238 Notes of an Excursion to the Pindree Glacier. [March, 



province it is commonly found near the temples and on the mountain 

 passes, called Benaiks, where a few stones are piled and rags tied up 

 in honor of the Deotahs. It is most likely the tree called Olea fra- 

 grans in the Darjeeling Guide : no notice of it occurs in Dr. Royles 

 illustrations. 



Kupkot is the first village in the pergunnah of Danpoor, which 

 includes the remainder of our route ; as comprising Nunda Devee, 

 the loftiest mountain on the globe hitherto accurately measured ; it 

 would probably now have occupied the niche in the Temple of Fame 

 filled by Santa Fe de Bogota, Popayan, &c. had Humboldt carried into 

 effect his plan of investigating the Natural History and structure of 

 the Himalaya. That his attention was diverted to the Andes must ever 

 form the subject of regret to the Anglo-Indian. 



September \\th. — To Sooringor Sring, 11 miles in 5^ hours, includ- 

 ing much delay in passing above and through a spot where a great 

 landslip of white talcose calcareous slate, due to the late rains, had 

 annihilated the road, and nearly obstructed any further advance. 

 Except at this spot, the rock on this day's route consisted chiefly of 

 the usual stratified limestone, forming many abrupt brows and lofty 

 walls, and sometimes contracting the Surjoo to a few yards in breadth. 

 The river is now reduced to a mere torrent, and from Sooring appears, 

 at a profound depth, a narrow streak of foam. Its source is on the 

 south face of a huge spur from the eastern precipitous shoulder of 

 " Nunda Kot ;" this spur forks to south-west and south-east ; the 

 south-west range separating the valley of the Surjoo from that of the 

 Pindur. At this fork there is not a vestige of snow in September and 

 October. 



Our path kept to the right bank of the river, with much more 

 ascent and descent than heretofore. In one place a cliff is passed 

 by scaffolding, with the Surjoo perpendicular beneath, altogether 

 somewhat difficult for ponies (which are of little or no use beyond 

 Sooring to a good pedestrian), and rather trying to nerves which have 

 not been case-hardened in Kanawar and the Bhoteeah pergunnahs. 

 Four streams large enough to require bridges, occur in to-day's march, 

 besides an infinity of rivulets, often converting the road into a swamp, 

 where the leeches were most numerous and voracious. I picked 16 off 

 my feet at once, and found the bites not a little venomous ; it moreover 



