Mr. H. T. Colebrooke's Remarks on the Setkj River. 34? 



this and Banddjdn pass (14,854 feet above the sea), is shut in towards the 

 N.E. by snow-capped mountains, upwards of 17,000 feet high, amongst which 

 the river has its source. The rocks at Banddjdn, and on the bank of the 

 river, where the travellers encamped at the height of 13,650 feet, were 

 gneiss; and the adjoining mountains the same, and clay slate. The descent 

 was over broken slate, from Banddjdn. 



The ascent of Yusu pass was extremely fatiguing: Messrs. Gerard 

 describe themselves as having been so exhausted at first, that they rested 

 every hundred yards ; and, had they not been ashamed, before so many 

 people, some of whom they had induced to accompany them after mucli 

 intreaty, they would have turned back. 



At the summit of the pass, there is a plain covered with snow for 400 

 or 500 yards. The ground slopes suddenly to the valley of the SelleJ .- 

 the peaks on each side seemed about 800 feet higher. 



The Yusu river is divided into several streams, all of which, but the 

 principal one, were crossed by arches of snow. The largest, which was 

 forded, was forty feet broad, and six inches deep : the bed full of pebbles, 

 and the margin snow-washed by the stream. With the exception of that 

 principal channel of the river, and some openings partially disclosing the 

 smaller branches, the rest is a bed of snow six or eight inches thick. 



The glen becomes more and more contracted, till at last it is bounded 

 by mural rocks of granite, with the Yusu forcing its passage between them 

 in impenetrable obscurity, under immense heaps of indestructible ice, 

 running in ridges, and studded with mounds of snow. 



The source of the Pabar is in a lake, called Chdrdmd'i, above a mile in 

 circuit, whence the river rushes forth over a perpendicular rock, forming a 

 fine cascade. Above it are enormous banks of snow, SO or 100 feet in 

 thickness, which have cracked and partly fallen outwards into the lake. 

 Just beyond them are three high passes, Nibrang, Gunds, and Ghusul, 

 which lead over the summit of the range, into the valley of the Baspd river, 

 and are very steep. The travellers were unable to persuade the guides to 

 conduct them over either of these passes ; but subsequently visited them 

 from the other side. 



The Biirendo, or Brudng pass, near the Pabar, was again visited. It had 

 been measured barometrically in 1818: the measurement now taken 

 exceeded the former one (which was 15,095 feet) by 153 feet. To that 

 extent the barometric measurements must be considered uncertain. They 



Vol. I. 2 Z 



