1848.] Itinerary from Phari in Thibet, to Lassa. 267 



you cross the Yaroo Tzangbo,* (Sanpoo) which is the largest river in 

 Tibet. It runs here to the eastward, but its course previously is from 

 the north, for it comes southwards along the east side of the Kambo 

 range. The Yaroo Tzangbo does not run near Digarchi, it is to the 

 north of that place. How can it run in an easterly course all the way 

 from Digarchi when the great Kambo range runs north and south ? 

 The Yaroo Tzangbo comes a long way down from the north to the 

 east side of the Kambo range. At Chasumchoori the Yaroo Tzangbo 

 is three times the size of the Teestah river where it is crossed on 

 the road from Darjeeling to Tumloong, the Sikim Raja's residence. 

 There is an iron chain suspension bridge over the Yaroo at this place. 

 It is only wide enough for one man to go along. The platform is a 

 single plank a foot wide. Loaded men, cattle, horses and merchandise 

 are crossed in wooden boats. The iron bridge was erected by the 

 Lamas of Chasumchoori Goomba ages ago. The piers are of stone 

 masonry, the chains are formed of strong links each a cubit long. The 

 bridge does not span the whole river. The pier on the northern side 

 is some distance from that bank, so that in the dry season even after 

 crossing the bridge you have to wade some way to the shore. In the 

 wet season you cannot ford the space between the northern pier and 

 the bank, and are therefore obliged to cross by boat. The bridge is 20 

 cubit at least above the river, which is a rapid one and never fordable. 

 The Goomba here is a large one ; it has 200 Lamas and Gelongs belong- 

 ing to it, and a very large library. 



* Yaru tsang-po. See preceding- note. 



Yaru is the proper name. Tsang-po, an epithet pointing out its intimate connexion 

 with the great central province of the country or Tsang. 



De Coros, from Tibetan authorities, notices the several great ranges that traverse Tibet. 

 He gives 6 such, and says Lassa and Digarchi lie in a valley between the 3d and 4th. But 

 he implies that all these ranges run parallel to the Himalaya, whereas the Kambo range 

 is here clearly made to be a transverse or meridional chain, and M. Hue notices no less 

 than 4 such as occurring between Siling and Lassa, viz. Chuga, Bayam Khar, Tanla 

 and Koiram, the winter passage of all which he describes in fearful terms. The Bayam 

 Khar, says Klaproth, divides Siling from Kham, and the valley of the Hohangho from 

 that of the Yangtse Kiang. The Kambo of this itinerary is the Gamba of Klaproth, who 

 is followed by Rilter in making the range and the river run parallel to each other west to 

 east, with a little northing, all the way from Digarchi to Jamaleing, where the river is 

 crossed and the road strikes north up the Galdze to Lassa. Digarchi is placed on or 

 close to the river by Klaproth (Memoires 3, 416, map) and by Hitter (Atlas cf MahU 

 mann, No. II. Ost Hoch Asien.)-B. H. H. 



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