THE GLACIER OF GANGES. 431 



" Never can I forget my first impressions when I beheld it 

 in all its savage grandeur. The glacier thickly studded with 

 enormous rocks is about a mile in width, and extends many 

 miles towards an immense mountain covered with perpetual 

 snow, 21,000 feet high. The chasm through which the sacred 

 river rushes forth, is named 'The Cow's Mouth' and is held 

 in the deepest reverence by all Hindoos, and the regions of 

 eternal frost in its vicinity are the scenes of many of their 

 most sacred mysteries. The Ganges enters the world no puny 

 stream, but bursts forth a river 30 or 40 yards in breadth, 

 of great depth, and very rapid. * Extensive as my travels 

 have been through these beautiful mountains, and amidst all 

 the splendid scenery I have looked on, I can recall none 

 so magnificent as the glacier of the Ganges." f 



There can be no doubt that in these matters the 

 imagination is influenced by the grandeur of Nature; 

 a feeling of awe insensibly takes possession of the 

 mind, and native superstition rarely fails to connect 

 such scenes with the presence of the Divinity ; thence 

 it becomes but another step to associate them with 

 events forming the basis of their various creeds. 



The same train of thought causes eminences from 

 whence extensive and striking views are obtainable 

 to be selected for the sites of temples, etc. Speaking 

 on this subject Sir Richard Temple says, 



" There is hardly throughout the whole continent (of Hin- 

 dustan) a fine or effective position, or commanding point of 

 prospect, which they (the Buddhists) have failed to occupy 

 with some structure." 



These positions most of them occupy eminences among 



* N.B. This was probably during the hot season, when the river 

 was in flood there. 



t Snorting in the Himalayas, and Travel and Ad-venttires in Chinese 

 Tartary, Ladak, Thibet, Cashmere, etc., by Fredk. Markham, Colonel 

 32nd Regt. 1854, p. 58. 



India in 1880, by Sir Richd. Temple, 2nd Edition, 1881, p. 26. 



