J 0 U ll N A L 
OF THE 
ASIATIC SOCIETY. 
No. Y. 1862 . 
Journal of a Trip undertaken to explore the Glaciers of the Kanchun- 
jingali Group in the Sikkim Himalaya, in November 1861.— By 
Major J. L. Sherwill, Revenue Surveyor. 
The rains had been protracted to a later date than usual. On the 
2nd November, 1861, after a week of fair weather, on the morning 
of one of those balmy days for which, at this season of the year, 
Darjeeling is so famous, our party, consisting of Dr. B. Simpson, 
Bengal Army, Captain E. Macpherson, 93rd Highlanders, W. Kem¬ 
ble, Bengal Civil Service, and myself, left “ The Bright Spot” with 
the view, if practicable, of reaching and ascending any one of the 
perpetually snow-clad spurs of the great Kanchunjingah group of 
mountains, and examining the glaciers of this hitherto unexplored 
portion of the great Himalaya range. From Dr. Hooker’s published 
map of Sikkim we were led to hope our object would have been 
attained by following the course of the Ratong river to its source. 
Accordingly we decided upon following this route, being strengthened 
in our resolution, by knowing that Captain W. S. Sherwill, in 1852, 
had failed in reaching The Big Mountain by continuing along the 
crest of the Singaleelali Range, his further progress having been 
stopped by a deep and precipitous valley. 
Leaving Darjeeling at 7.45 a. m. on our hill ponies, we passed the 
Little Rungeet at 10 A. M. over a good bridge made of bamboos lashed 
together with slips of cane, forming an arch supporting a pendent 
roadway which was constructed in one night by Murray’s sappers for 
the late Lady Canning. Reached the frontier outpost ol Coke, at 
3 o 
