1855.] Notes on Eastern Thibet. 



217 



mainly, as regards the limits of India and Thibet, on the geographi- 

 cal distribution of plants. By it the Himalaya, so well known to 

 Dr. Thomson, is annihilated as a mountain chain. The Kounlun 

 however, which no body knows anything of, and which may be quite 

 as frequently cut through by meridional rivers as the Himalaya, is 

 admitted to that distinction. 



I shall now endeavour to describe the second grand division or 

 " Eastern Thibet." It is by all accounts an exceedingly mountain- 

 ous country, i. e. it contains immense masses and ranges of the 

 most rugged mountains in the world interspersed with extensive 

 plateaus and deep level-bottomed valleys along the streams and rivers. 

 The Thibetans I have met with, do not recognize a continuous 

 chain of mountains running parallel to the Himalaya ; nor are they 

 acquainted with " Kounlun" as the name of any mountain range. 

 They are familier with the Himalaya on one hand and call it 

 " Kangri" which simply means Snow?/ region, and they know that 

 the country of the Mongols, or Mongolia lies parallel to it on the 

 other hand. The third great distinguishing feature in the physical 

 geography of Eastern Thibet is the Taroo river or Sanpoo of our 

 maps. Thus characterised, I shall say that in popular estimation 

 —which is not founded on the physical features of the country, on 

 its natural productions, or on political divisions of territory, separ- 

 ately or jointly— Eastern Thibet is bounded on the north-west by 

 the Kangtisee range of mountains,* and a greatly elevated tract of 

 country extending from the base of this range ; on the north by 

 Mongolia ; on the east by the Sifan and Sechuen provinces of China, 

 and on the south by the Himalaya, from the point at which it is 

 pierced by the Burampootur on the east, to the meridian of the 

 Mansarowur and Eawan Bud Lakes on the west. The general 

 direction of the Kangtisee range is north and south, and it is said 

 to connect the Himalaya and Mongolia, as by a cross-bar. It runs 

 to the east of the Mansarowur and Eawan Rud Lakes, its highest 

 point is said to exceed in elevation any portion of the Himalaya, and 

 four large rivers have their sources in different parts of the range, 

 viz, the Singh Khawab or Indus, the Langchoo Khawab which 



* The highest portion of the " Kangtisee" range is I believe the " Kylas" of 

 Strachey. 



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