282 CLIMATIC CONDITIONS OF THE GLACIAL EPOCH. 



Himalaya, Tliian-Schan, and Hiudu-Kush, compiled by Petermann from all 

 materials accessible up to 1877, the position of the glaciers is given as far as 

 known. These are represented as numerous and of great extent, all along 

 the Himalaya, following the ranges towards the northwest, as far as the 

 head of the Indus, in tlie region embraced between the 36th and 37th paral- 

 lels and the 73d and 74th meridians (Greenwich). Of the Himalayan 

 glaciers notice will be taken farther on. To the north and northwest of tlie 

 head-waters of the Indus, but very few glaciers are indicated on this map. 

 There are several, however, of considerable size around some of the very 

 highest peaks. For instance, at the eastern edge of the Pamir, in the Kisil 

 Yart range, which has a direction nearly at right angles to the trend of the 

 Thian-Schan, is the Tagharma, risiug piobably to a height greater than that 

 of Mont Blanc by nearly 10.000 feet.* This mountain mass is also called by 

 a name which signiiies " Father of Ice Mountains," and it well deserves the 

 name, since it is said to be capped with eternal snow from which descend 

 large glaciers in all directions. 



At the northwestern angle of the Pamir are two grand mountain chains, 

 known as the Alai and the Ti-ans-Alai, which have the same trend as the 

 Thian-Schan range proper, to which they appear really to belong. These 

 are very lofty ranges having points upon them nearly 2-5,000 feet high,t 

 capped more or less extensively with eternal snow, and with glacier systems 

 of great magnitude. Indeed, the southwestern portion of the Thian-Schan is 

 more favorably situated with regard to moisture-bearing winds than the 

 higher region to the southeast, and portions of this range, which probably 

 exceeds in extent and elevation all the mountain chains of Europe taken 

 together, are extensively glaciated. There is, however, but little known in 

 regard to the details of its snow and ice masses. The glacier system at the 

 head of the Musart and that of Khan-Tengri (King of the Heavens) are the 

 most celebrated. The dominating peak of the former system is said to be 

 nearly 20,000 feet in elevation. To the west of this is a region where the chain, 

 for a distance of sixty or seventy miles, has a mean elevation of over 16,000 

 feet, many high points surpassing Mont Blanc in altitude by moi'e than 3,000 



* TIr- elevation of Tagharaia is <^iveii I'V Kosteiiko at 7,775 meters (25,500 feet). It is jiut down on Peter- 

 mann's map as 25,350 feet high. 



t According to Fedtschenko, Mount Kaufnianii, in tlie Trans- Alai, is 7,500 meters (24,600 feet) high ; Ochanin 

 gives the same elevation to L'helveli and Sandal. The snow line in Trans-Alai is given by Fedtschenko at li,000 

 feet. 



