Mr. H. T. Colesroox-e's Remarks on the Setlej River. 349 



large branches of the Baspd, the Chuling, and G6r, from the Cailds range 

 on the north ; and, the second day, two other considerable streams, the 

 Mangsd and SMti. They first passed over tremendous blocks of coarse- 

 grained granite, the decomposition of which seems to have formed the sand 

 in the river ; it gives the water a turbid appearance. The granite is white, 

 and from a distance looks Hke chalk. 



The first part of the valley has the same general character with most 

 others in the Himdlaya ; but it is considerably broader. The face of the 

 mountain exposed to the S.W., which is part of the Cailds or Raldang 

 group, presents abrupt precipices and threatening cliffs, with little soil, and 

 but few trees ; the opposite face again is more gently sloped, and thickly 

 wooded with pines, which are overtopped by a belt of birches. Near the 

 top of this chain, there is a good deal of snow. The last half-mile to the 

 village o{ Rdkchdm, situate in the western corner of the glen (and 10,500 

 feet above the sea), is a rugged descent upon enormous masses of granite. 

 The dell has here a pleasing appearance, and it expands to three furlongs 

 in breadth : half of it is laid out in thriving crops of wheat and barley, 

 and the rest is occupied by sand-beds, which form many small islands, with 

 the river winding among them. Just above the village, huge piles of black 

 rock* rise abruptly, in numerous black spires, to about 9,000 feet higher, or 

 nearly 20,000 feet above the level of the sea. Approaching ChelkiU, the 

 dell becomes more contracted ; the right bank becoming very precipitous, 

 and almost mural to the Baspd. The altitude of the village is about 11,400 

 feet, and the highest fields are scarcely 200 feet more. The valley 

 continues about 800 yards wide for two or three miles ; the Baspd then 

 makes a bend to the southward, and the view is shut up by snowy moun- 

 tains of great height. 



From Chetkul the travellers attempted the Kimlid pass, at the head of 

 the valley of the Rusu river, a large stream, derived from a double source, 

 one branch rising in the snow of Sagld pass, which bears nearly south ; 

 the other, or smallest, in the Kimlid, about S.W. Above the elevation of 

 13,300 feet, the level of the highest birches, the RusA is increased, in 

 rapidity and tuibulence, to a torrent, and foams in dreadful agitation and 

 noise. Still higher up, the road ascends gradually, upon snow of immense 

 thickness in the channel of the current, which now and then shows itself 



* Composed of black mica (fine-grained), with a little oxide of iron. 

 2 Z 2 



