86 THE HIMALAYA MOUNTAIN'S. 
for' huge masses advance in some places into the lowW 
(listrict.s, and in others the crest recedes in long ravineSi 
that are the beds of torrents, while behind they are cloieJ 
l> 3 ' a succession of the loftier eliiFs. Every account "'S 
receive of a passage through them, (and this is no'doubt 
found most eoinmonly where the belt is narrowest,) give* 
a detail of many days' journey through deserts of sno''' 
and rocks ; and it is to be inferred, that on the north-east 
side they advance to, and retreat from the low ground i" 
an equally irregular manner. Indeed, some account’ 
would induce the belief, that long ranges, crowned with 
snow-clad peaks, project in various places from the gre*’* 
spine, and include habitable and niilder districts ; for, it* 
;dl the routes of which we have accounts, that proceed i” 
various directions towards the Trans-Himalayan coiiO* 
tries, hills covered with snow are occasionally mention' 
ed as occurring, even after the great deserts are pas*" 
ed, and the grazing country entered. The breadth, thcOi 
of this crest of snow-clad rock itself cannot fairly be esf' 
mated at less than from seventy to eighty miles. 
The great snowy belt, ;dthough its loftiest crest is In'O' 
ken into numberless clitfs and ravinc.s, neverthek^ss jn'C' 
sents a barrier perfectly impracticable, except in tlio^^ 
])laces where hollows that become the beds of rivers ha'"® 
in some degree intersected it, and facilitated approach h’ 
its more remote recesses ; and courageous awl attenti'’® 
perseverance has here and there, discovered a dimgeron’ 
and difficult path, by which a possibility exists of pci'^' 
trating across the range. Few rivers hold their coui'^f 
■wholly through it : indeed, in the upper part in the Si'tl®J 
alone has been tr.aced beyond this rocky barrier ; and thC^ 
is a path along its stream, from different parts of wdiic^ 
roads diverge, tiiat lead in various directions through 
mountains. No reasonable doubt can now exist of 
very long and extraordinary course which this river 
Captain Webb of the Bengal establishment, was lat®-- 
employed on a survey of the province of Kumaoon. 
the 21st day of June, his camp was ]J,6'80 feet 3^“',, 
Calcutta. The surface was covered with very rich ve.S'" 
tation as high as the knee: very extensive beds of stts’T 
berries in full flower ; and plenty of currant-bushe* !i 
blossom all around, in a clear spot of rich black 
