294 On the Snow-line in the Himdlaya. [April, 



ridge called Champwa, not only perfectly free from snow at an elevation 

 of 12,000 feet, but covered with flowers, in some places golden with 

 Caltha and Rananculus polypetalus, in others purple with PrimUlus. The 

 snow had in fact already receded to upwards of 12,500 feet, beyond 

 which even a few little Gentians proclaimed the advent of spring. 



Towards the end of the same month, at the head of the Pindur, near 

 the glacier from which that river rises, an open spot on which I could 

 pitch my tent could not be found above 12,000 feet. But here the 

 accumulation of snow, which was considerable in all ravines even below 

 11,000 feet, is manifestly the result of avalanches and drift. The sur- 

 face of the glacier, clear ice as well as moraines, was quite free from 

 snow up to nearly 13,000 feet; but the effect of the more retired posi- 

 tion of the place in retarding the melting of the snow, was manifest 

 from the less advanced state of the vegetation. During my stay at 

 Pinduri the weather was very bad, and several inches of snow fell ; but 

 excepting where it had fallen on the old snow, it all melted off again in 

 a few hours, even without the assistance of the sun's direct rays. On 

 the glacier at 13,000 feet it had all disappeared 12 hours after it fell. 



On revisiting Pinduri about the middle of October, the change that 

 had taken place was very striking. Now not a sign of snow was to be 

 seen on any part of the road up to the very head of the glacier. A 

 luxuriant vegetation had sprung up, but had already almost entirely 

 perished, and its remains covered the ground as far as I went. From 

 this elevation, about 13,000 feet, evident signs of vegetation could be 

 seen to extend far up the less precipitous mountains. The place is not 

 one at which the height of the perpetual snow can be easily estimated, 

 for on all sides are glaciers, and the vast accumulations of snow from 

 which they are supplied, and these cannot always be readily distin- 

 guished from snow in situ ; but as far as I could judge, those places 

 which might be considered as offering a fair criterion were free from 

 snow up to 15,000 or even 16,000 feet. 



Towards the end of August I crossed the Barjikang pass, between 

 Balam and Juhar, the elevation of which is about 15,300 feet.* There 

 was here no vestige of snow on the ascent to the pass from the south- 



* This pass is so far within the belt of perpetual snow that it cannot be held to 

 afford any just arguments as to the position of the snow line on the extreme southern 

 edge of the belt. 



