees. In 

 Jfham-yul there are some woods and forests. In the western part of 

 JLadak, and in Beltistan some vines are cultivated. In middle 



