152 REPORT — 1855. 



that I shall be able to reach llie summit of one of the Jiimnotsi peaks. I conceive 

 that the successful ascent of so lofty a niountnin, and the demonstration which would 

 be thereby iifibrded of the cajiacity of the human frame for physical exertion, at an 

 elevation of upwards of 20,0(M) feet, would in itself be an interesting fact. I should 

 also endtavom- to carry up with me a thermometer and barometer ; and if able to 

 register observations made with these instruments on the summit of the mountain, 

 such observations would doubtless be esteemed both valuable and interesting. 



Notices of Journeys in the Himalayas of Kemaon. By Adolphe Schla- 



GiNTWEiT and Robert Schlagintweit. (^Communicated by Col. Sykes, 



F.R.S.) 



We left Nainee Tal, where we had made several geological excursions in the 

 outer ranges of the Himalayas, on the 16th and 20th of Maj', taking two different 

 routes to Milum in Johar. My brother Robert went by Almorah Bageom and 

 Gheigaon to Munshari, and from thence to iVIilum; I myself went u]) the Surjoo 

 valley to Kalhi, the last village in the Pindaree valley, for the purpose of examining 

 the Pindaree glaciers. When I was on the spot I had some conversation with the 

 natives about a pass across the high chain of Nanda Kot and Nanda: Devi froiu Pin- 

 daree directly to Milum, which I had been informed in Nainee Tal had some twenty- 

 five years ago been made by Mr. Traill, Commissioner of Kemaon. I soon found 

 that the brave Danpoor people would be more willing to go than I had at first ex- 

 pected ; I promised them a good remuneration, gave them each a piece of green 

 gauze for protecting their eyes against the snow glare, of which the}' were exceed- 

 ingly afraid, and allowed them to offer to the Nanda Devi on the top of the pass some 

 goats and other things, which, being very superstitious, they considered of the utmost 

 importance. Only one man out of the one hundred who had accompanied Mr. Traill 

 twentj'-five years ago could be found, being the only one who knew anything about 

 the route ; he was a valuable guide. Two strong Danpoor men accompanied me 

 with thirty people. 



I left Kathi on the 28th of May, arrived at Pindaree on the 29th, slept on the 30th 

 on some rocks free of snow above the Pindaree glacier, and on the evening of the 

 olst we encamped on the other side of the Nanda Kot range in the highest Koeriko 

 on the fbot of the Soan glaciers. We had a rather uncomfortable night on the 30th, 

 where we slept without any tent or other protection in the open air, in a place called 

 Shoeraji Koerik, on the right side of the Pindaree glacier above the limits of all shrub 

 vegetation ; on account of the very steep ascent over rocks, it would have been 

 indeed impossible for the people without great risk of life to have carried up great 

 heavy loads like tents, &c., all which 1 had therefore sent round by Namik. We 

 started on the 31st at half-past 2 a.m. I was obliged to leave behind four persons 

 who had got very unwell in the night. The snow was hard and easy to walk 

 on, on account of the cold night, and we steadily rose higher and reached the sum- 

 mit of the pass at 8 o'clock : — only the last ascent to the pass over very steep icy 

 snow, when we were obliged to cut hundreds of steps, was rather tiring for men 

 already fatigued by a bad night and a long march. I halted one hour on the 

 pass for making my observations, and then we went on. The pass does not lead over 

 the main ridge of the snowy range; it only leads to the extensive snow-fields which 

 feed the Pindaree glacier, since the glacier coming down a very steep valley is broken 

 up in icy cliffs and needles. We had to walk for nearly two hours over the snow 

 fields of the upi>er Pindaree glacier before we readied the second pass which leads 

 down to the Soan valley. Here we began to feel the effect of the sun and the snow- 

 glare. My people lay down constantly on the ice, and I had much difficulty in 

 pushing them on. The thermometer, which had been with us on the pass 32° Fahr., 

 rose between 10° and 11° when we were walking nearly on the same level, but 

 sheltered from the cold wind, to 55° in the sun, which we all found an oppressive heat 

 up here. At eleven we reached the second pass, from whence we discovered Nanda 

 Devi and the Milum mountains. 



All the time we had been in sight of the high snowy peaks which surround the 

 Pindaree glacier 1 had been able from several places to take angles to the principal 

 points, and I hope my observations may not be without so<ne result for the orography 

 and geology of this part of the snowy range. I halted o«e hour and a half again on 



