200 
THE MAGNIFICENT SCENERY OF THE HIMALAYA. 
The fact is, that in no part of the 
world a more sublime sight can be witness- 
ed than the lofty Himalaya, played upon 
by the brilliant rays of a tropical sun. It 
appears that from Choura Pany the view is 
circumscribed. Our author ascends the neigh- 
bouring heights. The lowest altitude of an 
uninterrupted chain of lesser summits, ex- 
tending at least four hundred miles, is in 
Dr. McClelland’s opinion about six thousand 
“ feet above the line of perpetual conge- 
lation, which in this latitude is about twelve 
thousand feet ; consequently, the lowest peaks 
in this portion of the Himalayas must be some- 
where about eighteen thousand feet ; while 
many of the higher summits approach an 
elevation of twenty-five thousand feet above 
the ocean. Careful attention to the changes 
which the physi ognomy of such mighty eleva- 
tions undergo, is an object of the highest 
importance ; and w^as, I believe, first suggest- 
ed by Humboldt : but in order to atford much 
interest in a moderate space of time, con- 
stant observations of the most accurate 
and systematic nature would be necessary.”' 
Our author says that he does not pretend 
to any thing of this sort ; but prefers giving a 
plate, and has ably sketched a general out- 
line of the chain from the highest summit 
of Choura Pany. Dr. McClelland states that 
he took the relative altitudes of the diiferent 
peaks with a common Gunter’s quadrant, fur- 
nished with two right vanes and a plummet. 
In describing the first peak the height of the 
eastern extremity of the range was 2° 45' ; 
western acclivity, 24° ; eastern declivity 60^ 
Our author describes it to have an unsteady 
overhanging character falling towards the 
east; surrounding and subordinate peaks are 
pointed and bristling. The height of the 
secondpeak 3® ; western acclivity, 44o ; eastern 
declivity, 55'; character, pyramidal and 
pointed. 
The third the height of the peak 3® ; eastern 
acclivity, 29® ; western declivity, 50o ; near the 
summit ; chafacter, wedge-shaped. The 
fourth height of peak 2® 45', eastern acclivity, 
47®; character resembling a dome. The 
lowest snow at the apparent base of the 
fourth peak 1® 17' . The same at the appa- 
rent base of the first peak. Our author ob- 
serves that, 
“ From these kind of observations also a 
formula may be derived for calculating inac- 
cessible heights ; the lower limit of perpe » 
tual congelation being determined. Her^, 
as has been found by Webb and other travel- 
lers, that limit is about 12,000 feet ; and its 
height at the base of (6), for instance, was 
1® ; deduct the height of the place of observa- 
tion (6,000) from the height of the lowest 
snow (12,000), and the difference is the value 
of a degree of height ; accordingly, the peak 
(h) must be somewhere about 24,000 feet 
high*.” 
The plate which illustrates the foregoing 
does great credit to Dr. McClelland as an 
artist, and also to Mr. Bennett who drew it 
on stone ; and it proves that lithography and 
printing here will soon be equal to work done 
in Europe. The following passage will give the 
readers some idea of our author’s style. It iS" 
Chaste and eloquent, 'foi* which Dr. Mc- 
Clelland’s countrymen of the emerald isle 
are so justly celebrated. 
” The hours of the day, at which these 
awfully interesting altitudes are seen to most 
advantage, is either before sun-rise, or after 
sun-set ; when their soft crimson forms are 
barely relieved from the glowing tints of 
the sky, by the golden lights that play along 
their varied outlines. 
From the position at which these obser- 
vations are supposed to be made, the moun- 
tains which intervene between the snowy 
range and the eye, vary in their respective 
altitudes from six to twelve thousand feet. 
The different branches of the river Gogra are 
sometimes seen, but often only heard, in furi- 
ous torrents, rushing down the river valleys, 
which divide the mountain groups from each 
other. The great valley of the Gogra is seen 
a few miles to the east : the river running 
from a north-easterly direction, and receiving 
a large bi*anch that comes fromthe north-west. 
The north-eastern branch continues to mark 
the boundary between the kingdom of Nepaul 
and the province of Kemaon. The western 
branch is soon discovei'ed to be formed of two 
rivers : one of which comes from the north, 
and the other from the north-west, receiving 
its origin in the mountains, east and north- 
east of Almorah, in conjunction with the 
Pindur, or third branch of the Ganges. 
* Notwithstanding the confidence we are 
ever ready to repose in mathematical rules in 
the elucidation of the laws of nature, yet they 
are often as imperfect as the limited obser- 
vations on which they are founded. Thus there 
is reason to believe, that the inferior limit of 
perpetual congelation is much more elevated 
on the S. W. acclivity of the Himalaya than 
has been assigned to it by Captain Webb. 
There is reason to believe, that the inferior 
annual limit of snow varies so amazingly, 
according to peculiarity of seasons, that a 
series of years only would afford accurate 
calculations. See the Chapter on Climatology. 
