1862.] Journal of a trip in the Siklcim Himalaya. 473 



and resume our explorations in the direction of Kanchunjingah. Mount- 

 ing over the two glaciers of yesterday, and proceeding by the lake, 

 which we found to be about 500 yards long by 100 broad, we ascended 

 another immense morain which confined a third glacier on the west 

 side of the valley. This one appeared to begin nearly on a level with 

 the top of the mountain range, at probably 20,000 feet, then descend- 

 ing by the mountain side came sweeping along the valley in a curve 

 about a mile in length, the more elevated portion being formed of 

 masses of ice covered with snow, rising in steppes one above the 

 other, and the lower portion presenting a sea of broken masses of 

 ice, covered with snow and debris. A more stupendous mass of ice 

 and snow it is scarcely possible to conceive. Dr. S. took a photo- 

 graph of it. On our right at the foot of Pundeem we saw another 

 lake partially frozen, and a little further on a third one. Descending 

 from the glacier we proceeded for a mile, occasionally along the dry, 

 smooth bed of the Ratong, and over frozen snow, when we arrived 

 at the fourth and last glacier, equal in extent to the others. With 

 great difficulty we scrambled up the steep sides of its retaining 

 morain, over frozen snow. When near to top, Kemble was nearly 

 precipitated to the bottom by his foot giving way and only saved by 

 rapidly digging his alpine stick into the snow, which pulled him up. 



On reaching the northern extremity of this glacier, at the head of 

 the Patong valley, we found ourselves standing on the water shed 

 between Kanchunjingah, and the Pundeem, Kubra, and Junnoo 

 ranges to the south and west. We were at an elevation of about 

 18,500 feet, and had we proceeded further, we should have had to 

 descend into what appeared to us a perpetually snow covered valley. 

 Although we were unable to look down into the bottom of the valley, 

 we could see the clouds rise out of it from the east and west and 

 ascend the sides of Kanchunjingah, of which we obtained a near and 

 good view through a narrow gorge which terminates the Ratong 

 valley. Kanchunjingah stood apart, unconnected with any of the 

 high mountain ranges to the south. The nearest spot not covered 

 with snow in its southernmost spur was probably not more than a 

 mile and a half or two miles distant, the stratification of which was 

 clearly visible. Its formation is probably of gneiss, not of a contorted 

 type, and which has a dip of 20 to 25° to the east. Others may 

 determine the interesting point of its geological structure, but this 



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