768 On the Physical Geography of the Him&laya. [Aug. 



Nunda-devi in like manner wholly separates the proximate feeders of 

 the Karnali and of the Ganges ; whilst yet another originating with 

 Jamnoutri, wholly separates the Ganges from the Jumna. 



Equally effective with the divergent power of each of these supremely 

 peaked ridges, which run parallel to each other and at right angles to 

 the ghat line of the snowy range, upon two river basins, as just noticed, 

 is of course the convergent power of two ridges upon the single con- 

 tained river basin. The synclinal lines from the inner faces of the two 

 adjacent ridges draw the waters together; and, because these ridged 

 peaks are the loftiest masses of the entire mountains, the effect of 

 all their other masses, even that of the spine of Hemachal or the ghat 

 line of the snows, is overruled or modified, so that in the ruggedest 

 region on earth a very limited series of distinct main rivers appears in 

 the plains from innumerable independent alpine feeders, in the manner 

 which all behold but few indeed think of referring to its cause. 



It is inconsistent with all we know of the action of those hypogene 

 forces which raise mountains, to suppose that the points of greatest 

 intensity in the pristine action of such forces, as marked by the loftiest 

 peaks, should not be surrounded by a proportionate circumjacent in- 

 tumescence of the general mass ; and, if there he such an intumescence 

 of the general surface around each pre-eminent Himalayan peak, it will 

 follow, as clearly, in logical sequence as in plain fact it is apparent, that 

 these grand peak crowned ridges will determine the essential character 

 of the aqueous distribution of the very extended mountainous chain 

 (1800 miles) along which they occur at certain palpable and tolerably 

 regular intervals. Now, that the infinite volume of the Himalayan 

 waters is, in fact, pretty regularly distributed into a small number of 

 large rivers, we all see ; and, whereas the fact is thoroughly explicable 

 upon my assumption that the great peaks bound, instead of intersect- 

 ing, the river basins, it is wholly inexplicable upon Capt. Herbert's 

 assumption that the said peaks intersect the basins. 



The above are normal samples of Himalayan water distribution, and 

 it is very observable that whereas all those principal streams which ex- 

 hibit the unitizing principle so decidedly, take their origin in the alpine 

 region, at or near the snows, so the inferior streams which rise from the 

 middle region only, show no such tendency to union, but pursue their soli- 

 tary routes to the Ganges ; as for example, the Mahanada, the Mechi, the 



