8J5« 'I'UiS, HIMALAYA MOUNTAINS. 
that this was at least 1500 feet above Bheemkcudar, or 
from U,500 to 15,000 feet above Calcutta. 
Wc proceeded onwards, ascending very rapidly, whi 
vegetation decreased gradually to a mere green moss, wiUi 
liere and there a few snow-flowers starting througli it . 
snow fast increasing, till at length we entered on 
presume was the perennial and unmelting snow, entirely 
beyond the line of vegetation, where the rock was bat® 
even of lichens: and in this we ascended, as I tiiiiiL, 
about 800 feet ; for, though Bamsooroo Ghat may not he 
so far above this line, we continued ascending, even attet 
crossing that point, and I would incline to estimate tin* 
utmost extent of ascent at 2000 feet more, or nearly 
1 7,000 feet above the level of Calcutta. 
Whilst proposing to consider the point of 10,000 t" 
16,500 feet as that of inferior congelation, I must observe, 
that there was no feeling oi frost in the air, and the sno' 
was moist, though hard, chiefly through the influence e 
a thick mist, which, in fact, amounted to a very snia* 
drizzling rain, which fell around : all which would seen 
to indicate, that the true line of congelation had not ther 
been attained ; but we were surrounded by snow wbic' 
evidently never melted. To a great depth below it e 
tended all over the hills, very little broken, while on tl> 
valleys from whence the Coonod and Bheera streams is*" ’ 
at full 2000 feet below, it lay covering them and the sur- 
rounding mountains, in an unbroken mass, many hundrei 
feet thick. Thus, though it may seem contradictory, tn 
line of perpetual congelation, in fact, seenis fixable j 
even below the point 1 have ventured to indicate; 
presume, might on these grounds, be placed somcwhei 
between 15 and 1 6,000 feet above the level of CalciitW' 
The result of all the considerations that arise out ol o 
foregoing remarks is a belief, that the loftiest peaks of tn . 
Himala range will be found to fall considerably short ^ 
the height attributed to them by Mr. Colebrooke ; 
that their loftiest peaks do not more than range fr" 
18,000 to 22 or 23,000 feet above the level of tlie sea- ^ . 
Having reached the top of an ascent, we looked, 
Mr. Fraser, down upon a very deep and dark glen, cah^,- 
I'alia Gadh, which is the outlet to the waters of 
the most terrific ami gloomy valleys 1 have ever 
