Snow-Line in the Himalaya. 33 L 



of the snow-line, contains the only definite information as to 

 the limit of the perpetual snow at the southern edge of the 

 belt, that is to be found in the whole of the published writ- 

 ings of the Gerards ; and the following is a short abstract of 

 his observations. Dr Gerard reached the summit of the 

 Shdtul Pass, the elevation of which is 15,500 feet, on the 9th 

 of August 1822, and remained there till the 15th of the same 

 month. He found the southern slope of the range generally 

 free from snow, and he states that it is sometimes left with- 

 out any whatever. On the top of the pass itself there was 

 no snow ; but on the northern slope of the mountain it lay 

 as far down as about 14,000 feet. On his arrival, rain was 

 falling, and out of the four days of his stay on this pass, it 

 either rained or snowed for the greater part of three. The 

 fresh snow that fell during this time did not lie below 16,000 

 feet, and some of the more precipitous rocks remained clear 

 even up to 17,000 feet.* 



The conclusion to which Dr Gerax'd comes from these 

 facts, is, that the snow -line on the southern face of the Bis- 

 sehir range is at 15,000 feet above the sea. But I should 

 myself be more inclined, from his account, to consider that 

 15,500 feet was nearer the truth ; and in this view, I am 

 confirmed by verbal accounts of the state of the passes on 

 this range, which I have obtained from persons of my ac- 

 quaintance, who have crossed them somewhat later in the 

 year. The difference, however, is after all trifling. 



Such is the direct evidence that can be offered on the 

 height of the snow-line at the southern limit of the belt of 

 perpetual snow, some additional light may however be 



* Tours in Himalaya, t. i., pp. 289-347. M. Ilumboldt apparently inter- 

 prets Dr Gerard a little too literally, when, with reference to Dr Gerard's 

 statement, that " Hans IJussun," a peak, said to be 17,500 feet high, " had lost 

 all its snow,'' and looked quite black and dreary," he asks, " Quelle peut 6tre 

 la cause d'un phenoinone local si extraordinaire?" {AHe C'entrale,t. iii., p. 318, 

 note.) The extreme summit of the peak of Nandadevi, which appears to be a 

 perfect precipice for several thousand feet, is often in much the same predica- 

 ment of " black and dreary,'' and many people are disappointed with its ai)pear- 

 ance for this reason, contrasting it with the beautiful pyramidal peak of No. 19 

 Panch-chuli, which is always entirely covered with the purest snow. 



