Tibet and the Tibetans / by Graham Sandberg. Published under the general literature committee.

  • Graham Sandberg
Date:
1906
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Tibet and the Tibetans / by Graham Sandberg. Published under the general literature committee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    52/352 (page 38)
    Cl , ’ , ' CHAPTER IV. THE SALT AND FRESH-WATER LAKES. The great sheets of water held in the hollows of this uplifted land now claim notice. Although several of these are almost large enough to be styled inland seaS; the supply to nearly all of them is kept up merely by the ordinary glacial drainage from the mountains in [which each lies entrenched. Not one_, as it appears, is fed by any consider- able river. Two or three minor affluents meander into the larger lakes, but they are hardly more than mountain-streams draining not very distant uplands. Tibetan lakes have several peculiarities. First, the great altitude at which they occur. Secondly, the excessively saline nature of their waters. With few exceptions they are emphatically salt lakes ; potash, soda and borax being found in such extensive deposits encrusted round the margin, and in the waters themselves, that most of the lakes north of the central lateral chain are not denominated ts^o or lake,^^ but tiaklia or salt-pit.'’^ Thirdly, few of the lakes seem to have any important outflowing river, and in this way, doubtless, their great size is maintained.^ Fourthly, in the closest proximity to every Tibetan lake rises up an extensive system of hot springs. These geysers in Tibet, as they occur near lakes almost exclusively and not in other situa- tions, suggest the theory of volcanic fires being near the surface and exercising by conduits, the gases of which are in spasmodic play through the heat, a syphonic action on the waters of the lake. • 1 “ As far as my experience goes, no lake in the Himalayas has two exits, nor do I think that it is common elsewhere, and indeed I know of but one case of the kind where a small pool has two exits. It is obvious that, if there is any great flow of water, one exit will probably be cut quicker than the other, and eventually be- come the sole channel ”—(the late) Colonel T. G. Montgomerie, R.E. The earliest source of the Sutlej is undoubtedly Ts’o Lagran ; but the outflow is intermittent, during some periods ceasing altogether, the main feeders of the river being streams from mountains to the north and south of its early course. The great Di Chhu of East Tibet is also affirmed to start from Chargyut Ts’o in North Central Tibet.