1170 Visit to Me/um and the Oonta [No. 132. 



short grass, and two species of moss (new to me) here and there under 

 the lee of a rock. 



Having been told by a man of Almorah, a Brahmin, in the morning, 

 who had descended the Pass the day previous, that it was not more 

 than two hours' ascent, and being anxious to return to our two sick 

 companions at Melum, in spite of what the people who were with us said 

 (having been deceived by them before,) we set off with the intention, 

 if possible, of reaching far enough at all events to see where the Pass 

 was, as we were told it was visible a little further on ; but after 

 ascending for one half hour, and no signs of its appearing, we returned 

 much fatigued. The jubboos we had with us were unable to carry 

 us. We slept under the oodear, there being no spot on which to 

 pitch our tent ; the night was very cold. The party we saw this morn- 

 ing, had been only ten days from Gartope, two of which they had 

 halted. They had with them sheep laden with salt and borax, five or 

 six ponies, and some jubboos. 



28th September. — Time 5 a. m. ther. 37°, moist ther. 32°, very 

 cold. Soon after sunset last night, thick clouds collected all round the 

 surrounding heights, which did not disperse till the sun rose this morn- 

 ing. 



Marched at 9h. 25m. a. m. and commenced the ascent, crossing 

 the river over a bridge of stones, which were piled on nearly a natural 

 bridge of rocks ; at about half a mile, came to a huge bed of snow, 

 from whence the river issued, being I suppose about twelve feet wide ; 

 the snow-bed I should think 300 feet thick, covered with fragments of 

 rock from the neighbouring mountain. The road, if it can be so called, 

 very bad, and in many places the footing very insecure; this snow-bed 

 continues for about half a mile or perhaps a little more ; it has numer- 

 ous fissures in it, and from the edges many large icicles, three feet long, 

 were hanging in some places. It had a regular stratified appearance, 

 and dipped to the S. W., just the reverse of the neighbouring moun- 

 tains. Now and then the stillness of the scene was disturbed by the 



fossils would be found on the hither side of the Passes, in the tract of country which 

 lies north of the Himalayan granite peaks, and the gneiss and mica slate strata ; but 

 south of Thibet, its rocks being apparently of the same secondary character as that of 

 the oolitic (?) series in Europe, and being quite different from the great primary chain 

 of the Himalayan peaks, the central mountains, and the tertiary strata (so rich in ter- 

 restial fossils) of the Sub-Himalayan Ranges.— J. H. B. 



