1849.] On the Physical Geography of the Himdlaya. 763 



the accuracy of those views, it occurred to me more carefully to inves- 

 tigate whether the facts and the reason of the case were not, upon the 

 whole, demonstrative of the inaccuracy of that able and lamented offi- 

 cer's dogma. Doubtless the western Himalaya presents appearances 

 calculated to sustain Capt. Herbert's opinion, whilst such persons only 

 as are unaccustomed to deal with the classifications of science will 

 expect them to correspond point by point with those natural phceno- 

 mena, which it is at least one chief merit of such arrangements, merely 

 to enable us readily to grasp and retain. But, that the entire body of 

 facts now within our ken is upon the whole opposed to Capt. H.'s 

 doctrine,* and that that doctrine suits ill with the recognised axioms of 

 geology and geography, is, I think, certain, and I shall with diffidence 

 now proceed to attempt the proof of it. 



A tyro in geology, I shall not further dwell on the theoretical side of 

 the question than may be requisite to facilitate and complete the appre- 

 hension of my readers : but the facts, quoad Nepal at least, I trust that 

 my sketch map, rude as it is, and the following observations, may ren- 

 der sufficiently indisputable ; it being always remembered that I deal 

 with generals, not particulars, aiming to establish the general accuracy 

 of my main proposition, viz., that the great peaks, bound instead of 

 intersecting the alpine river basins, and that, in truth, the peaks by so 

 bounding create the basins, whereas their intersection would destroy 

 them. 



And now, without further preface, I turn to the accompanying sketch 

 map, and submit such remarks as it seems to require. It will be seen at 

 a glance that it embraces the whole Himalaya from 78° to 94° of lon- 

 gitude, comprising the following peaks and basins ; — peak of Jamnoutri 

 (a), peak of Nanda-devi (A), peak of Dhoula-giri (B), peak of Gosain- 

 than (C), peak of Kangchang (D), peak of Chumalari (E), peak of the 

 Geminif (e) : which peaks include and constitute the following alpine 

 river basins, viz., that of the Ganges, that of the Karnali, that of the 

 Gandak, that of the Cosi, that of the Tishta, that of the Monas, and 

 that of the Subhansri (pars). The subjoined table exhibits the elevation 

 and the position of these dominant peaks with the authority for both. 



* Journal, No. 126, Extra, pp. 20 and 22. 



+ I have so named the two proximate peaks of nearly equal height, which are 

 inserted without name in Pemberton's large map, in long. 92° 50', lat. 27° 50'. 



5 F 2 



