1822.] the Sources of the Rivers Ganges and Jumna.” 103 
Ganges to be at the debouche in the space of six or seven miles. 
I am fully satisfied that if we could have gone further that we 
should not have again seen the river, and that its appearance at 
Mahadéva’s hair, or whatever we may choose to call it, was the 
real and first debouche of the B’hagiratt’hi. All I regret is that 
we could not go to the ridge to see what was beyond it. I sus- 
pect there must be a descent, but over long and impassable 
wastes of snow, and not in such a direction as would lead direct 
to any plains, as the course to bring one to such plains would be 
to the north-east or north, whereas the line of the river’s course, 
or rather of the ridge in front, was to the south-east, parallel to 
the run of the Himalaya, which is generally from SE to NW. 
Immediately in front of the ridge, no peaks were seen, but on its 
south-east flank, and at the distance of about 18 miles, a large 
snowy peak appeared, so that I think there can be no plain 
within a considerable distance of the south-east side of the 
ridge: if there be streams from its other side, they must flow to 
the south-east. After all, [ do not know how we should have 
existed, if we had been able to go to the ridge, for we could not 
have arrived there before night ; and to pass the night on these 
extensive snows, without firewood or shelter, would have cost 
some of us our lives, but of that we did not then consider much 
Gf we could have gone, we would). We had only a few trusty 
men with us, and a short allowance of grain for them, for this 
and the following day, and had sent orders to the people left at 
Gangotri to make their way back towards Reital, leaving us what 
grain could be spared, and to forward what they might meet, as 
I expected some from Reital, from whence we were supplied 
during our absence from it of altogether 28 days. I cannot 
suppose that by this way, there can be any practicable or useful 
pass to the Tartarian districts, or doubtless the people would 
have found it out, and used it, as they do that up the course of 
the Jahnavi. While I give it as my opinion, that under any 
circumstances the crossing of the ridge must be difficult, I 
would by no means wish to be understood to assert that I think 
it impossible under more favourable circumstances, and in a year 
when less snow has fallen than in the present; but I seriously 
declare, that situated as we were, it was not possible for us to 
go ie than we did, and that it was with great difficulty we 
ot back. 
: It is now to be considered, if the supplies of water produced 
as above described, are sufficient to form a stream of 27 feet 
wide, and 15 inches (mean depth) at the debouche. It has 
been stated that at Gangotri, the breadth of the river on the 20th 
of May was 43 feet, and its depth 18 inches. The distance 
thence to the debouche was 22,620 paces, which I reckon about 
11 British miles. In that space, it received some supplies, as 
mentioned in the notes, but they were not abundant. Thus the 
quantity of water is diminished nearly one half; but it is to be 
