1887.] 
from “ Dsam Ling Gyeshe .” 
.3 
In former times the political boundary of B od (Po) extended np to 
the dominions of the Tnrnslikas (Turks). Upper Tibet was in fact 
divided into two parts. Its northern division included Badakshan, 
where there was a D.song (fort) for the government of the numerous 
hordes of Dohpas (herdsmen). The chieftain of Badakshan was a vassal 
of Tibet, who is mentioned in the ancient records of Tibet as the king of 
the Dokpas. To the east of Upper Tibet are the snowy mountains of 
Tesi (Kailash), lake Mapham (Mansarovara), the fountain Uthung-grol, 
which has the reputation of extending salvation to those that drink its 
water. All these are within the jurisdiction of the Garpon (Governor) 
of >S'tod-sgar, who is an officer under the Government of Lhasa. Now-a- 
days the pilgrims and devotees of Gangs-ri designate the snowy mountain 
mentioned in Mngon-mdsod and other sacred books by the name of Kang 
Tesi, and the lake Iftsho ma-dros-pa by the name of il/tsho Maphan. 
The commentators of Mngon-mdsod describe the four great rivers of 
Upper Tibet as issuing from rocks, which respectively have the appear¬ 
ances of an elephant, an eagle, a horse and a lion. According to other 
writers the rocks have the appearances of the head of a bull, a horse, 
a peacock and a lion, from which spring Ganga, Loliita, Pakshu and 
Sindliu. Each of these great rivers is said to flow into one of the four 
oceans, after receiving more than five hundred tributaries. The great 
lake Jftsho-ma drod-pa is mentioned as extending over an area of 80 
leagues. These accounts vary very much when compared with what is 
now seen. This may be attributed to the difference of moral merit in 
the different generations of mankind. It is probably owing to the small¬ 
ness of moral merit in us, that we do not see these sacred places in their 
original state as our ancestors saw them. There is no other explanation 
except this why great things should look small. The mighty river 
Sindliu, issuing from a glacier on the western slopes of Kang Tesi, flows 
westward through Balti and afterwards in a south-western direction 
through Kapistan, Jalandhra, and Panclianad, till joined by the rivers 
Satadru, Vipasa, Chandrabhaga, Airavati and Vitastafrom the east, and 
the rivers Chandana, Seka, Hi lata, Hera and Lak, and lastly through 
the country of Sindliu to empty itself in the great ocean called Rinchlien 
^byung ynas (the origin of precious things), opposite Sauraslitra. On 
account of there existing numerous snowy mountains in the countries of 
Punchanad, Kashmir, Ushmaparanta, Kabela and Jalandhra, which send 
their water into it, the river Sindliu is very powerful, and in fact it is 
the greatest of the four rivers mentioned above. 
The river Pakshu springing from the glaciers on the north-western 
slopes of Kang Tesi, and flowing through the country of Tho-kar in a 
westerly direction, and Balag Bhokar and Hiva, and also through the 
