1852.] A Journey through Sikim. 567 



makes a great difference. The inflammation of the eyes, swelling and 

 peeling of the face, with breaking out of the lips from which I am 

 suffering, are no doubt attributable to the extreme dryness of the air, 

 the cutting wind and the glare of the snow. In Thibet we did not 

 see any snow below 20,000 feet. Bhomtso — 18 or 18,500 feet, on the 

 top of which we passed the forenoon of the 18th — had not a particle 

 on it. In the Lachung valley — Sikim — snow is now lying at about 

 15,000 feet. South of the Himalaya, the quantity of snow that falls 

 is very much greater than in Thibet, and from the greater moisture of 

 the air and cloudiness of the sky, it is not carried off with the rapidity 

 of evaporation which obtains in Thibet, where you do not find a rill 

 even of water from the melting snow. Besides, in Thibet the snow 

 falls in light feathery skiffs and not in flakes. I believe that the lowest 

 snow-line we saw on the mountains to the north of us in Thibet, must 

 have been upwards of 22,000 feet. On the Kambajong range, which, 

 comparing them with Bhomtso, must be 20,000 feet at least, there was 

 not a particle of snow. In Thibet the difference between the wet 

 bulb and the Thermometers in air, was as much as 20 degrees. In Sikim 

 and in this dry part of it — Samdong — the difference to-day is only 6° . 

 We had heavy hoar-frost nightly in Thibet, an hour after sun-rise it 

 was gone, and not a trace of moisture was left on the ground. Ther. 

 to-day at noon 46°, wet bulb 40°; southerly wind. At Yeumtso, at 

 noon on the 17th, Ther. in air 52°, wet bulb 32° , minimum here at night 

 in the open air 22°, minimum at Yeumtso 5° . In a radiating metal- 

 lic bowl it fell to 2° . It commenced snowing at 1 p. m. to-day and 

 continued to fall till 7 p. m., when it lay 3 or 4 inches thick. Ther. 

 at 5 p. m. 32°: south wind. Elevation of Samdong; 16,000 feet, of 

 Donkiah Pass, say 19,000 feet ; yet it was free of snow on the 19th. 



October 21st. 

 "We march to Yeumtang. The Ther. fell last night to 22° . 

 The mountains down the valley are heavily snowed. Yesterday we 

 went up the bed of a stream north-east of Samdong, to examine a 

 succession of glacial flats or lake-beds, which Hooker had visited in 

 the rains, and was anxious to shew to me. Went to two only, when 

 the snow came on. This stream falls into the Lachoong at Samdong ; 

 above the junction there is another flat lake-bed ; on leaving our tents 

 at 8 a. m. we went to examine a glacier of Kanchanjhow, which lies to 



