1849.] On the Snow-line in the Himalaya. 297 



brooke alludes is simply their record of the heights of places. At all 

 events however their evidence must be considered of little value, as they 

 neither of them knew what a glacier was. Capt. Webb, as we have seen, 

 talks of the Gori emerging from the snow, when we know that in reality 

 it rises from a glacier. Capt. Hodgson falls into a similar error in his 

 description of the source of the Ganges, (vide Asiatic Researches, T. 14, 

 pp. 114 — 117). He says "the Bhagirati or Ganges issues from under a 

 very low arch at the foot of the grand snow bed," and from the almost 

 exact coincidence of the heights it is plain that this is his limit of snow. 

 There is not however the slightest doubt that the low arch was merely 

 the terminal cave of a glacier, and that it was far below the lower limit 

 of perpetual snow, though when Capt. Hodgson was there in the spring 

 the place was probably snowy enough. 



A. Gerard. I have not the means of reference to the passage quoted 

 by M. Humboldt in support of the height given by Capt. Gerard, but 

 in the " account of Koonawur," which may be presumed to shew Capt. 

 Gerard's latest views on these matters, he says : — " The limit of perpe- 

 tual snow is lowest on the outer Himalaya," (by which he means the 

 Bissehir range), " and here the continuous snow beds exposed to the 

 south are about 15,000 feet."* It is not impossible that the height 

 which M. Humboldt gives refer to some line of perpetual congelation, 

 on a number of different varieties of which Capt. Gerard remarks, such 

 as where it always freezes, freezes more than it thaws, freezes every 

 night, or finally where the mean temperature is 32° Fahrenheit. These, 

 however interesting in their own way, are not the snow-line. 



Jacquemont. The height given by this traveller is fully explained 

 by the note that M. Humboldt adds, " au nord de Cursali et de Jum- 

 nautri ou la limite des neiges est horizontalement tres tranchee." — 

 Jacqu : Voy. dans VInde, p. 99. Now M. Jacquemont visited Jam- 

 notri in the middle of May,. when no doubt he found the snow line 



* Account of Koonawar, p. 159. It appears to me possible that the Gerards, 

 who knew as little of glaciers as Webb or Hodgson, did not fall into similar mistake 

 in their estimate of the height of the snow-line on the Bissehir range, because there 

 are no glaciers or none of any size on that face, owing to the small height, less than 

 2000 feet, that the average line of summit rises above the snow-line. This however 

 is only conjecture, for though I am satisfied that glaciers do exist on the north face 

 of that range, I have in vain endeavoured to come to any conclusion as to the south- 

 ern face. It may be proper to add that I have never been there myself. 



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