100- 'ACCOUNT 0? A, JOITRNEY TO the Sourgbs of .tbk- 



cent, to^ or near the top of any of thefe fnowy peaks. The extreme-; 

 Heepnefs, the rugged nature of the rock where it is bare, and the flip-- 

 pe?y fmoothnefs of the fnow, are, independent of the extreme heighth,-^ 

 and fatigue to be borne,, fufficiept obltacleso ... 



The exiftencexOf fueh a lake refe therefore entirely on> tradiiion--:'; 

 and probably fome ©bfcure legend from the S'astras ; for it would ap* . 

 pear that all this mountainous tra6l with its various cliffs and rallies, is ■■. 

 frequently referred to asthe- feene of mythological ftory, and to one - 



©f thefe tales, this mountain owes its narae». . Befiderpuck'h {ignihes ... 

 monk^' s Uih.^ Itkhidthzt HaMLman&her hk conquefl: o^ Lanca (or ■ 

 Ceylon) wheoJie had fet that iflmd on-- fire, by v means of a 

 quantity, of combuilibie matter tied to> his tail, . being afraid > 

 of \he flame reaching and ' confuming -himfelf, was about to 

 dip ihis inflimed .tail in the fei to extinguiih it\ but, the fca . 

 remonilrated ' with' .him.'On account of .the. .probable confequences -.. 

 to the numeroo'S: inhabitants . of .: its^: waters; whereupon, HanU',. 

 man- ^lixngtd it in this- lake, which ever - since has retained the--.- 

 name. •— The zemindars. ..aver, that every .^ year, in the month' 

 Pkdlgun ^ single monkey comes frop/i-.:, the plains, bj^wQf of Haridwar 

 and afccnds the higheft peak of this ..mountain, .where- he remains one 

 twelve month, and then -returns -.only to give -place to another ; but he 

 returns in very forry plight, being reduced nearly to a fkeleion^ with 

 the lofsof all his haii; and great portion of his fkino . 



Leaving this .ftation we defcendsd a -wooded and flowery path^- 

 cro fling feveral fmall nullahs, and psffing the fite of an old vi; a^t^ 

 where there were fbme fine old walnut-trees ; around this, then . >s 

 fome cultivation, yery backward of wheat, and a grain called Pa/ 

 and we faw feveral very large flocks of fheep, the wool of which, i 

 tot of all this part of the -co.untry, is extremely coarfe. We foon ; . 



