1842.] of the Himmalay a Mountains. xxxiii 



in greatest quantity, and of a better quality in such spots as above 

 described ; that is, in hollows ; because the supply of water is more con- 

 stant, and equally gradual. 



56. The discharge of the four great rivers at their entrance into the 

 plains, has not been directly measured, except in the case of the Jumna. 

 It appears however reasonable to infer, that the discharge will be pro- 

 portionate to the extent of country drained ; in other words, to the total 

 length of course made up by adding the several branches of the river 

 together. This rule I found to hold in the case of the Tonse and the 

 Jumna, the discharges of which I measured in 1819. Thus, their total 

 lengths of course were as the numbers 1, 2, 6. Their discharges as the 

 numbers 1, 2, 8. In adopting then this expression for the valuation of 

 the discharge, and taking the Jumna at 4,000 cubic feet in a second, 

 (which is within a few feet of the result I obtained in March 1819,) 

 we shall have the following results : — 



C. F. in one second. 

 Discharge of the Kalee at Bishin Deo, . . . . 4,800 



Jumna at Badshahee Mahal, . . . . . . . . 4,000 



Ganges at Hurdwar, . . . . . . . . . . 7,000 



Sutlej at Ropur, 8,100 



We see here that, notwithstanding the far greater length of course which 

 distinguishes the Sutlej, (more than double,) it does not greatly exceed 

 the Ganges in discharge. This is owing to the comparative narrowness 

 of its basin, and its want of great branches. 



57. Although there are no great vallies in the interior, (Art. 15,) yet 

 along the common boundary of mountain and plain land, on a line 

 parallel to that of greatest elevation, there are seen a series of small 

 vallies, which are however unconnected with each other, and sometimes 

 separated by a long interval. These vallies are always marked by the 

 debouche of some great river, and there is doubtless some connection, in 

 the origin, between them and the river systems. Although there is not a 

 valley to every river, yet they are found along the whole tract at inter- 

 vals, as far as Patna on one side, and beyond Cashmeer on the other. 

 The occurrence of these vallies through such a distance, and so symme- 

 trically situated, favors the idea which would attribute a community of 

 origin, or at least connection in structure, to the whole of this tract of 

 Alpine land. 



F 



