lUMNA AM© BHA'Cl'EAT'HF rivers; fSS 



©r height^i to any we have fcen, their ruins lie in wild c'^notic maffes 

 at their feet, more fcanty wood relieves their nakednefs ; even the dark 

 hive more farciy .roots itfelf in the deep chafms which time has worn. 

 Thus on all lidss is the profpecl clofedj favc m front to the eafl ^ 

 where from behind a mafs of bare rocky fpircs, four huo;e lofty fnow/ 

 peaks arifco Thefc arc the peaks of Rudrtz Himd/a,, 



'Tiiisiirfl and moll natural objcd of enquiry, after calling a glance 

 • ©ver the general landfcape, is to afcertain whence the river fpringSo 

 Here, as at Jamnotn^ wc were told, that no moital has, or can go fur- 

 ther in its bed towards its fource, than this fpot ; and this difficulty is 

 indeed fiafficiently apparcnto I made a trial to gain a point abouE 

 twelve furlongs off, beyond the temple^ for the purpofc of obferving 

 the coarfc of the river, and of feeing Gangotri in another point of vie v/ % 

 but having, with coniiderablc difficulty, m^de my way for fome dif- 

 lance over the unfleady fragments, at the rilk of being precipitated 

 into the Orcam, I was forced to turn back; beyond that pointj the 

 precipices defcend more abruptly to the water's ^dgQ : and, m all pro« 

 bability, it would be nearly impofiible to make way along their faces, 

 Croffing the ftream, to take advantage of the ealier places that may oc- 

 cur on either fide, is ous of the queHion : it is too large and rapid ;— 

 and climbing higherup the mountain fide is equdly fo, for the crags 

 increafe in ruggednsfs and deepnefs till they end in fnow. It may be, 

 that: entcrpniing perfons rcmainiog at this fpot for feveral days or 

 weeks, might explore or form a path towards the fource, for time and 

 patient perfeverance can do much, and has in fa^t, formed the path 

 hither 5 but I am convinced not only of the difficulty of the thing it« 

 felf, but that it would not be eafy to overcome the relu6lancc of the 

 bill people to afcend, whofe affiftance would be fo necedary to ftran- 

 gers, and whom fuperllition and religious prejudice have hitherto 



kept belov/. 



I M 



