TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 153 



the second pass, which is only very little lower than the first, and then we descended 

 over steep snowy declivities tt> the Soan glacier. After halting several times for 

 making my observations, we arrived at 5 o'clock at the Nassapanpatti Koerick in the 

 upper Soan valley, where we slept very well under the shelter of some rocks. The 

 next day we went down to Martoli, and on the 2nd of June 1 had tlie pleasure of 

 meeting my brother Robert at Milum, who had been going from Almora by Mun- 

 shari to Milum with the greater part of our instruments. 



I am not able to give absolute heights for the passes, on account of not having 

 received the corresponding observations from the plains ; but calculating my obser- 

 vations by those made by my brother Robert, and assuming the height of these places 

 as given in the maps (though I cannot be responsible for them in any way), I find 

 that the height of the pass will be about 17,950 English feet. I had not the least 

 suffered in the eyes from the snow glare, and some of my people who had got in- 

 flamed eyes were soon all well again. I had still with me my draftsman Eleazar and 

 one Kidmutgar, who both wanted to accompany me, but the poor people got fearfully 

 exhausted up there, and I was very glad to see them safely brought down to the foot 

 of the Soan glacier. 



At Milum we found that Manee, the clever Putwaree of the Johar district, had 

 made the best arrangements he could in this place, and we made ourselves quite 

 comfortable in a little native house cleaned out for us. We stopped some days at 

 Milum for putting up our instruments, and setting reguhu'ly to work our assistants, 

 plant collectors, &c. Then my brother Robert and myself went up to the foot of a 

 glacier just above the Pachu village, in order to take a closer view of the Nanda Devi 

 group which rises just behind the glacier. We sent two days before seven people to 

 examine the difl^erent sides of the little glacier vallej^, and on the 10th of June we 

 succeeded in reaching the summit of a rocky crest just stretching out eastward from 

 Nanda Devi, from whence we had a very extensive view of all the Himalaya range, 

 from Dharma over Oota Dhorra to Nanda Devi and the Nanda Kot group. The 

 height of the peak is as nearly the same as possible as that of Traill's pass, about 

 17,900 English feet; but being no pass, but an isolated peak surrounded by deep 

 precipitous valleys, it was a much better place for studying the structure of this 

 part of the Himalayas, and for taking angles with our theodolite, than the pass had 

 been. 



We left our camp at four o'clock in the morning, and after a continual ascent over 

 rocks and snow masses on the right side of the Pachoo glaciers, we reached the 

 summit at half-past 10 a.m. We found no particular difficulties; for it would be 

 scarcely worth mentioning those which are always to be met with in going up to 

 such a place. We were accompanied by thirteen strong Bhotias for carrying our 

 instruments, some ropes and some provisions. The top was rather confined, and we 

 managed to find a little lower a sheltered place where we got up a little fire with 

 some bits of wood brought up from the valley, and there we placed our Bhotias to 

 warm themselves until we had completed our observations on the top. W^e were able 

 to remain from lO"" 30"" a.m. until 3 in the afternoon ; the temperature was from 35° 

 to 38° Fahr. Some of our people complained of severe headache; we ourselves 

 experienced only once a little feeling of headache, which soon went off again. The 

 ascent was rapid and agreeable after having passed the dangerous and much-cre- 

 viced places of the snow. On our return we went on sliding down the pretty 

 hard snow -fields with great velocity, and we arrived at half-past five at the foot of 

 the mountain glacier, whence we walked down leisurely to our camp, where Manee 

 and our people awaited our arrival. 



After staying two days more fur completing our observations, we returned to 

 Milum, where our young assistant Daniel, a young East Indian of good education, 

 had made very good barometrical observations, &c, during all the time. We remained 

 in Milum till the 16th, occupied with magnetic observations and photographic ex- 

 periments. Our photographic apparatus, which acted very well, produced a marvel- 

 lous effect among the Bhotias. We shall have the honour of sending you some of 

 our photographs from Simla or Agra, where only we shall find time to take positive 

 copies from our negatives. 



On the 16ih we again left Milum to examine the great Milum glacier. It is 

 the largest we have seen, eight or ten English miles long and 3000 feet broad ; no 

 glacier in the Alps is equal to it in size. 



