xx INTRODUCTION. 
of the Gogra. Mr. Trail gives 16,585 feet as the height of the Juwahir, and 17,777 as 
that of the Darma Pass. Captain Webb ascertained that the Mandarin’s camp, in the 
Byans Pass, was elevated 14,506 feet, and that the crest was about 3,000 feet more 
elevated. Captain Herbert, from the barometrical observations of a traveller who visited 
the Pass, computes it to be elevated 16,844 feet above Calcutta. 
To the eastward of the province of Kemaon, there must be many passes between the 
territories of the Chinese and those of Nepal; but the jealous policy of both powers has 
prevented their being visited by those qualified to make interesting observations. The 
pass between Lahassa and Catmandhoo was crossed by the Jesuits, Grueber and Dorville, 
in 1661, and is probably that by which the Chinese army invaded Nepal in 1792, when 
it ‘‘ advanced to Noakote, within twenty-six miles of Cathmandoo, and sixty of the 
” 
British territories in the province of Bengal.” The road and passes between Teshoo- 
loomboo and Bengal were traversed by Messrs. Turner and Saunders in 1783, and the 
natural appearances described exactly coincide with those subsequently observed -by 
Messrs. Moorcroft and Gerard, in the more western parts of the same elevated tract. 
Many other passes are cursorily mentioned in Dr. Buchanan’s account of Nepal, which 
are probably of easy access, as we read of their being crossed by bodies of men. Some 
of these lead by the chasms through which such rivers as the Gunduck, the Arun, the 
Kosi, and the Teesta, which having their origin on the northern face, pass through the 
Himalayas, and take a south-easterly course to join the Ganges. Further to the S.E., 
and more recently, Messrs. Bedford, Wilcox, and Burlton, have attempted to cross 
from Assam into Tibet. In tracing the Burhampooter, and its several feeders, the diffi- 
culties were in every case considerable, but none were so insurmountable as the prejudices 
of the natives, who prevented their further progress at the very time when their object 
was almost accomplished. 
Crossing the Himalayas, the descent on the side of Tibet, according to the con- 
current testimony of all travellers, is gradual, and not of great extent, though the 
ascent up the southern face had been so considerable ; it is evident, therefore, 
that the land on the northern face is much elevated. It was traversed by Captain 
Turner in his route to Teshoo-loomboo, and by Moorcroft in his journey to Ghurtope 
and Lake Manasarowur; but as neither of these travellers carried barometers, we are 
unable to ascertain the elevation with the precision which is desirable. Captain 
Webb, from the angle which he obtained from the crest of the Neetee Pass, of the Sutlej 
flowing in the plain below, and taking the distance* measured by Mr. Moorcroft, which 
he had generally found to be correct, estimated the height of the table-land at 15,000 
feet. 
* These distances having been given in paces of four feet, it has been objected that a man being employed to 
stride these, instead of stepping his usual paces, must have been a source of error. But the fact j is, that 
according to the native mode, only one foot was counted, so that each step taken by the Pundit was only 
half the quantity generally supposed, and what a man would naturally take in a hilly country. This fact I 
learnt from Captain Hearsay, who was one of the party, and protracted the route. It has been long known 
to Captain Webb. who is well satisfied with the general correctness of Captain H.’s Map. 
