Correspondence. 381 



farther reason for the longer continuance of the snow on the North 

 than on the South. 



The last number of the Journal contains some remarks on this 

 subject from Mr. Batten, who appears to disagree with me 'm toto.' 

 I do not however see any reason to alter what I have said, especi- 

 ally since my statements are fully corroborated by the observations of 

 Captains Cunningham and Jack, made in the year 1842, in different 

 parts of the Himalaya and likewise at different seasons. It appears to 

 me that Mr. Batten's desire to convince you that " every one who 

 has visited the Himalaya," does not hold opinions opposed to those 

 of Captain Webb, has lead him into something very like a contradiction 

 of his own opinions, a refutation in fact of his own doctrines, for he 

 starts with an assertion that " the perpetual snow line is at a higher eleva- 

 tion on the Northern slope of M the Himalaya" than on the Souther?! slope ;" 

 although immediately afterwards he " willingly allows that the North 

 side of a hill retains the snow longer and deeper than the South side, 

 and this observation equally applies in Bhote." 



Now if the snow lies longer on the north than on the south, and 

 if there be any eternal snows, it is clear, that it must be found on 

 the northern aspect and not on the southern, which is precisely what I 

 have endeavoured to prove. 



Mr. Batten says " that at the same moment of time, (say of any day 

 in September) when in Thibet, or Chiuese Tartary, little or no snow is 

 found; at 17,000 or even 1 8,000 feet odd above the sea by one traveller, 

 another traveller in the Himalaya on the south side of the high peaks 

 finds deep snow at 14,000 feet and even lower." Now Captain Jack's 

 observations bear rather strongly on this very point, and prove the re- 

 verse of Mr. Batten's statement, for he says, that he "crossed the 

 Borendo Ghat, on the 25th September 1842, and there was no snow 

 at all on the southern aspect, or on the very summit of the Pass ; 

 but descending a few yards on the northern aspect, to the base of 

 a rock which was nearly perpendicular, he had the pleasure of seeing 

 his baggage, &c. descending most rapidly by their own gravity, upon an 

 unbroken bed of snow extending 250 to 300 yards in one slope, forming 

 an angle of about 45°." 



Another traveller in these regions, the well known and enterprising 

 Dr. Gerard, has stated " that the line (of perpetual snow) in the lati- 

 tude 30° 30' in Asia is fixable at 15,000 feet on the Southern or Indian 

 aspect of the Himalaya mountains, and on the northern (not the Tarta- 

 ric) may be concluded at 14,500 feet. This gives a difference of 500 feet 

 in favour of the northern side. Dr. Gerard then proceeds to state, that 



