118 On the Glaciers of the Himalaya. 



feet per mile, or even more, which the appearance of the 

 rivers would fully justify. 



Smaller extensions of the glacier of the Pindur were visible 

 in many places. They were marked by mounds of a roimded 

 foi'm covered with grass, projecting from the modern mo- 

 raines in a curved direction concave to the glacier. I did 

 not remark them at the Kuphinee. I would here observe, 

 that in this climate, where we are subject to periodical rains, 

 persons should be cautious in concluding that piles of rocks 

 in long lines are moraines, even though their edges are in no 

 way water worn. On both of these rivers I saw many instances 

 of such heaps of rocks which might very easily have been 

 thought moraines ; and though from their immense extent, 

 and the great size of the blocks they contain, it is not easy 

 to believe that they have been formed by the action of water, 

 more particularly as the rocks have perfectly sharp edges, 

 and as there is often no appearance of water ever having 

 been near them ; yet they have certainly been brought down 

 by torrents, and may be easily traced up to ravines in the 

 mountains. 



The .term snow-bed having been hitherto applied by tra- 

 vellers in these mountains, (with one exception,*) both to 

 true glaciers, and to mere beds of unaltered snow, I will 

 shortly explain what is meant by it when used in the latter, 

 which is the correct, sense. In many parts of the higher 

 valleys real beds of snow lie far below the limit of perpetual 

 snow for the greater part of the year, and some would pro- 

 bably be permanent at very low elevations were they not de- 

 stroyed by the rain during the rainy season. These snow- 

 beds are formed by avalanches, as is sufficiently proved by 

 their form and position. On the Kuphinee river we have a 

 fine example of a snow-bed, which occurs at an elevation of 

 10,800 feet. 



It came down from a ravine, and entirely covered the 

 river, which flowed under its whole length. The snow ex- 

 tended but little beyond the upper side of the ravine, but was 

 prolonged far down the river on the lower side. Its surface 



* I allude to Major Madden, w ho has given a short account of the glacier of 

 the Pindur in a late Numhcr (176) of thn Journal of the Asiatic Society of 

 Bengal. 



