1818.] On the Height of the Himalaya Mountains. 49 



as Mount Dhaibun. It was seen under an angle of 5° 4' 21", 

 and ascertained to be distant 35a g. m. The elevation, calculated 

 from this measure, is 20,140 feet above the station from which 

 the altitude was taken, and which is itself more than 4,500 feet 

 above the level of the sea, as concluded from barometrical ob- 

 servations. Another, seen under a similar angle, 5° 3' 58", but 

 less distant by four miles, exceeds the elevation of the station 

 by 17,819 feet. Both these mountains are but little to the eastward 

 of north from Cat'hmandu. The following are as little north of 

 east viz. one nearly in the position of Cala-bhairava, distant 59 

 g. m., with an altitude of 2° 48' 6", and consequently 20,025 

 feet high : another in its vicinity with an angle of 3° 23" 6", 

 distant 48 g. m., and elevated 18,452 feet : and a third, as much 

 more remote, being 68 g. m., with an altitude of 2° 7' 21", and 

 a consequent elevation of 18,662 feet above Cat'hmandu. 



All these mountains are perceivable from Patna : the first, or 

 the supposed Dhaibun, at a distance of 162 g. m., and Cala- 

 bhairava, or the mountains in its vicinity at that of 153, 150, 

 and 145 g. m. These are the nearest of the Himalaya which are 

 visible from that city. The most remote are seen in the N.E. 

 quarter at the prodigious distance of 195 g. m., ascertained by 

 their position, which is determined by bearings taken by Col. 

 Crawford from stations approaching within 100 miles of their 



site. 



Mount Dhaibun, or at least the peak which was indicated to 

 Col. Crawford under that name, and which is not surpassed by 

 any of the points measured from Cat'hmandu, was viewed by 

 Gen. Kirkpatrick, if indeed it be the same mountain, from a 

 position 10 miles nearer to it, on Mount Bhirbandi : and his 

 animated description of the sublime prospect contains presump- 

 tive evidence that the remoter glacieres of the Himalaya are 

 still more elevated ; for he speaks of a neighbouring mountain 

 not less stupendous, yet surpassed by one of the pyramidical 

 peaks of the snowy chain seen peeping over its towering summit. 

 it may readily be credited that the more accessible mountains 

 which approach Cat'hmandu, as Jibjibia, Dhaibun, and Dhuncha, 

 may be inferior in heighth to the abrupter peaks in the chain of 

 the Himalaya. 



Among the loftiest in that chain is one distinguished by the 

 name of Dhawala-giri, or the White Mountain, situated, as it is 

 understood, near the source of the Gandhac river, called in its 

 earlier course Salagrami, from the schistous stones containing 

 remains or traces of ammonites found there in the bed of the 

 viver, and thence carried to all parts of India, where they are 

 worshipped under the name of Salagrama, the spiral retreats of 

 Antediluvian nidlluscas being taken by the superstitious Hindu 

 for visible traces of Vishnu. 



A high peak, among the most conspicuous of those which are 

 seen from the plains of Gorak'hpur, and on that account selected 



Vol. XI. N° J. D 



