292 On the Snow-line in the Himalaya. [April, 



The points 1, 2, and 3, are on ridges that run from the peaks Nos. 1 1 

 and 12, in a S. Westerly direction. The dip of the strata being to the 

 N. East, the faces exposed to view from the south are for the most part 

 very abrupt, and snow never accumulates on them to any great extent. 

 This in some measure will account for the height to which the snow is 

 seen to have receded on the eastern exposures, that is upwards of 17,000 

 feet. On the western exposures the ground is less steep, and the snow 

 is seen to have been observed at a considerably less elevation ; but it 

 was in very small quantities, and had probably fallen lately, so that I 

 am inclined to think that its height, viz. about 15,000 feet, rather indi- 

 cates the elevation below which the light autumnal falls of snow were 

 incapable of lying, than that of the inferior edge of the perpetual snow. 

 It is further to be understood, that below this level of 15,000 feet, the 

 mountains were absolutely without snow, excepting those small isolated 

 patches that are seen in ravines, or at the head of glaciers, which of 

 course do not affect such calculations as these. On the whole therefore 

 I consider that the height of the snow-line on the more prominent 

 points of the southern edge of the belt, may be fairly reckoned at 

 16,000 feet at the very least. 



The point No. 4 was selected as being in a much more retired posi- 

 tion than the others. It is situated not far from the head of the Pin- 

 dur river, and lies between the peaks Nos. 14 and 15. It was quite free 

 from snow at 15,300 feet, and I shall therefore consider 15,000 feet as 

 the elevation of the snow-line in the re-entering angles of the chain. 



I conclude then, that 15,500 feet, the mean of the heights at the 

 most and least prominent points, should be assigned as the mean eleva- 

 tion of the snow-line at the southern limit of the belt of perpetual snow 

 in Kumaon, and I conceive that whatever error there may be in this 

 estimate, will be found to lie on the side of diminution rather than of 

 exaggeration. 



This result appears to accord well with what has been observed on 

 the Bissehir range. The account given by Dr. Gerard of his visit to 

 the Shatul pass on this range, which he undertook expressly for the 

 purpose of determining the height of the snow-line, contains the only 

 definite information as to the limit of perpetual snow at the southern 

 edge of the belt, that is to be found in the whole of the published writ- 

 ings of the Gerards ; and the following is a short abstract of his obser- 



