Mineralogy and Geology 



133 





Let it not be supposed that this prevalence of an order, which, in 

 point of complexity of structure, is low in the system of plants, is a fact 

 favorable to the hypothesis that the vegetation of which it appears to 

 form a large part, was less highly developed than what succeeded it. 

 We know too little of the structure of the ferns of that day, to pro- 

 nounce them either more or less complete than their allies of the pres- 

 ent time ; while of Lycopodiacece, it may be safely asserted, that they 

 were of a form and stature far more noble, and in structure more com- 

 plicated, than any plants of that order now existing. ( Vide vol. ii, 

 Part 2, of Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Great Britain.) 



40. The Himalayan Alpine Land ; by B. H. Hodgson, Esq., (Jame- 

 son's Jour., vol. xlvi, p. 189, 1848-49.)— The vast limitary range of 

 snows to the north of India, has been known in all ages by names de- 

 rived entirely from Sanscrit, the Greeks and Romans neither coining 

 fresh appellations nor even translating the sense of the Indian ones into 

 their own languages, but adopting almost unaltered the Sanscrit names 

 they found. These are Hemachal, Hema-achal, snowy mountain ; 

 Hemadri, Hema-adri, the same ; Hemalaya, Hema-alaya, place of 

 snow ; Hernodaya, Hema-udaya, source of snoiv ; (as Suryodaya, 



From the last term the Greek (Emodus is de- 



source of 



duced without alteration. 



The following tables, shewing the relative 



height of the great Andean and Himalayan peaks, and the connection 

 of the latter with the physical geography of northern India, may prove 

 interesting, since no one but myself I believe is in a position to note 

 the connection of the snowy peaks with the distribution of waters 

 as regards the eastern half of this 

 vastest display. 



magnificent theatre of nature's 



Andean Peaks. 



Sorato, 



Illimani, . . 

 Desya cassada, 

 Descabecada, 

 Chimborazo, 



Feet. 



25,400 

 24,350 

 19,570 

 21,100 

 21,441 



Himalayan Peaks. 



Nanda Devi, . . 

 Dhavala giri, . . 

 Gosain than, • . 

 Kanchan Jhinga, . 



Feet. 



25,749 

 27,060 

 24,700 

 24,000 



Cholo, 26,000 



Himalayan Peaks. 



Names. 



Relations. 



No known peak, Basin of the Indus, Alpine Paunjab. 



m j Tk - / ( Alpine Gangetic basin, East end. 



mnda Devi (above Rohilkhand), J A ,j; ine Karna | ic basin, West end. 



{Alpine Karnalic basin, East end. 

 Alpine basin of Gandac, West end. 

 Naraini. 

 Uosainthan vel Dayabhang (above ( Alpine basin of Gandac, East end. 

 the valley of Nepal), . { Trisul. Alpine basin of Cosi, 



( West end, Sun Cosi. 

 /Alpine Basin of Cosi, East end, 

 Khanchan Jhinga (above Sikim), < Tamvar. Alpine basin of Tish- 



c holo (above Bhutan),. 



ta, West end, Bomchu. 



! Alpine basin of Tista, East end, 

 Painomchu. Alpine basin of Mo- 

 nas, West end, Bareli. 



