1862.] Journal of a trip in the SiJcJcim Himalaya. 473 
and resume our explorations in the direction of Kanchunjingah. Mount¬ 
ing over the two glaciers of yesterday, and proceeding by the lake, 
which we found to be about 500 yards long by 100 broad, we ascended 
another immense morain which confined a third glacier on the west 
side of the valley. This one appeared to begin nearly on a level with 
the top of the mountain range, at probably 20,000 feet, then descend¬ 
ing by the mountain side came sweeping along the valley in a curve 
about a mile in length, the more elevated portion being formed of 
masses of ice covered with snow, rising in steppes one above the 
other, and the lower portion presenting a sea of broken masses of 
ice, covered with snow and debris. A more stupendous mass of ice 
and snow it is scarcely possible to conceive. Dr. S. took a photo¬ 
graph of it. On our right at the foot of Pundeem we saw another 
lake partially frozen, and a little further on a third one. Descending 
from the glacier we proceeded for a mile, occasionally along the dry, 
smooth bed of the Datong, and over frozen snow, when we arrived 
at the fourth and last glacier, equal in extent to the others. With 
great difficulty we scrambled up the steep sides of its retaining 
morain, over frozen snow. When near to top, Kemble was nearly 
precipitated to the bottom by his foot giving way and only saved by 
rapidly digging his alpine stick into the snow, which pulled him up. 
On reaching the northern extremity of this glacier, at the head of 
the Datong valley, we found ourselves standing on the water shed 
between Kanchunjingah, and the Pundeem, Kubra, and Junnoo 
ranges to the south and west. We were at an elevation of about 
18,500 feet, and had we proceeded further, we should have had to 
descend into what appeared to us a perpetually snow covered valley. 
Although we were unable to look down into the bottom of the valley, 
we could see the clouds rise out of it from the east and west and 
ascend the sides of Kanchunjingah, of which we obtained a near and 
good view through a narrow gorge which terminates the Datong 
valley. Kanchunjingah stood apart, unconnected with any of the 
high mountain ranges to the south. The nearest spot not covered 
with snow in its southernmost spur was probably not more than a 
mile and a half or two miles distant, the stratification of which was 
clearly visible. Its formation is probably of gneiss, not of a contorted 
type, and which has a dip of 20 to 25° to the east. Others may 
determine the interesting point of its geological structure, but this 
3 Q 
