298 Proceedings of the Asiatic Societi/. [No. 4. 



the subject. The true Geographical Latitude and Longitude of 

 Deodaogha are unknown to Mr. Hodgson, or even its true bearing 

 and distance from any locality which can be recognised as a fixed 

 point of departure. Its height also is unknown. All these data 

 are elements necessary to the identification of that mountain. The 

 physiognomical contour of a mountain is a very uncertain test, be- 

 cause it changes with every mutation of aspect ; but even this test 

 is wanting in Mr. Hodgson's case, as he has never seen Deodangha. 



In April last, my attention was drawn to another communication 

 made by Mr. Hodgson to the Asiatic Society, from which it appears 

 that he has taken steps to put the subject, in what appears to me, a 

 very unfair light, before the Royal Asiatic Society, as well as to have 

 his conclusions on a point of great ambiguity, promulgated as cer- 

 tainties in Journals of extensive circulation. Under these circum- 

 stances, I considered that it would be satisfactory to scientific men, 

 that the grounds on which the supposed indentity of Deodangha 

 was made to rest, should be examined and discussed. In my judg- 

 ment the only proper way of doing this, was to lay the whole of the 

 documentary materials before a Geographical Committee composed 

 of Geometricians of experience and capacity, competent to deal with 

 such investigations. With this view I issued departmental orders 

 annexed. 



Of the five officers to whom this duty was assigned, four have now 

 delivered their reports. The fifth Lieut. Montgomerie of Engineers 

 is at present difficult to communicate with, being absent in Thibet, 

 conducting the G. T. Survey operations beyond Kashmir. That 

 officer's opinions will be very valuable, and D. Y. shall be transmit- 

 ted hereafter. In the meantime, encompassed as we are by the con- 

 fusion and embarrassments attending a military rebellion of unpre- 

 cedented magnitude, I am unwilling to delay the transmission of 

 the four reports hereto annexed. These are so ably argued, and 

 place the subject in so luminous a point of view, that it is unneces- 

 sary for me to add more than a few words in this place. 



Mr. Hodgson labours under a strong conviction, that Mount 

 Everest is identical with Deodangha ; and the enthusiasm and in- 

 genuity with which he advocates his view of the question seem to 

 have carried the same conviction to the minds of others not conver- 



