186 FLORA INDICA. 



There are probably many mountains equally elevated with 

 those just enumerated, but bearing a less important relation 

 to the river systems. A very lofty peak between the Kosi 

 and its tributary the Aran has been conjectured to be al- 

 most as lofty as Kanchinjanga, but on very imperfect data. 

 The uniform appearance of snowy masses throughout the 

 whole extent of Nipal, leaves no doubt, however, as to the 

 great elevation of the axis of the chain and the mountains of 

 the interior. 



With regard to the outer mountains we have no detailed 

 information, except of those in the immediate neighbourhood 

 of Kathmandu, where Sheopore, on the watershed between 

 the Gandak and the Kosi, is upwards of 10,000 feet. On 

 the whole, if we may judge from the distribution of the 

 rivers, the outer mountains of Nipal are probably less ele- 

 vated than those of other parts of the Himalaya, the width 

 of the river basins being comparatively great, so that the 

 boundary ridges ramify repeatedly, and run for a considerable 

 length without much increase of altitude. In eastern Nipal 

 the outer and central ranges are very much lower than those 

 of Sikkim, and the open valleys and low mountains of central 

 Nipal indicate that the same is the case there. 



The climate of Nipal has been discussed with that of the 

 Himalaya generally. There is probably a somewhat abrupt 

 transition from the humid winter of Sikkim to the drought 

 which prevails at that season in the western Himalaya, as the 

 proximity, not only to the sea, but also to the great mass of 

 snow-clad mountains which in Sikkim advances to within sixty 

 miles of the plains, is no doubt the cause of the superabund- 

 ance of moisture in that province. We may therefore expect 

 to find all the eastern or humid types of the subtropical Sik- 

 kim flora wanting in the forest between Kathmandu and the 

 Gangetic plain. Accordingly, among palms, Areca gracilis 

 and disticha, Licuala and Caryota have disappeared, and one 

 or two Calami, Cham(erops, Phoenix acaulis, and WalHchia 

 alone occur. With diminished humidity we find increased 



