278 



Snow on the Himalayas, 



Again, on the Hungrung Pass, rising behind Soongnum, the 

 southern side had far less snow, both in respect to depth and extent 

 than the northern face, down which it stretched nearly to the 

 village of Hungo, or to a distance from the crest of the range of 

 3,600 feet in perpendicular descent. Again, in Pitti, ( vulgo Spittee) 

 above Leedung, while the southern exposure of the Pass which rises 

 behind the village to the height of 15,500 feet, was almost entirely 

 free from snow, except immediately at the summit of the range, the 

 whole northern face was buried deeply to some extent. 



On my return to Hungrung in July, the northern side still held 

 patches of snow here and there, while the crests of the mountains were 

 covered;— but to the southward not a vestige of snow remained 

 except far down the glen, where from the falling of repeated avalan- 

 ches from above, a hard and solid mass had become wedged into 

 an arch or bridge across the brawling torrent that descended from 

 the Pass. Opposite to this, and merely divided by the narrow 

 valley in which stands the village of Soongnum, the northern aspect 

 of Roonung still retained a broad and hardened belt of frozen snows 

 along its crest, while to the southward not a trace of it remained. 

 To the right of Soongnum towards Roopah, on the southern cliiFs 

 no snow remained at all, while those with the northern aspect were 

 in most parts still deeply buried, as was also the northerly face of 

 Manerung in Pitti. 



From these few facts it will appear, that contrary to the usual 

 belief, the snow is retained longer on the northern than on the 

 southern exposure, exactly corresponding with what Dr. Lord ob- 

 served on the Hindoo Koosh ; and why indeed other than such a 

 result should be expected, I am at a loss to divine. The aspects 

 nearly the same ; forming part and parcel of the same great range, 

 surely the same phenomena in this respect might naturally be 

 looked for. Taking it for granted, that the hitherto pubhshed 

 accounts of these stupendous and interesting hills, were circum- 

 stantially to be relied on. Dr. Lord endeavours, with some degree 

 of plausibility, to give the why and wherefore of this difference by 

 stating, that the local relations of the Himalaya and Hindoo Koosh 

 are precisely reversed. The phenomena, however, having been mis- 

 represented, his arguments will not hold good, and besides we shall 



