of India and High Asia. 105 



\i., Mont Blanc by 4,676 ft., and the highest pass in the 



:.v 8,580 ft. 



..J Mustdgh pass (19,019 ft.) and the Ibi Gamin pass (20,459 ft.) 



are, however, the only two as yet known above 19,000 ft. 



The third in height is the Changch^nmo, (18,800 ft.), in the 



Karakonim chain, but none of these, it should be borne in mind, 



are generally used, or crossed as commercial roads ; they are 



evidently too high and too difficult of access. The highest pass 



as yet known to be regularly crossed with horses and sheep, for 



the purposes of commerce, is the Harang pass, in Spfti (18,500 ft.) ; 



and between this height and 18,000 ft. are situated several of the 



most important and frequented passes, as the Mana (18,406 ft.), 



Karakorum (18,845 ft.), and the Kiobrang (18,318 ft.). 



one of these, or other high passes, however does anything 



■ all approaching to the European idea of a road, Though 

 ■V the glacier region a kind of foot-path is certainly discern- 

 ^^^ic— very often a row of small stripes running parallel to each 

 oiher— yet as soon as a glacier is ascended, or one of its ancient 

 or present moraines, all such traces at once disappear. The 

 general direction to be taken is indicated by stones, not unlike 

 glacier tables, which the natives place along the line of route as 

 ^ay-marks ; though in many parts, as on the Turkistani road, 

 ^■^rtli of Ladak, the uncertainty about the path to be followed is 

 oiten removed by the appearance of the numerous skeletons of 

 leasts of burden which distinguish the tracks of former caravans. 

 The Himalayan passes above 16,000 ft. are invariably closed 

 »v snow during the winter months between November* and 

 May ; even in the beginning of June, it is extremely difficult to 

 "OSS a pass above 17,000 ft. 

 /'' tne Karakorum, the snow line is so elevated, and the ab- 

 'luantity of snow falling so small, even in winter, that 



^^es are never entirely closed. The Karakorum can thus 



^ be crossed even with horses, and the caravan road from 



^ to Turkistan accordingly remains passable throughout the 

 ' -*' though during the cold season, in order to avoid the Sassar 

 pass, one of the most difficult parts of this route even in summer 

 ^the merchants prefer going up to the Karakorum along the 

 '='%6k river. & ^ ^ 



_, ^n the Kuenliien, all passes above 15,000 ft. are, as we heard, 



- Ill winter by the heavy snow-fall. 

 e Andes, the general mean elevation of the passes is, ac- 



g toBerghaus:t 



^^■^Deceraber, 1845, when the ChiDCse fought a battle near Tirthapuri, in Gnari 



St JIu" ^" ^^'^ unopposed Sight, or>e half of the men were killed by frost, and 

 185^ "ggg* remainder lost their fingers and toes. See " Cauuingham's Ladak,'' 

 t^«»gliaus: "Zeitschrift fur Erdbunde," vol. ix, pp. 322^6. 



^OCR. Sci.— Second Series, Vot. XXXIV* No. 100.— Jni', 1863. 



