300 ON THE HEIGHT OF THE 



dependent on the relative polition of the Hations In longitude, .con* 

 eluded from a furvey performed by m?,m§ of a . route aaeafured by 

 time in a very uneven country,, 



It might be expe&ed, that ufe ihould be made of numerous other 

 obfervations, which were taken from various elevated fituations among 



6he lower niountains 3 cfpccially thofe which exhibited much laro-er 

 angles; on the prefumabje ground, that the height of any fcleeled 

 point among the numberlefs fnowy peaks of the, Himalaya, would be 



bed afcertained by angles taken at the ncareil portions approaching it* 

 No doubt fuch would be the cafe, could .a furvey be lei fu rely perform- 

 ed .in the mountains, choofing the fitted ftations upon a previous view 



of the country, and fatisfaclorrly identifying the point to be obferved. 

 But a hafly journey (more was not in this inftance practicable) among 

 mountains nearer, to the object, afford lefs means of an accurate mea- 

 furement than a furvey carefully conducted at a remoter diitance in the 

 champaign country, Inftead of keeping in view, from day to day, 

 during the progrefs of furvey, the fame fele&ed point, and being fullv 

 allured of its identity by the uniformity., or at ieali the very gradual 

 iteration of its appearance, the traveller through the mountainous Hurts 

 of the Indian Alps lofes fight of thofe objects for fucceffive days as he 

 proceeds along the vallies, and finds it impracticable, when he emerges 

 to higher ground, his route' leading him over fome mountain, to dif- 

 cera from its fummit the loftiefl peak now perhaps intercepted from 

 his view by one nearer though of lefs elevation; or to difcriminate and 

 recognize among innumerable glacieres which hate varied their afpecl 

 with his change of place, the particular fnowy peak before content 

 plated by him from another iide, io a different point of view* and 



t CM * ' 



