266 OBSERVATIONS ON THE 



the slope, giving the river an impetus, which often roughens to a torrent. 

 In the secondary or softer strata, the channel is less jogged and the 

 surface of the stream smoother, and where the district is limestone, gra- 

 velly, or argillaceous, it meanders silently, threading its way in the sandby 

 numerous intersections : a corresponding character is imprinted on the 

 landscape, the mountains betraying their structure in their configuration. 

 The lower region of the dell is very rugged and abrupt, the granite rocks 

 on each side at the conflux with the Satlej cut into mural precipices, hang 

 like vast gates over the slowly emerging river. The eastern wall of this 

 chasm runs up with an unequal slope till it is crowned by the sharp cliffs 

 of Parkyul, bordering upon twenty-three thousand feet, and repelling 

 the snow from their arid sides to within three thousand feet of their 

 summits.* With the exception of a few miles at the embouchure, the 

 river upwards, as far as the village o£ C/iango, is much inclined, appearing 

 in a line of whiteness. In this neighbourhood, especially at Shialkar, the 

 mountains exhibit their sides of rotten argillaceous slate, and at their 



* Two of the peaks have been found by measurement, respectively, twenty-two thousand five 

 hundred and twenty-two thousand seven hundred, but it is probable that there are still loftier points 

 in the back ground where it abuts upon the table land. The ridge trends along the Spiti as far as 

 Chango, where it is deflected to the north east, and softens into vast heaps, being no longer peaked, 

 and the granite evidently running into the secondary class of rocks, and giving the bluff contour to 

 the masses which have a waving gravelly appearance, with a regular slope. Their summits which 

 seem to exceed twenty-one thousand feet are forsaken by the snow. Even after a heavy fall in the 

 beginning of November which covered the face of the country — those arid mountains presented the 

 lightest drapery like hair powder. My lofty position above the cottage of Changrezing was upon 

 the slope of one of those enornious heaps, and they extended towards the chain of red peaks with 

 an ascending elevation. 



In a notice by Mr. Colebrooke in some English publication, upon the comparative results of 

 various measurements in the Himalaya regions, made by Captains HERBERTand Gerard, he remarks 

 that the only great difference between the observations of the two Surveyors occurred in the altitude 

 of Pa»%z</, where this amounted to three thousand feet, which is a mistake either on the part of 

 Mr. C. or in the statement of the case. The station upon the slope of Parkyul, at nineteen thousand 

 five hundred feet, being confounded with the crest of the peak which is twenty-two thousand five 

 hundred feet, a discrepancy of sufficient magnitude to lessen the dependence to be placed upon the 

 accuracy of all the results. 



