Head of the Ganges. 245 
“ It now remains to give some account of this bed or valley 
of snow, which gives rises to the Ganges. It appears that we 
passed up it, somewhat more than a mile and a half. — From 
our last station, we could see onwards, as we estimated, about 
five miles, to where there seemed to be a crest or ridge of con- 
siderable elevation, though low when compared with the great 
peak which flanked it. The general slope of the surface of the 
snow valley was 7°, which was the angle of elevation of the 
crest, while that of the peak St George, one of those which 
flanked it to the left, was 17° 49'. In the space we had passed 
over the snow bed, the Ganges was not to be seen ; it was con- 
cealed, probably, many hundred feet below the surface. We had 
a fair view onward, and there was no sign of the river ; and I 
am firmly convinced that its first appearance in day is at the de- 
houche I have described. Perhaps, indeed, some of those various 
chasms and rents in the snow-bed, which intersect it in all sorts of 
irregular directions, may occasionally let in the light on some part 
of the bed of the stream ; but the general line and direction of 
it could only be guessed at, as it is altogether here far below the 
broken snowy surface. The breadth of the snow valley or bed 
is about a mile and a half, and its length may be 6‘J or 7 miles 
from the debouche of the river to the summit of the slope, which 
terminated our view ; as to the depth of the snow, it is impos- 
sible to form a correct judgment, but it must be very great. It 
may easily be imagined, that a large supply of water is furnish- 
ed at this season, by the melting of this vast mass in the valley, 
as well as by the melting of that of the great peaks which bound 
it. From their bases torrents rush, which, cutting their way 
under snow, tend to the centre of the valley, and form the young 
Ganges, which is further augmented by the waters which filter 
through the rents of the snow-bed itself. In this manner, all 
the Himalaya rivers, whose heads I have visited, and passed 
over, are formed ; they all issue in a full stream from under 
thick beds of snow, and differ from the Ganges, inasmuch as 
their streams are less, and so are their parent snows. On our 
return down the snow valley, we passed nearer to its north side 
than in going up, and saw a very considerable torrent cutting 
under it from the peak ; this was making its way to the centre. 
At times, we saw it through rents in the snow, and at others, 
q 2 
