大唐西域記 12.24

12.24

國境東北，踰山越谷，經危履險，行七百餘里，至波謎羅川。東西千餘里，南北百餘里，狹隘之處不踰十里。據兩雪山間，故寒風凄勁，春夏飛雪，晝夜飄風。地鹹鹵，多礫石，播植不滋，草木稀少，遂致空荒，絕無人止。

This country is about 2500 or 2600 li in circuit. It is intersected with mountains and valleys; with hills of various heights. Every kind of grain is cultivated; beans and wheat are abundant. Grapes are plentiful. The country produces yellow arsenic. They bore into the cliffs and break the stones, and so obtain it. The mountain spirits are cruel and wicked; they frequently cause calamities to befall the kingdom.
On entering the country, sacrifice is offered up to them, after which good success attends the persons in coming and going. If no sacrifice is offered them, the wind and the hail attack the travellers. The climate is very cold; the ways of the people are quick, their disposition is honest and simple. They have no rules of propriety or justice in their behaviour; their wisdom is small, and in the arts they have very little ability. Their writing is the same as that of the kingdom of Tu-ho-lo, but the spoken language is somewhat different. Their clothes are mostly made of woollen stuff. Their king is of the race of Sakya. He greatly esteems the law of Buddha.
The people follow his example, and are all animated by a sincere faith. There are two sanghârâmas, with very few followers.
On the north-east of the frontier of the country, skirting the mountains and crossing the valleys, advancing along a dangerous and precipitous road, after going 700 li or so, we come to the valley of Po-mi-lo (Pamir). It stretches 1000 li or so east and west, and 100 li or so from north to south; in the narrowest part it is not more than 10 li. It is situated among the snowy mountains; on this account the climate is cold, and the winds blow constantly. The snow falls both in summer and spring-time. Night and day the wind rages violently. The soil is impregnated with salt and covered with quantities of gravel and sand. The grain which is sown does not ripen, shrubs and trees are rare; there is but a succession of desert without any inhabitants.
In the middle of the Pamir valley is a great dragon lake (Nâgahrada); from east to west it is 300 li or so, from north to south 50 li. It is situated in the midst of the great T'sung ling mountains, and is the central point of Jambudvîpa. The land is very high; the water is pure and clear as a mirror; it cannot be fathomed; the colour of the lake is a dark blue; the taste of the water sweet and soft: in the water hide the kau-ki fish (shark-spider), dragons, crocodiles, tortoises; floating on its surface are ducks, wild geese, cranes, and so on; large eggs are found concealed in the wild desert wastes, or among the marshy shrubs, or on the sandy islets.
To the west of the lake there is a large stream, which, going west, reaches so far as the eastern borders of the kingdom of Ta-mo-si-tie-ti (? Tamasthiti), and there joins the river Oxus (Fo-t'su) and flows still to the west. So on this side of the lake all the streams flow westward.
On the east of the lake is a great stream, which, flowing north-east, reaches to the western frontiers of the country of Kie-sha (? Kashgâr), and there joins the Si-to (Sita) river and flows eastward, and so all streams on the left side of the lake flow eastward.
Passing over a mountain to the south of the Pamir valley, we find the country of Po-lo-lo (Bolor); here is found much gold and silver; the gold is as red as fire.
On leaving the midst of this valley and going south-east, along the route there is no inhabited place (no men or village). Ascending the mountains, traversing the side of precipices, encountering nothing but ice and snow, and thus going 500 li we arrive at the kingdom of K'ie-p'an-to.