28 Memorandum on the Survey of Kashmir. [No. 1, 



Besides these, numerous valuable sketches, routes, heights of passes, 

 &c. have been added to the survey. 



The numerous observations taken to the great Snowy mountain 

 " Nanga Parbtit" or " Dayarmur" in latitude 35° 14' 21" and longi- 

 tude 74° 37' 52" prove that its mean height is 26,629 feet above the 

 sea. No peak within sixty miles on any side of the general map of 

 the Nanga Parbut comes within 9,000 feet of the same height. This 

 pinnacle of the Himalayas is the highest point in the range between 

 Nepal and Attock. In consequence of its isolation from all peaks 

 of anything like an equal altitude, it naturally forms a noble object 

 in whatever aspect it is viewed. 



" The topographical detail was all sketched in the field on Plane 

 Tables, according to the system laid down in Colonel Waugh's pamphlet 

 of instructions on Topographical Surveying, an arduous task in such 

 an elevated country, as it was of course necessary to visit numerous 

 peaks and places on the ridge, in addition to the Trigonometrical 

 stations which include the highest peak in the Pir Punjab 



" The drawing of the Pield Sections expresses the ground well, 

 that of Captains P. Lumsden, Bengal Army and Godwin Austen, 

 H. M. Army being more specially artistic. 



" The advantage of this system in a country like India, especially 

 in the hilly and mountainous tracts, is that officers with a moderate 

 previous knowledge of military drawing, can be readily trained to 

 fill up the triangles and the work proceeds rapidly, producing a com- 

 plete and valuable map with the topographical features accurately 

 delineated at small expense." 



But the difficulty of sketching ground of such a character may be 

 imagined. To do so with any degree of faithfulness requires a pecu- 

 liar talent, and is a gift as much as copying the human face. Steven- 

 son, the Civil Engineer, in his evidence before Parliament on the 

 Ordnance Survey of England stated his belief, that there were not 

 above eight persons in England who understood how to pourtray 

 ground. If difficult therefore in England, it must be still more so 

 where the relative commands are so immense. 



Colonel Waugh proceeds to observe — 



" In consequence of the difficulty in obtaining Topographical Assis- 

 tants Officers of the Quarter Master General's Department were at 



