1822.] the Sources of the Rivers Ganges and Jumna,” 101 
ing this to be (as I have every reason to suppose it is) the first 
appearance of the famous and true Ganges in day-light, saluted 
her with a bugle march, and proceeded (having to turn a little 
back to gain an oblique path) to the top of the snow bed ; having 
ascended it to the lett. 
Pretty strong ascent up to the inclined bed of snow. This 
vast collection of snow is about 1+ mile in width, filling up the 
whole space between the feet of the peaks to the right and left: 
we can see its surface forward to the extent of four or five miles, 
or more, to where it is bounded on the left by the feet of the Four 
Saints, and to the right by snow spurs from other mountains 
beyond Mount Moira. These last spurs rather overtop the feet 
of the Saints, and to them, and to the place where we judge 
there is a ridge, is all ascent over snow. 
Ascent of the same kind ; generally, acclivity 7°, but we pass 
over small hollows in the snow, caused by its irregular subsiding. 
A very dangerous place; the snow stuck full of rubbish, and 
rocks imbedded in it. Many rents in the snow appear to have 
been recently made, their sides shrinking and falling in. A man 
sunk into the snow, and was got out not without some delay. 
The bed of the Ganges is to the right, but quite concealed by 
the snow. 
In high hope of getting on to what may be at the top of the 
acclivity, we have come on cheerly over the hollow and treache- 
rous compound of snow and rubbish, but now with bitter regret, 
we both agree that to go on is impossible. The sun is melting 
the snow on all sides, and its surface, will not bear us any longer. 
I have sunk up to my neck as well as others. The surface is 
more and more ragged, and broken into chasms, rifts, and ravines, 
of snow with steep sides. Ponds of water form in the bottoms 
of these, and the large and deep pools at the bottoms of the snow 
hollows, and which were in the earlier part of the day frozen, are 
now liquid. It is evident from the falling in of the sides of the 
rents in the snow, that there are hollows below, and that we 
stand on a treacherous foundation. It is one o’clock, and the 
scene full of anxiety and awe. The avalanches fall from Mount 
Moira with the noise of thunder, and we fear our unsteady sup- 
port may be shaken by the shocks, and that we may sink with it. 
And here we were obliged to return! Had it been possible to 
have got across the chasms in the snow, we would have made 
every exertion, so anxious were we to get forward; but onward, 
their sides were so steep, and they appeared of such great depth, 
that I do not think it would be possible to pass them (this year 
at least), even if the snow was not as at this hour soft, and the 
bottoms of the chasms filling with water. Be that as it may, 
they are now utterly impassable. At this season snow must fall 
here whenever it rains below, so that it does not acquire such 
hardness at the top as it does on the avalanches we have hitherto 
passed, where no new snow at present falls. We now set out on 
