1848.] Narrative of a Journey to Clio Lagan, fyc. 107 



Kali, reducing the valley to a mere gigantic ravine ; which is the cha- 

 racter of it, in fact all the way from Relagar. Opposite to the Najan- 

 gar, an inferior spur with a little comparatively level ground on its 

 top, affords a site to the village of Thin, now apparently deserted. 

 Behind this rises the ridge of snow seen from Gala ; Namjung, on the 

 left, close over the Kali, and Lingaru to the right, some 18,500 feet 

 high. The great Peak of Api behind, though 22,799 feet in height, 

 is quite concealed by the proximity of its lofty base. The Thampa- 

 gar, immediately south of the hill of Thin, rises from a glacier under 

 Lingaru, plainly distinguishable from Golam La, by its form, dirty color, 

 and situation below the lowest limit of the snow which lies on the ridge 

 above.* These glaciers are well known to the Bhotias, under the 

 term Gal, a non gal-endo, perhaps, as they never melt like the supe- 

 rior snow. 



The Peaks of Byans-Bikhi I think, are visible up the valley of 

 Byans : only partially snowed though near 20,000 feet in height, which 

 is owing to the steepness of their rocky summits, I imagine. 



Clouds and a little rain in the evening ; Thermometer at sunset 60° ; 

 night fine. 



22d September. — Morning fair, Thermometer at 7^ A. m. 52^° ; 

 boiled to 1 98° ; elevation of Golam La 8000 feet. The village of Thin, 

 on the other side of the river, is about the same height. 



Leaving Golam La, we descend a thousand feet or so, by a steep 

 path, and cross the Najan-gar, by a small Sanga, a mile above its con- 

 fluence with the Kali. The stream is unfordable at present, rather on 

 account of its great fall and rapidity of current, than for the volume of 

 water ; in the mile between the bridge and the confluence the fall must 

 be 500 feet. The path continues, often in steps, and rather precipi- 

 tously, round the shoulder of Pomayyar, a base-spur from Yirgna- 

 jang, thence descends and crosses the Malpagar, a small fordable 

 rapid, close to its confluence with the Kali. Just above this point, on 

 the side of Pamayyar, is Jambe-Odyar, a large cave, said to be capa- 



* It is surprising that the existence of these Himalayan Glaciers, with which the snowy- 

 range here abounds in all directions, should be questioned or doubted even now, in the 

 30th year of British possession of Kumaon ; it is equalled only by the perpetual snow line 

 on the southern face of these mountains being fixed by Humboldt at 11,700 feet, an ele- 

 vation at and above which we have luxuriant vegetation, and flourishing agricultural 

 villages. 



p 2 



