340 COURSE AND LEVELS 



country it flows through, till the expulsion of the Gorkhas gave facilities 

 to research which had before been wanting: the existence of a wester 

 branch of this great river beyond the snowy chain was not even suspected^ 

 and to our ignorance of this fact may be attributed some errors which could 

 be pointed out in maps very recently published. Of the actual direction, 

 of its course an equal ignorance prevailed, or it could never have been made 

 a. question, whether the Bhagirathi had its source tvithin, or beyond* the 

 snowy chain. We were equally ignorant of our proximity to the Chinese 

 dependencies ; to Ladhak and to Tibet the country of the Shawl goat ; and 

 of the fact of a constant communication being kept up between these coun- 

 tries and the newly subjected mountain provinces, by a route penetrating 

 through the hitherto reputed insuperable barrier of the Himalaya. These, 

 with some other less important particulars established in this journey, are 

 new to Indian Geographers, and as such may be not unworthy of record. 



The object of the tour was to explore and lay down as much of the 

 course of this river as might be accessible. From the iealousv of the offi- 

 cers on the frontier, however, the survey necessarily terminated at the limit 

 of our authority. At Shipki, the first village of Chinese Tartary, I was 

 compelled to retrace my steps. From Roper to Shipki is about 250 miles,; 

 the whole line being through a mountainous country, at first easy of access' 

 and of inferior elevation, but afterwards approaching the limit of perpetual; 

 congelation and increasing in difficulties. The last 50 miles, comprehends 

 ing the Pergunnah of Kanauwer, is within the chain of the Himalaya andti 

 forms the route above alluded to. It is to this portion of the survey, I have' 

 chiefly confined myself in the following narrative. 



On the 1st September, I quitted Kotgerh* cantonment, accompanied hf 



* Kotgerh is on the left Lank of the Setlej. It is in Lat. 31° 1 8'40"lon<r. 77° 28' the elevation is 

 7*783 feet above the sea, The climate is similar to that of the soath of England, or perhaps a little m©r« 

 smildv - ' 



