JOURNAL 



ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



No. V. 1862. 



Journal of a Trip undertaken to explore the Glaciers of the Kanchun- 

 jingah Group in the Si/ckim Himalaya, in November 1861. — By 

 Major J. L. Sherwill, Revenue Surveyor. 



The rains had been protracted to a later date than usual. On the 

 2nd November, 1861, after a week of fair weather, on the morning 

 of one of those balmy days for which, at this season of the year, 

 Darjeeling is so famous, our party, consisting of Dr. B. Simpson, 

 Bengal Army, Captain E. Macpherson, 93rd Highlanders, W. Kem- 

 ble, Bengal Civil Service, and myself, left " The Bright Spot" with 

 the view, if practicable, of reaching and ascending any one of the 

 perpetually snow-clad spurs of the great Kanchunjingah group of 

 mountains, and examining the glaciers of this hitherto unexplored 

 portion of the great Himalaya range. From Dr. Hooker's published 

 map of Sikkim we were led to hope our object would have been 

 attained by following the course of the Batong river to its source. 

 Accordingly we decided upon following this route, being strengthened 

 in our resolution, by knowing that Captain W. S. Sherwill, in 1852, 

 had failed in reaching The Big Mountain by continuing along the 

 crest of the Singaleelah Bange, his further progress having been 

 stopped by a deep and precipitous valley. 



Leaving Darjeeling at 7.45 A. M. on our hill ponies, we passed the 

 Little Bungeet at 10 A. M. over a good bridge made of bamboos lashed 

 together with slips of cane, forming an arch supporting a pendent 

 roadway which was constructed in one night by Murray's sappers for 

 the late Lady Canning. Beached the frontier outpost of Goke, at 



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