18 
Account of Captain Hodgson’s Journey to the 
and admire the curious domes of snow over head ; these are 
caused by the hot steam melting the snow over it. Some of 
these excavations are very spacious, resembling vaulted roofs of 
marble ; and the snow, as it melts, falls in showers, like heavy 
ram, to the stream which appears to owe its origin in a great 
measure to these supplies. Having only a short-scaled thermo- 
meter with me, I could not ascertain the precise heat of the 
spring, but it was too hot to keep the finger in it for more than 
two seconds, and must be near the boiling point. Rice boiled 
in it but imperfectly. The range of springs is very extensive, 
but I could not visit them all, as the rest are in dark recesses 
and snow caverns. The water of them rises up with great 
ebullition through crevices of the granite rock, and deposits a 
ferruginous sediment, of which I collected some. It is tasteless, 
and I did not perceive any peculiar smell. Hot springs are 
frequent in the Himalaya perhaps they may be a provision of 
nature, to ensure a supply of water to the heads of the rivers in 
the winter season, when the sun can have little or no power of 
melting the snows in those deep defiles. 
<c From near this place, the line of the course of the Jumna is 
perceptible downward to near LaWha Manclal , and is 55° 40' 
S.W. From the place called Bhairo Gliati , the bed of the river 
is overlaid with snow to the depth of from 15 to 40 feet, except 
at one or two places, where it shews itself through deep holes in 
the snow. 
fiC The snow bed is bounded to the right and left by mural pre- 
cipices of light coloured granite. On some ledges there is a 
sprinkling of soil, where the Bi'hojpaira bushes grow. The end 
of this dell or defile is closed, as before observed, by part of the 
base of the great snowy mountain of Jumnotri , and which is 
visible from the plains. The altitude of the part of the moun- 
tain^ visible, is 29° 48' ; but higher parts are concealed by the 
lower and nearer. The face of the mountain, which is visible 
to the height of about 4000 feet, is entirely cased in snow and 
ice, and very steep. The foot of the base is distant from the 
hot springs about 500 yards, and immediately where the ascent 
becomes abrupt, a small rill is seen falling from a rock, which 
projects from the snow. It is about 3 feet wide, and shallow, be- 
ing only a shower of spray produced by the snow now thawing 
