Correspondence. 383 



Mr. Batten asks, "How can any facts of one observer in one place falsify 

 the facts of another observer in another place ?". Had I been unsupported 

 by good authority, t should long have hesitated to array my own opi- 

 nions against those of Captain Webb, but when I found that the facts 

 which I had seen were corroborated by the testimony of Dr. Lord and 

 Captain Cunningham, I should have been to blame had I not come 

 forward, and made at least an attempt to set the matter in its proper 

 light. The observations are no longer those " of one individual in one 

 place," but of several competent observers in different parts of the 

 mountains, and extend in fact from the Hindoo Koosh to the banks 

 of the Ganges. Different travellers in different years, or even in dif- 

 ferent parts of the range in the same year, — may differ as to the 

 amount of snow to be met with on the Southern aspect ; but a series 

 of observations made through several successive years along the whole 

 range, would assuredly prove, that in no part of the Southern aspect 

 was the snow perpetual, bi-ennial or sept-ennial, or for any term of years 

 it may it some places rest, but sooner or later it will fade away, and 

 prove that the only perpetual snow line is on the Northern aspect. 



I trust, therefore Mr. Batten will forgive me for repeating that I 

 believe the hitherto received opinion to be erroneous, and that it has 

 been fully proved from the testimony of trustworthy and able observers, 

 that the snow lies longer and deeper, and lower down on the northern aspect 

 of the Himalaya, than it does on the Southern side. 



Thomas Hutton, Capt. 

 Mussooree, 2]st February, 1844. Bengal Army. 



From J. H. Batten, Esq. C. S. to J. M'Clelland, Bengal Medical Service, 

 in reply to Capt. Hutton's remarks on the line of Perpetual Snow in the 

 July Number of the Calcutta Journal Natural History 1843, Dated 

 Camp, Kaleedoongee, Kemaon, December 9th 1843.* 



My dear Sir, — I have had the pleasure of receiving your polite and 

 kind note dated the 17th ultimo, and I beg you to accept my best ac- 

 knowledgments for the liberal tone shewn in your explanation of the 

 note appended by you to Captain Hutton's paper. 



* This letter has been kept back with a view of publishing at once all that is to 

 be said on both sides of the question. It should have appeared in the last number, 

 but from the quantity of matter previously in type, we had not room for it as 

 well as Captain Hutton's letter on the same subject, which we were anxious should 

 both appear at the same time. — Ed. 



S D 



