772 On the Physical Geography of the Himalaya. [Aug. 



Name. Elevational limits. 



Lower region Level of the plains to 4000 feet above the sea. 



Central region 4000 to 10,000 feet above the sea. 



Upper region ...... 10,000 to 1 6,000* feet above the sea : Highest 



peak measured is 28,176. 



It is needless to remind those who are conversant with physical geo- 

 graphy, that in passing in a tropical country, by a long and gradual 

 ascent, from near the sea level to several (4-6) miles above it, one must 

 necessarily meet with regions equivalent, quoad organic phcenomena to 

 the three great zones of the earth, or the tropical, the temperate and the 

 arctic ; and, in fact, our three regions above indicated correspond in 

 the main with those zones, and might be named after them, but that it 

 is desirable to avoid terms involving theory, when those designating 

 mere facts will suffice. Nor is it merely by organic phoenomena that 

 the three regions are contradistinguished. 



In geology the upper region is the locale of granites and gneisses ; 

 the middle region, that of gneisses and schists ; the lower region that of 

 the sandstone formation and of diluvial debris. It may be added that 

 granite is much more extensively developed, in the upper region than 

 had been supposed, and that igneous rocks are by no means so entirely 

 unkown. Indeed igneous action is displayed to a stupendous degree, in 

 the hypogene rocks both stratified and unstratified of the upper and even 

 central region. In botany the first is the region of Junipers, Cedars, 

 Larches, dwarf Rhododendrons, Hollies, Willows, Walnuts, Birches, and 

 in general of the superior sorts of Coniferce ; the second, that of Oaks, 

 Chesnuts, Magnolias, Laurels, Alders, tree Rhododendrons (many kinds). 

 Cherry and Pear trees (large and wild), Oleas (large forest tree), Maples, 

 Wax trees, Camelias, tree ferns, some few and peculiar Palms (Chame- 

 rops, &c), and the inferior sorts of Pines; the last, that of Sauls (Shorea)^ 

 Sissus (Dalbergia), Acacias, Tunds (Cedrela), cotton trees (Bombax)> 

 tree figs, (Catechu, Indicus et Religiosus.) Buteas, Dillenias, Baudan- 

 gas, Erythrinas, Premnas, some common Palms (Phoenix, &c.) but rare 

 and poor, and, lastly, tree ferns, but much rarer than above. Pinus 

 longifolia likewise recurs in this region, but not one other of the many 



* This is about the average height of the ghats and of the perpetual snow. It 

 is also nearly the limit of possible investigation, and of the existence of organic 

 phoenomena. But the upward limit need not be rigorously assigned. 



