"THE ROOF OF THE WORLD."
[TO THE EDITOR Or TRH "SrEorkrowc."]
Stn,—In the extremely interesting article, " The Problem of Greater China," in your issue of January 13th, Tibet is men- tioned as "occupying the southern portion of that mighty swelling of the earth's crust, the roof of the world,' " &c.
Is not this latter expression strictly applicable only to the Pamir, that highland knot from which radiate among others the ranges embracing the Tibetan high plain P Its use in the article referred to is a natural one, as any good orographi- cal map will show ; but the expression itself is a local name rather than a geographical description (" International Geography," p. 427). It would be interesting to know whether Marco Polo was acquainted with this expression and had it in mind when he wrote : " Upon leaving this country [Vokhan] . . . you at length arrive at a point of the road where you might suppose the surrounding summits to be the highest lands in the world. . . . For twelve days the course is along this elevated plain, which is named Pamer " (" Everyman Edition," p. 91. The italics are the present writer's).—I am, Sir, &e.,
A. J. P.
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