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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2011
The mountains and rivers of Ssŭ-ch'uan are considered the finest of the Empire. Thousands of miles and more to the west of Ta-tu (‘great ford’ over the Nya-lung ch'u ?), carved, written, and chiselled records, stores of carpets, fur garments, and fine clothing are common. Although one may go far into the wilds, still everywhere exist the two vitalizing principles (of heaven and earth), their combination producing the mountains and the dissolution of the waters, occasioning such a beautiful and interchangeable whole that the benefits derived from its perfectly harmonious operation can vie with those of the golden ages.
page 248 note 1 Altitude 14, 515 feet (Gill).
page 248 note 2 The Tibetan name of this river is Dar ch'u. The name Lu ho (Tibetan Do ch'u) is usually only given to the river below Ta-chien-lu, after it has received the Ché ch'u, the Yü-t'ung ho of the text. The valley of the Yü- t'ung river is called Gi-rong by the natives.
page 248 note 3 The I-t'ung-chih also mentions the La-mu-li Kang-li shan, 180 li S.W. of Lit'ang, and the Kuo-la chiang-ka-erh ting, N.E. of Lit'ang, 95 li. Kang li= Gang-ri or “glacier.” It also mentions a Tsa-ka-li ma-ni t'u-ya, JN'.W. of Lit'ang, 40 li. Its colour is black and on the rocks are Indian characters and images of gods. Tsa-ka-li = Jagar, i.e. India, mani is the name given in Tibetan to the prayers cut on rocks, usually om mani padmé hūm.
page 249 note 1 In Tibetan Lit'ang zam-pa “the Lit'ang bridge.”
page 249 note 2 Called in Tibetan Nya ch'u or Nya lung ch'u. This river, which flows into the Chin-sha chiang, is frequently confounded by Chinese writers with the Yaru tsang po. See for instance the Shui-tao t'i-kang, B. 22, p. 1. The I-t'ung-chih says that its source is in the Pa-yen ka-la (Bayan kara) mountains, and that it is there called in Tibetan Chi-chi-erh ka-na river. It flows S.E., receiving during some 500 li over ten streams, then it passes mount Ma-mu pa-yen-ka-la, where it receives the Ma-mu mu, etc., etc. I do not believe its sources are so far north.
page 249 note 3 The I-t'ung-chih says it has its source N.W. of Lit'ang, 150 odd li in the Li-mu and Sha-lu-chi mountains. The Tun-chu, which flows 180 li S.W. of Lit'ang, rises in the Kang-li la-ma-erh S. W. of Lit'ang, and after a course of a few hundred ii flows into the Chin-sha chiang.
page 250 note 1 We read in the I-t'ung-chih: “Chin sha chiang, formerly called Li-shui, Shen ch'üan or Li Niu ho. At present the Tibetans call it Muru usu, Pu-la ch'u or Pa ch'u. It has its source in mount Pa-sa-tung Ia-mu, which means “a cow” (Pa-sa-tung = Ba-lang in Tibetan ?). The stream leaves the mountain under the name of Muru usu. Flowing N.E. some 900 li it bends N. around mount Na-mu tang lung, then flowing S.E. for over 800 li it enters K'am, under the name of Pu-la ch'u. Thence flowing S. by W. some 800 li it passes 60 li W. of Bat ang as the Pa ch'u. Again flowing S.E. 600 odd li it enters Lichiang Fa in Yün-nan, where it becomes the Chin-sha chiang.… It receives ten large affluents and an innumerable number of small ones.” Among its affluents are the Akdam, Ch'i-ch'i-erh ha-na ku-ku wu-su, T'ě-mo-t'u ku-ku wu-su, Ka-ch'i wu-lan mu-lun, T'o-ko-t'o-nai wu-lan mu-lun, Na-mu-ch'i-t'u wu-lan mu-lun, T'u-ha-erh-t'u ka-la wu-su. It is marked on our maps as the Di chii in its upper course, but the local pronunciation is Dré. The Chinese call it in this part of its course T'ung t'ien ho 
, “The river of all Heaven.” Sometimes the first character is written 
tung “east,” which supplies a more comprehensive meaning. In all the names of mountains and rivers in the text the word la 
means “a pass,” and ch'u 
“a river.”
page 251 note 1 The I-t'ung-chih mentions a Chu la range (ling) N. of Ch'amdo 160 li.
page 251 note 2 This branch of the Lan-ts'ang has its source, according to the I-t'ung-chih, in the mount Balak latan suk, 800 odd li N.W. of Tsa-tso-li-kang, and is called the O-mu ch'u. It flows into the Tsa ch'u some 300 li N.E. of Tsa-tso-li-kang.
page 251 note 3 The two last-mentioned rivers form the Lan-ts'ang chiang, which, according to the I-t'ung-chih, is called in Tibetan La chu. It says the Tsa ch'u has its source in mount Ko-erh-chi tsa-ka-na, over 1000 li N.W. of the town of Tsa-tso-li-kang.
page 251 note 4 The Tibetans pronounce the name of this country La-wo-shé.
page 251 note 5 Or Wa-ho-i-chu la. In 1720 a detachment of over 500 cavalry was buried in a night in the snow while crossing it. See Hsi-Ts'ang chien-wen-lu, I. 13.
page 252 note 1 The I-t'ung-chih says, “The Lu-chiang (passes) N.E. of Lho-rong dzong 60 li. It is called in Mongol Kara usu, and in Tibetan O-i-erh chu. It has its source N. of Lh'asa 280 li, where it is called Pu-ko kuang. After a course of 450 and odd li it takes a N.W. course. One hundred odd li further it enters the Ni-erh-chi-ken lake, which has a circumference of over 130 li. Fifty odd li further on to the N.E. it enters the I-ta lake over 100 li in circumference. Then taking a S.E. direction it enters, after some odd 150 li, lake Ka-la of over 120 li in circumference. Thence it flows S. under the name of Kara-usu. Flowing slightly to N.E. some 450 li it comes to Suk dzong, 100 li S. it leaves Lh'asa territory and enters K'am, under the name of O-i-erh chu. Flowing some 300 li S.E. by E. it passes Lo-rong dzong. Flowing some 300 li, thence some 800 li it passes through the Mi-la-lung country. Thence over 200 li and it enters the country of the savages of Nu (Nu i) and takes the name of Nu chiang. Flowing thence S. over 300 li it enters the territory of Li-chiang Fu iu Yün-nan and becomes the Lu chiang. Going S. through a country of savages it then goes through Yung-chang Fu and Lu-chiang An-fu-ssŭ. It afterwards reaches Burma (Mien-lien), and thence flows into the South Sea. The Ming t'ung-shih says, ‘Nu chiang is the old name of the Lu chiang.’” This river is therefore the Giama Nu ch'u of our maps on the upper Salwen. But according to the Hsi-Ts'ang-fu it would be the Lan-ts'ang or Mékong. The I-t'ung-chih mentions among its affluents the Ya-erh-chia tsang po, Pu-ko-sha-ko and Su-ko chantan-kun.
page 253 note 1 “S.E. from Kong-pu, fifteen days’ journey, is Upper Pomi, governed by the Déba of K'ams. Lower Pomi is under the rule of Lh'asa, which deputes an officer for that purpose.”— Hsi-Ts'ang fu, 34. Upper Pomi is the Potodh of European maps, and Lower Pomi our Pomedh. “The Lu-ma ling is two days from Kong-po Jyan-ta.”— Chien-wen-lu, I. 14.
page 254 note 1 This must be the Kyi-ch'u.
page 254 note 2 Chapori 
is S.W. of Potala. The Hsi-Ts'ang fu, page 3, says, that Mo-p'an shan is contiguous to it on the W. and has a temple dedicated to Kuan-ti on the summit, and on the slope a lamasery called the Tung-an ssŭ, which has been repaired by the Chi-lung Hutuketu.
page 254 note 3 Niu-mo shan means the mountain of Niu-mo, in Tibetan Lu-gon; it is the same which is called Nan shan in the Hsi-Ts'ang fu, and is the place of hiding of Lu-gon jyal-po when driven from Lh'asa. See section on festivals.
page 254 note 4 The Chien-wen-lu, I. 14, mentions also among the mountains of Central Tibet the K'u-erh-k'un shan, “which name translated means ‘the incomparable’” (K'un-lun). It used to be called Tzŭ shan. It is composed of three mountains, the A-ko-tan ch'i-ch'in, the Pa-erh-pu-ha and the Pa-yen-k'o-la, and contains the sources of the Yellow River.
page 255 note 1 The convent is Réchung gomba.— Hsi-Ts'ang chien-wen-lu, II. 16.
page 255 note 2 The I-t'ung-chih places it 310 li N.E. of the town of Ta-ko-la, and says its height is over 550 ch'ang (6500 feet in round numbers). This of course is counted from the surrounding plain. European observations give Kailas 22,000 feet above sea-level.
page 256 note 1 Ta-mu-chu-ko k'o-pa-pu, in the I-t'ung-chih, S. W. of Cho-shu-t'ě, 340 li, near Men-na-ko-nir shan, and facing Kailas on the S.E. It is one of a group of four high mountains. The Yara ts'ang-po flows from the E. of this mountain.
page 256 note 2 Po chu probably for Bod ch'u or “River of Tibet.” It is generally called in Chinese works Ya-lu ts'ang-pu chiang (Yaru ts'ang-po in Tibetan). The I-t'ung-chih says that it has “its source in Cho-shu-tě. It enters Wu after an easterly course of 2500 odd li, then flowing S.E. 1200 odd li it crosses the southern frontier of Wu (Lh'asa province), passes through the Lo-ko-ko-puchan (Lepsha ?) country, comes around to a S.W. direction, enters the O-no t'ě-ko country, and the combined waters flow to the Southern Sea.” It mentions the Irawaddy theory as far as the Chinese are concerned, for the text shows that the Ts'ang-po is held to be the upper course of the Brahmaputra.
page 256 note 3 Called by the Tibetans 
, pronounced Ko-dru, or 
, pronounced pa-dru.
page 256 note 4 The text has 
“pole, oar,” which is evidently a misprint for 
“bridge.” This error occurs throughout the work.
page 257 note 1 The I-t'ung-chih mentions among the rivers of Ulterior Tibet the Sa-pu ch'u, which passes 80 li N. W. of Shigatsé, having its source S. of that place. The Nien chu, which flows 10 li N. of Shigatsé and has its source S. in the Chu-mula-mu shan and the Shun la chain. It flows into the Yaru ts'ang-po.
page 257 note 2 Nu chiang is identified by Porter Smith with the Irawaddy. The remark from the Hsi-Ts'ang fu, p. 26, that it flows into the Lan chiang (Mékong) would lead us to suppose that it is the Giama Nu ch'u or Lu chiang, although this river flows into the Salwen. The Hsi-Ts'ang fu, loc. cit., says furthermore, “The S. frontier of Lh'o-yul is the Nu chiang. From Lh'asa, going S. one day, passing the great mountain of Kuo-ka (Gokhar pass), one comes to the village of Sung-po. Crossing the great mountain of Sung-ka one comes to the Ts'ang chiang, the frontier of Jagar (India). (After this) one comes to the Nu chiang.” This probably means that after crossing the Ts'ang chiang and continuing east one comes to the Nu chiang. This is perfectly correct.
page 257 note 3 The Yamdok Palti lake, which is not mentioned here, is, says the Hsi-Ts'ang fu, p. 40, “456 li in circumference, and it requires forty-eight days to go around it. In it are three great mountains, Minapa, Yaposhih and Sang-li.” The I-t'ung-chih calls the second mountain Ya-po-tu. Among the lakes of Tibet, the I-t'ung-chih mentions the “Ma-pin-mu ta-la, 200 li N.E. of Ta-ko-la in Ngari, and 65 li S.E. of mount Kailas. It is the source of the Ganges and is over 180 li in extent. Lake Chi-ka, 170 li N. of Ta-ko-la and 34 li S.W. of Kailas. It is over 300 li in extent, and is connected with Ma-pin-mu-ta-la. Lake Ya-mu-lu-ko yu-mu-tso, E. of Na-ka-la-tse, in extent over 460 li. There are three mountains in it called Minapa, Ya-po-tu and Sang-li. Lake Chia-mu-tso chi-mu tso, N.W. of Chang-a-pu-lin, over 60 li in extent; originally two lakes, the E. one called Chi-mu tso, the W. one Chia-mu-tso. Lake La-mu-tso hsi-mu-tso, N.E. of Ngari dzong. 120 li, 220 li in extent. Lake Ta-lu-ko yu-mu ts'o, N.W. of Ché-pa in Tsang, 550 li. Its extent is over 280 li. The salt lake of Cha-pu-yeh sa-ka, 20 odd li N. of the former, over 150 li in extent, produces white salt. Lake Chi-pu, near the previous lake to the N., extent 220 odd li. Lake Cha-mu ts'o tieh-no-ko. over 410 li N.W. of Cho-shu-t'ê, 10 li in circumference, contains borax. The eleven salt lakes of Kung-no-mu-cha-ka, 700 odd li N.W. of Lh'asa. They are all on either side of the Ya-erh-chia ts'ang-po. The largest is 190 li in extent, the smallest 50 or 60 li. Two produce a brownish salt, the others white salt. Lake Teng-ka-li (Tengri-nor), 220 odd li N.W. of Lh'asa, over 600 li broad and over 1000 li in circumference. Broad from E. to. W., narrow from N. to S. Three rivers flow into it on the east side, and two on the west.”
page 258 note 1 
“The lake of the Naga.” Pronounced Lu gon jya-ts'o. This appears to be the correct spelling of this name.
page 258 note 2 
“The grove happiness.” Pronounced Tra-shi-ling-ga.
page 258 note 3 
“The home of the classics.” Pronounced ch'ü-jyi k'ang.
page 258 note 4 The Tibetan name is 
“The turquoise roof bridge.” Pronounced yü-t'og zam-pa.
page 259 note 1 That is to say, that to wear fine clothing and to slaughter animals are both reprehensible acts in Tibet.
page 259 note 2 The text reads Jeng-chung-ning-wen chieh-pa-ssŭ, which is = Trashil'unpo.
page 259 note 3 Tibetans say that there are 3600 temples and convents both large and small in their country. The number does not seem exaggerated. Sheng-wu-chi, V. 27, counts about 3487; Hsi Ts'ang t'u-k'ao, I. 10, 3150 odd in the Talé lama's dominions, 327 in Pan-ch'en rinpoche's, this according to the census, of 1737.
page 261 note 1 “The pavilion for circumambulating the sacred books’ probably contains copies of the Kanjur and Tanjur, or a Kanjur k'orlo, a huge prayer-wheel in which the whole of the Kanjur is placed.
page 261 note 2 
Maitreya.
page 262 note 1 Hsiang chiao. A case of treasure is a hollowed-out log bound with iron; it holds 62.5 catties weight, or 1000 taels of silver.
page 262 note 2 The Ta Ch'ing i-t'ung-chih says that Potala is on top of a little hill called Manipuri. The temple is 36 ch'ang 7 ch'ih 4 ts'un high (about 436 feet 10 inches). Ch'ien-lung in 1760 conferred on Potala the name of Yung-lien ch'u-ti, or “the birthplace of springing lotuses.” Manipuri is the Tibetan Maipori 
, or “the red hill,” which was the name given it prior to its becoming in 1643 the residence of the Talé lama.
page 263 note 1 In Tibetan called the 
or 
Chao or Jo-wo, is generally used in Tibet to designate Gautama Buddha, but saints (Atischa for example) also receive this title. The real name of this celebrated temple is 
pronounced Chi-k'or-ling. It is commonly called Jok'ang, The image described in the text is the Jo.
page 263 note 2 In Tibetan Paldan lhamo 
. This god is a Ch'ü-jong of Tibet, one of its great tutelar divinities. He is represented riding a horse along a road of blood. He has a human skin over his shoulders, and is drinking blood out of a skull; his horse's trappings are ropes of snakes.
page 263 note 3 He is better known to Europeans as Hiuen Thsang. His travels and biography have been translated by Julien and Beal. On Yü-chih Ching-tei, see also infrà.
page 264 note 1 There are many inscriptions in Chinese extant in Tibet; a certain number have come to us in a small volume entitled 
Published in 1851. It gives us eleven inscriptions:— 1. Imperial autograph dated 60th year K'ang-hsi (1721) on the pacification of Tibet. It is in front of mount Potala.— 2. Imperial autograph dated 59th year of Ch'ien-lung (1794); it is entitled 
. It is in front of Potala. — 3. Imperial autograph dated 1808, in Chia-ching's reign; it is entitled, “Tablet of the narrative of the devotional ceremonies of the P'u-t'o tsung-sheng temple.” It is N.E. of Potala, near mount Séra.—4. Tablet commemorating the victorious campaign against the Gorkhas. In front of the Jok'ang. Dated 1793.—5. Tablet of the hall of the drill ground, signed by the Amban and the Assistant Amban Ho Ning (author of Hsi-Ts'ang fu).—6. Tablet on the erection of a temple to Kuan-tion Lu-pan shan. Dated 1795.—7. Tablet of the double devotion, N.E. of the Jo-k'ang. Dated 1793. This inscription records the history of the assassination in 1752 of the two Chinese Ambans. It has been translated by Jametel in the Revue d'histoire diplomatique, No. 3 (1887), p. 446 et seq., but he does not mention the work from which he took it.—8. Treaty between T'ang T'è-ts'ung and the King of Tibet. In front of the Jo-k'ang.—9–11. Three tablets, dating from the 59th year of K'ang-hsi (1721). Two on the top of the east slope of Potala and one at the east foot. They were composed by military officials who participated in the great campaign. Some of these inscriptions are also given in the Hsi-Ts'ang fu k'ao, I.
page 264 note 2 
Chu-to chi. This appears to be a transcription of the Tibetan Ch'ö do-rjé 
, which Would be Dharmavajra in Sanskrit; but I know of no celebrated disciple of Gautama of this name. The Sheng-wu chi, V. 29, reads Kung-chu-chi-to Fo. Tibetans tell me that the image alluded to is that of Ch'ub-jé do-rjé 
.
page 266 note 1 Nain-sing, p. xxiii, says, “After crossing the Kichu stream we arrived at Galdan monastery, situated on the summit of a low hill. The circumference of this monastery is about three-quarters of a mile. There are numerous well-built temples, with idols much the same as those at Sárá. It is reported to be a very wealthy monastery, and is occupied by 3000 priests.”
page 266 note 2 
Pronounced Dräbung. Dräbung, vulgo Däbung, is said to contain 7700 lamas. See Georgi, , Alph. Tib. pp. 413 and 453Google Scholar.
page 266 note 3 On this class of magicians see Georgi, , Alph. Tib. p. 242Google Scholaret seq.; Schlagintweit, , Buddh. p. 157Google Scholar
; Köppen, , Lamaische Kirche, p, 259Google Scholar; and Fra Orazio's Notizia del Regno del Thibet, p. 77 (Klaproth's edition). They are called the 
or “Protectors of the law of the Highest One,” and are not, so I am told, considered lamas. On the female Ch'ü-jong, see infrà. The most celebrated Ch'ü-jong is that of Nachung, whose oracular powers are very great. The Ch'ü-jong are even consulted when a person wants to dig a well; they shoot an arrow, and where it enters the ground, there water will be found.
page 266 note 1 It is known to the people as the 
, or “The golden vajra.” See Hue, , Souvenirs, vol. ii. p. 383Google Scholar.
page 266 note 2 The Hsi-Ts'ang fu, p. 9, says that it is two days' journey S. of Lh'asa, and Nain Sing op. cit. p. xxiv, says that it is three days' journey (thirty-six miles) E. of Lh'asa, and is situated on the left bank of the Ts'ang-po ch'u. The State Treasury, he adds, is at this place. It was founded during the reign of Tri-song ché-tsan (the K'i-li-tsan of the Chinese) (A.D. 755–786), under the direction of Wu-pamé (Padma Sambhava), and is said to have been copied on the Nalanda monastery in Middle India. The library of Samyé is celebrated. According to the Vaidurya karpo it was founded A.D. 749. Kuan-ti is confounded by all natives with the Tibetan Gésar.
page 266 note 3 In Tibetan this would be 
, pronounced Do-gé ra-k'or. I do not know if this is the name of the printing-house (Par-k'ang) of Muru gompa. The Hsi-Ts'ang fu, p. 10, says that the name of “Grove of the classics” is given to Muru itself.
page 267 note 1 The Hsi-Ts'ang fu, p. 10, says the spirit descends on the 26th of each moon. It is two or three ch'ih high, etc. The Ch'ü-jong participate in nearly all church ceremonies. They are merely magicians.
page 267 note 2 They are called Ta-ma ch'u nyi-ba.
page 267 note 3 Ch'u-wo gomba and Nalenda gomba are probably the Tibetan equivalents.
page 267 note 4 It is called sa tsam-ba “earth tsamba.” I am told that it is also found in holes in the low ground near the river at Wu-t'ai shan, the Tibetan Ei-vo tsé na 
in Shan-hsi. Comp. Wood, Journey to the Source of the Oxus, p. 19
page 268 note 1 Another name of the Trashil'unpo lamasery, 2 li W. of Shigatsé; see Esi-Ts'ang t'u k'ao, V. 25. The town is called Dzi-k'a-tsé 
or Dé-gar-tsé 
. The convent of Tra-shi-lhun-po 
was built by Gedun drupa 
in 1446. He was an incarnation of Ts'ong k'a-pa. The I-t'ung-chih says that the convent of Trashil'unpo is 2 li W. of Dzik'atsé. It contains over 3000 rooms, and images in gold, silver, copper, etc., without number. It has over 5000 lamas, and has under it fifty-one small convents with over 4000 lamas. Ch'ien-lung gave it the name of Fu-yüan-heng-hu, or “the constant patron of the source of happiness.” Later on he gave it other names of a similar character. 30 li S. of Trashil'unpo, at the foot of a mountain, is Nart'ang lamasery. Inside is an image of Maitreya and of the eighteen Arhats. It has blocks for the printing of the whole Kanjur and Tanjur. It has also a small bronze pagoda containing a relic (sharira) of (Shakyamuni ?). It is over an inch long, crooked and yellow. Among other relics it has a crystal staff brought there by an Arhat in olden times, etc.—Hsi-Ts'ang fu, p. 39.
page 268 note 2 The Sakya monastery was founded in the eleventh century.
page 269 note 1 Comp. section on monasteries and temples, Dräbung.
page 269 note 2 It is generally called Yamdo Samding gom-ba. Dor-jé p'a-mo is the incarnation of Dolma, the wife of Shenrézig. The lake is usually called Pé-dé jya-ts'o. 
t'ou-mu, “the Northern bushel,” is a Taoist divinity which may be confounded by the Chinese with Dolma; just as Kuan-ti is with the Tibetan Gésar.
page 269 note 3 The convent was attacked by the Sungans, but was saved by the abbess and all the nuns transforming themselves into swine. Bogle visited the Dor-jé p'a-mo near Trashil'unpo. She was then the niece of the Pan-ch'en rinpoché.—See Markham's Tibet, p. 108. He writes the name Durjay Paumo. Sarat Chandra Das told me that he also had visited her, and that she had cured him of a severe illness from which he was suffering.