248 Limit of Perpetual Snow in thé Himalaya. 
“Of the three passes that we crosse@dmour way from Milam, 
all of them being about 17,000 feet in elevation, the first is Wata- 
dhara, and we saw no snow on any path i the way up to its top, 
which was reached in a very disagreeable drizzle of rain and 
snow. e final ascent to the pass from the south is about 1000 
feet. The path leads up the side of a ravine, down whicha 
small stream trickles, the ground having a generally even and 
rounded surface. Neither on any part gf this nor on the summit 
of the pass itself, which is tolerably leve# were there any remains 
of snow whatever. On the ridge to thégright and left there were 
patches of snow a few hundred feet above; and on the northern 
face of the pass an accumulation remained that extended about 
everywhere quite free from snow. On the ascent to Wata-dhara, 
at perhaps 17,000 feet, a few blades of grass were seen, but on 
the whole it may be said to be utterly devoid of vegetation. On 
the north side of the pass, 300 or 400 feet below the summit, a 
cruciferous plant was the first met with. 
height; but on the north a large bed lay a little way down the 
slope, and extended to about 500 feet from the top. On this 
pass, a boragineous plant in flower was found above 17,000 feet; 
a species of Urtica was also got about the same altitude, and we 
afterwards saw it again nearly as high up on the Lakhur pass. 
n our ascent to the Balch pass, no snow was observed on any | 
of the southern spires of the range, and only one or two very 
small patches could be seen from the summit on the north side. 
The average height of the top of this range can hardly be more 
than 500 feet greater than that of the pass; and as a whole it 
certainly does not enter the region of perpetual snow. As viewed 
from the plains of Handes, it cannot be said to appear snowy, a 
few only of the peaks being tipped. 
We returned to Milam vid Chirchun. The whole of the ascent 
to. the Lakhur pass was perfectly free from snow to the very top, 
t. e, 18,300 feet and some of the neighboring mountains were 
bare still higher. The next ridge on this route is Jainti-dhara, 
which is passed at an elevation of 18,500 feet, but still without — 
crossing the least portion of snow. The line of perpetual snow 
is however evidently near; for though the Jainti ridge was quite 
ree, and some of the peaks near us were clear probably to up- 
wards of 19,000 feet, yet in more sheltered situations unbroken 
snow could be seen considerably below us; and on the whole I 
think that 18,500 feet must be near the average height of the 
snow-line at this place. : 
