§40 Account of Captain Hodgson’s Journey to the 
lar scenery around us, of which it is impossible to give an ade- 
quate description. 
u The dazzling brilliancy of the snow was rendered more 
striking by its contrast with the dark blue colour of the sky, which 
is caused by the thinness of the air, and at night the stars shone 
with a lustre which they have not in a denser atmosphere : it was 
curious, too, to see them, when rising, appear like one sudden 
flash, as they emerged from behind the bright snowy summits 
close to us, and their disappearance, when setting behind the 
peaks, was as sudden as we generally observed it to be in their 
occultations by the moon. 
“ We were surrounded by gigantic peaks, entirely cased in 
snow, and almost beyond the regions of animal and vegetable 
life, and an awful silence prevailed, except when broken by the 
thundering peals of falling avalanches. Nothing met our eyes 
resembling the scenery in the haunts of men : by moonlight all 
appeared cold, wild, and stupendous, and a Pagan might aptly 
imagine the place a fit abode for demons. We did not even see 
bears, or musk deer, or eagles, or any living creature, except 
some small birds. 
“ To form ah idea of the imposing appearance of a snowy 
peak, as seen here, under an angle of elevation of nearly S3 0 , 
and when its distance is not quite three miles, and yet its height 
is 805§ feet above the station, one should reflect, that if, even 
viewed from the plains of Hindustan, at angles of elevation of 
1° and 1|°, these peaks, towering over many intermediate ranges 
of mountains, inspi^& the mind with ideas of their grandeur, even 
at so great a distance ; how much more must they do so, when 
their whole bulk, cased in snow from the base to the summit, at 
once fills the eye. It falls to the lot of few to contemplate so 
magnificent an object as a snow-clad peak, rising to the height 
of upwards of a mile and a half, at the short horizontal distance 
of only two miles and three quarters. 
6( May 31 . — Advanced from last halting-place, and reached 
a most wonderful scene, which is thus described by Captain 
Hodgson. 
u The Bhagirafhi or Ganges issues from under a very low 
arch at the foot of the grand snow bed. The river is here 
bounded to the right and left by high snow and rocks ; but in 
