Dr. Govan on the Himalayah Mountains- 17 



Art. IV. — On the Natural History and Physical Geogra- 

 phy of the Districts of the Himalayah Mountains between 

 the River-Beds of the Jumna and Sutluj. By George 

 Govan, M. D. * Communicated by the Author. 



J. he districts in the Himalayah to which the following ob- 

 servations apply, are situated chiefly between the river-beds 

 of the Jumna and Sutluj, which form their boundary ; the 

 former on the south-east, the latter on the north-west and 

 partly on the north ; the plains of Hindostan forming the 

 south-west frontier. 



The whole tract is included nearly between the parallels of 

 north latitude 30° 25' and 31° 50', which is probably about 

 the farthest point to the northward which the bed of the 

 river Sutluj reaches. 



Its greatest breadth is from longitude 76° 30' to 78° 40', 

 from the junction of the river Lee, or Speetee, with the Sut- 

 luj to the farthest point west which that river reaches before 

 emerging from the lower hills near Roopoor. 



Viewed from the plains of the upper provinces, this belt of 

 mountain district presents the appearance of parallel ranges 

 in different numbers at different places, gradually towering 

 above one another from the low ranges in the immediate vi- 

 cinity of the plains; some of which are really nearly parallel 

 to each other, until the view is terminated by the summits of 

 the snowy ridges, shooting up in the back ground, arranged 

 in a direction nearly north-west and south-east ; parallel to 

 these, the whole of the ranges in front have the appearance 

 of being disposed, but on examining the grand lines of high 

 level, as indicated by the sources and course of the diverg- 

 ing rivers, it will be seen that this appearance is a decep- 

 tion, some of the principal mountain-ridges, as well as the 

 largest rivers intersecting the country in lines, more nearly at 

 right angles to the direction of the snowy ridge ; these, how- 

 ever, being viewed from the plains in the line of their direc- 

 tion, the subordinate lateral ridges which they, in their turn, 



* This interesting paper was read before the Royal Society of Edinburgh on, 

 the Cth of June, 1824. 



VOL. II, NO. I. JAN. 1825. C 



