62 Tableau of High Asia. [No. 1, 



six miles in length, and with fourteen large tributary glaciers of from 

 three to ten miles in length, would form a study in itself, and give 

 employment for several summers, before it could be properly examin- 

 ed."* 



In the Himalaya, the lowest glaciers go down to 11,000 ft. and even 

 10,500 ft. ; the Pindari ending at 11,492 ft., the Timtimna at 11,430 

 ft., the Tsoji at 10,967 ft., and the Chaia at 10,520 ft. 



In Western Tibet, they descend to about the same elevation ; thus, 

 the Mustagh 11,576 ft., the Tapto 11,508 ft., the Tami Chuet to 

 10,460 ft., the Bepho (Biafo of Capt. Montgomerie ?), near Askoli, 

 even to 9,876 ft. The latter is worthy of notice as a remarkable case 

 of low termination. 



In the Kunliln, the glaciers end probably at heights not much differ- 

 ing from those in Western Tibet ; at least so we infer from the gene- 

 ral appearance of the upper part of the glaciers we saw during our 

 travels in these regions. The glaciers on both flanks of the Elchi 

 pass presented, however, no instances of particularly deep descent. 



In the Andes, no glaciers are as yet known to exist,f and they do 

 not occur in tropical America, from the equator to 19° latitude north. 



In the Alps, the lowest glacier is that of Lower Grindelwald, end- 

 ing at 3,290 ft , but in general 5,000 ft. must be considered as a 

 rather low end of a glacier. 



IV. The Varieties of Habitation. 

 1. Towns and Villages. 

 The Himalaya rises, in general, so abruptly above the plains of 

 India, and the latter, particularly in the western regions, are in them- . 

 selves of such an elevation, that even in the lower parts of the valleys 

 there are but few, if any points of less height than 1,000 ft. above the 

 level of the sea. Two causes more especially have tended to displace 

 the order of population in these districts, the lower parts being almost 

 deserted in favour of the lands lying immediately above. In the first 

 instance, the prevailing steepness of the country hereabouts, which is 

 still considerably increased by the erosion of the rivers, precludes the 

 successful cultivation of the soil ; and, again, the fertile, well cultiva- 



* Montgomerie, in " Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1862, No. II. p. 210. 

 f Humboldt, " Asie Centrale," Vol. II. p. 167. 





