MA NASAROVARA IN UftDES. 399 



warm; at noon it is fukry; about three (he heat generally and - fud- 

 dehly fubfides, and the tops of the higheft mountains are enveloped in 

 clouds, which depofit their contents on them in the form of {'now and 

 in very gentle mowers of rain in the valley of NHL The changes in 

 the temperature of the atmofphere are very fudden and f eve re.* In 

 the morning the fum'mits of the higheft mountains are wholly con- 



* On a fubfeqiient day Mr. Moorcroft obferves * JuHe iztb.— The temperature of the air 

 varies much in the courfe of tha day and night. At fun-rife, the thermometer is from 4o o u>50°; 

 in the middle of the day, from 70 to 80°. At eight in the morning the fun overtops the hills which 

 furround.thc little valley of Nht, and blazes with a fisreenefs pf which we were the more- fcnfible 

 from the cold of the morning. ! About three the heat falls off moft rapidly. I have neve*r befdre 

 experienced fo fudden a tranfition from heat to cold, and contrariwife. At night I ana only comfortably 

 warm with almoft all the bed clothes I can mufter. At fun-rife a thick coarfe woollen Hindujiani Chatkal 'or 

 wrapping gown, over fhirr, cotton waiflcoat and double cotton coat, is only juft fufficient to keep out the 

 r cold. At nine the outer e'oatoiuft be thrown offj at ten it' is deniable to get quit of the other; and 

 at noon the reft of the garments are, to fay the leaft, incommodious from the heat. The reverfe of 

 th : s progrefs becomes neceffary" from half 'paft three till night. The frequent changes of the tem- 

 perature produce colds and -fevers both amongft the inhabitants and ftrangers: but, though rather 

 active in their fymptoms, they are n."i<her dangerous nor of long continuance. Ordinardy from the 

 morning till about three o'clock, "these is an ■ upper and under current in the atmofphere. The'clnids 

 are generally white during this time; move brilkly towards the north, aid chinge their forms with ,much 

 vivacity. Their fpfed is commonly checked .is they approach the moft 1 f y mountains, to which they de« 

 c in", and if they do not come fa-much within thieir influence as to burft upon them, th-y regain by degrees 

 their former comfe. - But about three, the, clouds became more murky, are ft.itionary, envelope the fummits of 

 the m (tinfains, -and roll down their fides, difchargin.g their contents in the form of fn -w uron the higheft,,iud 

 in light fhowesof rain upon the lower Ones 1 . The lower current is formed by the imerrup ion given to the 

 un ler ftrata of the higher current by the irregular form of the land bene*th, and is almoft -continually varying 

 in direction. During (till nights the dew falis very heavily ; but, when ihere is a little motion in the atmof- 

 phere, the humidity is fufpCnded above the valley and attracted by the hiib. The liars are very brilliant, and 

 the north ftar is beautifully tefplendent. A bed of clear light coloured air in the darkeft night overhangs the 

 fummits of the peaks wh ; ch are covered wiih fnow. Once only lightning has been obferved : but, there 

 his been no ihunder during our (lay. ' Does the great height of the mountains ca-rry off the eleftr.city of the 

 atmofphere before it can be accumulated in quantity fufficient tod ifplace a body of air with the violence ne. 

 cefTary to produce an explofion ? I regret that we have no mean* of meafuring our actual height above the 

 Lvel of the fea. All of us feci much inconvenience through it being neceffa y to bre ;the ve y frequently, 

 even when going as (lowly as poffible upon an eafy afceut. We a itkipa-te great fatigue from this caufe on 

 fading theftupendous heights over which the road lies. The natives recommend a fmall quantity of coarfe 

 ,iugar to be eaten whilft we are mounting, and fpeak highly of the power of the kind 0/ fpar found near the 

 ' fnow reduced to powder and mixed with water, in dimioifhing the dittrelTmgly <j nckeneJ acliph of breath, 

 in o . Ihie fpar they believe to be fnow gra iu dly m:lted and again condenfei and crjftalbed by conti- 

 1 cold, and call it llimgal from Him, fnow j and gal, it >m galfifta, to nielv 



nua 



