I860.] Memorandum on the Survey of Kashmir. 23 



The chief features in the valley are the Lakes which are of world- 

 wide celebrity. These overflow the country and give it the marshy 

 character so delicately depicted on the map before us. 



The " Great Wulur" lake, the largest in the valley, is about twenty- 

 one miles north-west of the city of Sirinagar, the capital. Its extreme 

 breadth north and south is ten and a half miles ; this does not include 

 the marshes on the south side, and which continue past the parallel 

 of the city. The extreme breadth a little north of the Island of 

 Lunka is ten miles and the circumference nearly thirty miles. 



During a storm the waters lash themselves into high waves, so 

 that no boat will venture on it. The waters find their way out of 

 the valley by the Burrumulla pass, dashing in a most fearful torrent 

 through the mountains and at last meet the Jhelum river about one 

 hundred miles above the town of that name. About half way up 

 the mountains surrounding this lake a perfectly level water mark is 

 to be seen running along them, which would seem to corroborate the 

 belief of the natives that the valley was once a large lake. 



The " Manus Bal" lake is twelve and a half miles from Sirinagur and 

 in the same direction as the Wulur lake. Its length is two miles 

 east and west, and breadth seven-tenths of a mile. 



The hill of " Aha Tung" 6290 feet, bounds the southern face of 

 this lake and is remarkable, owing to its isolated position and abrupt 

 rise from the level of the surrounding country of 1000 feet. 



The " Anchar" can scarcely be called a lake, it is caused by the 

 waters of the Sind river, overflowing the low ground north of the city. 



The lake immediately east of the city supplied by the Arrah river, 

 boasts of the far famed Isle of Chinars (Chinar or Platinus Orientalia 

 though considered an exotic thrives luxuriantly in the valley). The 

 gardens and groves of poplars, cherries, walnut, peach, apricot, apples 

 and mulberries along its bank, add considerably to the beauty of 

 this lake. 



All over the valley very interesting ruins are found, some near the 

 Island of Lunka are entirely under water, whether these have been 

 submerged from the ground sinking or owing to the water rising 

 above its original level it is difficult to say. 



The east end of the valley consists entirely of rice-fields. At the 

 west part there is little or no cultivation, being very woody. Culti- 



