Notice of a Visit to the Himmleh Mountains and the Valley of Kashmir, in 1835 Author(s): Baron Charles Hgel Source:

Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Vol. 6 (1836), pp. 343-349 Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1797569 . Accessed: 21/05/2011 12:51
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342

(lnd of Voyaye.s theAcZventure SEcayle. Surveying

to appealto be asceltained less tilall three Ilope anelCpe El(>rn awid of secolicis tillle. 'riloseof Valparai.so Callao a,lee with tile Oltznalllis. bs calculated Professor resultsot the best obqervatiolis, Tliatof Otalleite(o1 Tahiti) accoldssvitiltl;e pOSitiOIl ASSintled lly of CaptainCook alidMr. SVale3. Otil lon^,itude New Zealalid exactlyeith thatof W1.Dliperrey,of tile Coquille. at,rees Flom Sydlleyto Kitl George'sSoulldthe Beavle corrohorate3 to of tile determiliatioll Flindels; aaidfrc)mtile lMauritius the dilleleliceof lolzt,itu(e,alid Capeof Good Elope,tlle astiollolilical xvitil are ils exact accol-dalice Illeridian distance, Oxven's CCaptain our measuremealts.How, allclu!llele,has all eirorof tl-lirty-tillee 11ave leell exatilied all. ? beell caused l'ile coinputatiolis secollds alld velified,again atid a^,aill. 'rhe listlul latez of tile cilrollowovfl(ldetect any sueAden meters, and tileis daily coll)parisolis, errolor cilanOe.

on J?emarks Chronometers.
Dulint ei^,ht aeals' observation of the moveinents of a large nuluber of chiollometers, I lsilve l)ecome gradilally conviliced tilat the ordilialy motions of a ship, sticil as pitcililig atid rollillt, moderately, do llot affect toleraluly good chl ononieters WhiCil tIre fixed ill c)lle )lace, and are defelideci fiolil sibratioll and COIlCUSSiOIl. Frequeritly employing chrollometels in bobits and in very slnall iS the vessels has strenbtilelled my COIIViCtiOn tll'lt telllperatlll'e cllief, if l ot tile olily, calise (generally sI)eakilig)of marked claliges of late. The balances of but few natches are so well compellsated as to l)e proof at,ainst a long contilillunce of lli^,her01* loer teniperatule. It oftell ha)pes tillt tile air ils port, ol llear tile ltmel, is at a temperature s!ery s3iSerellt fiolil that ovel the opell sea in the sicillity. Helice the diSerence sometimes {otnad betsTeen llarboul alid sea rntes. The cleanbe so fiequelitly lloticec:l to talve place in the rates of cilrollometels moved from the silore to tile ship, a11dIlle resZelse, are well knowil to be paltiv caused by cleange of tempelatl(re alld partly by ehallte of situatiol. I hase never folind chronometers go better thall when the boxes sere bedded in sassrdust, ancl the watches moving freely ill welloiled jimbals. Suspelldilig tllem in cots not only alters their rate, lxut makes tllem go less regularly. \Yhen fixed to a solid su}stalice, tiley feel lhe vibratiolis caused by people ltuniling on tile decks, by silocks, or by cilain-cables lilililill;, out.

Surveying Foyages theAdvenfure Beagle. of and

343

A cushion,ztool, hair,or any SUCh substance, preferable a is to solid l)ed; but I call thinkof nothinbletter thallplain drysawdust. Manyclllonometric measuremellts causederrors, great lJave alld consequent perplexity, tlle followint, ill manner:The chrollometers ratedin ail whose average were temperature ^vas us suppose)70?. (let 'l'heywerethencarried throut,ll eithercollsiderably air hotteror collsiderably colder,alldagainratedill a tempelature 1learly equal to thatspecified. The rates did llot differmuch, and it was supposedthat the chrollometels been ,oing extrenlelywell: in truth the rates had of most of the haddiffered ewfremely thosefound from in portdllrillgthe voyage; but theyhadreturned nearlyto thecslel ratesuponreachillt, nearlyequaltemperature. This has happened more or Iessto everyship carryillg chrono metersacrossthe equator, especiallyw!lengoing to Rio de Janeiro ith the sun to tbe 1lorthward the Illle. of ,Magnelism supposed by some persons affect the rates of is to chrollometels. It is diflicultto detect.
M!atches
I

XV1II.-Notice of a Visitto theHtmmaleh Moxntains and the Valley Kashmirx ]83o. Communicated Baron of in by Charles ilugel. [BARON EIUSe1) Vienna, knovvn an eminent of well as naturalist, havinc, returned thiscountry, all absence Europe just to after from of six yeaxs, chiefly spentin Illdia, communicated followhas the
illg accountof a jOUI fromthe riverSutlej at Belast)dr, ney through the lowerrallgeof the Himmalehto Iiashmir,from thenceto tlle 11ighest part of the Tibet PalljAhl, then to the Attockand back througll Palljabto Lud'>alla, the recrossint, Sutle;; accoulpalhe nied by a letter)tracing routeduling his fineyears'travels, his from wllicha slightextractis sllbjoilled.]
" I left Toulon in May, 1831, lrisitedparts of Greece, Cyprus,Latakia, and BaalUek; Alexandria,Cairo,and Egpyt, to the confines of Nubia; descended the Nile to Ghineh3; crossed to Cosseir and embarkedin the steamer for Bombar,lvhere I arrived in the spring of 1832. In India I visited Puna, Aurungabad,Ellora, Sattara, Bijapur,BelgAm,Goa, Darwar, Bellari, Bangalore,Seringapatam, the Nilgheries, Kochin, Cape Komorin,Palalncottas and by Raw Mantr in Ceylon. In this Island I arisited both the east andwest coasts; the highest polnt Pedradallegalla, near Nur Ellia, and
sylias miseram to

VOL. Vl.

2 A

A Visitfo theHtmmaleh Mountaixs} Qc.

the little-knoxvn interiorandbhestupendous monuments the lzeligion of of Baudha. Returningto the coastof Coromandel, reachedJ"adras I in September 1833, where I embaIked his BritannicMajest^'s in ship Alligator, Ca)tain Lambert, anfl sisite(l the Eastel Islands, the Friendly and Society Islands, SinghapAr, Sumatrasand Java; Swan River, King Geolge's Sound and Sydney, in Australia; Van Diemen'sLand, New Zealand,and Norfolk IslandsMallila, and reachefl Cantonin the beginning of 1835. Thence to Madras and Calcutta; by steam to Benares7Lucknau, Allahabad,Agra BhurtpAr, Delhi; thence to Massuri and Simlah, an(l after a stanr three months in of the British Himmaleh,I crossedthe Slltlej at Bilaspur,to Eiashulir, Attock; recrossedthe Sutlej at Ludtyana, returnedto Dellli; thence to Ajmeer,Chittoor, Udipoor, MountAboo Almedabad,Surat, and reachedBombay May 1836." in

The highest chain of the Himmaleh, aftel the river Sutlej hascrossedit, changesits directioll moreto the llortll,allddetaching fronlits main body several isolated masses,follows this directionto 7o?3()' E. lollgitude? wherein latitude35? N. it takes at once a westerlydirectiol. Soon after tlle Sutlej is passed, the travellelllasno nzore befole his eve, from elevatedspots, the endless lilles of ridgeswith theirwhite peaks, whichis the peculiarcllaracter the highestchaill of the Elimnlaleh,seell frolll of Massuri.,nd Simlah; but ollly detached molllitailis coYered \\7itll snow, partly intersectedwith loBterrarlgesand deep ravines, some at a gleat distance orle froln another, withvalleys betwee tllem. Those detached mountains appearfromthe plainsof the Palljab as one wIninterltlpted cllaill. 'the largest of them, the Mori Rallge, zrhichbegillsto the northof Belaspur; itS llighest pOillt appearsto be the Mony MGiS lEdar: tllis bears N.E. fio Nadaun,;here it is called'rchampr. Seen fromliabll, lMondobli K.ltiba(lW10ndobri Illoulltain) appears be the highest The to Mori Rangeis (livided threetlotlps of 1lsowlntains, llighest into the POintS WhiC11e CA1leD Of Al MOI1dObri liaTjBa,GaL11 and aZ;, ManyMas KidGfr; thesebearfionl Kabli,N . 30?ER., 70?1:i;.) N. and N. 80?E., tlle firstis the nevarest. The bloli raugeis entirelyUllcollllected withthe higl-lest cllaitl theHiwllllEleh, aboult tyof and thil fivellsilesill lelog,th7from to N.Wt.; it terminates S.E abruptly due E. fiolalNur)Ar. it is composedof severalxnore less }outlded or peaksto tile S.0E*, fornlsat lasta lolxgstlaightline of the same alld lleigllt covele(l sZithsslow ill its ravilles. Below them,towards the S.W., is a lulaillol large valley called ZamberKidar,ovelgrowsll jtlrlglealldWitllOUt cultivatio. with
l'he next axe the Santcll Moulltains,llluch higher than tlle SIori

Qc. Mountains, A Yisit{otheHimmaleh

345

i.s Range; theil direction N.N.W.; they are composed of very shaped points,allcl extendfor abouttwentymiles. extraordinalily The highestpoint is Sericot, a singularlyshapedpyramid; the N.E. to N. by E. rangebearsfrolnNCrpur, is Mountains Baldewa,or Rumnugrl'othe west of the Santcl1 snowymountain;its top forms a plain with a gur, an insulated of regularlyshaped elevationon it. It is the 11earest a11to the fron1 plaillsof the PanjAb; this makes it peculiarlyconspic(lous thence; in fact, it appearsas one of the highestpointsin the imentirelymihe but fromVizierabad, disappears mense panorama and sePnill the naountaills.Betweenthe SantchMountains Balbut dewa is the shortestroad.toKashmlr, impassablefor horses. highestpointbearsN.N.W. fromNdrpfir. Baldewa's snowypoints; Tricota,or TricotaDevi is thelastof theinsulated when seen fromthe W., conmountaill it is a beautifillly-forlned is sisting of threepeaks,the highestof vzhich in the centre: it is fromthe plains only by one low range. Tricotais the separated and mountains, the snosv,though snosvy lowest of thoseillsLllated entil sometirnes ely fronlit. seldonl,disuppears of Fromthe appearance thesemountainsthe directionof the stratais difficultto be guessed,except fromthe Mori mountains, it urhere is fromthe S.BT.to N.E. Tricotathele is againa greatbreak in tl1esnowymoun Froll1 taills, but IlOt visible from the Panjab. There the 'ribetian fill up to the eye the open space; a beautifulvalley, moTllltaiDS roadleads Doon, is at its foot,thloug}lwhichthe shortest the R@as fromJonlmAto Kashmir. To theN. by W. of the TricotaDevi rises the Ratan Panjahl, which, althoughullder the snow line, rises11,60()feet abovethelevel of the ocean. This rangeis again fromthe Pir Panjahl,whichforms an ellolmous mass sel?arated runningfrom 73? to 75? E. long., in the Illountains of SllonJy nlost singular sinuosities. Here the snowy mountainsrecede moreand rllorefrom the plaills of the Panjab. 13ya deep and arrowchaslll the Jhylugl finds its vzaythroughthen1; on the tl1e contil]tle same naountains banksof hich the Baranaulla riglat to reaches tlleriverof moulltains, the rallge,which,through Kamsir K4sh, Attock,andis unitedwiththe Tibet Panjahlandthe HindX whichthe Attock ranges,namedtlle Gosseie,throut,h by illlulellse arre, {losvs;and N ulillenss thlough whichthe KishenGangaflows, thanthat direction diXerent haveherean elitirely These niountailis timefromE. by N. rolind-botill ullfora certain of the Himmaleh; mountains, the ing to S. by W.; so that the PirPalljahl, Bararnilila and the Gosseie?Ntinnellwarre, the Tibet Panjalll,forma regular whichonly round the valleyof KashmirX ovalof snowymountailis by of in its S.W. end, andfor one-fifth its extent, is interrupted
2 A
2

346

A Fisitto {heHimsczle11 Mountains} NfC.

lowerranges. All tlle highestmountains whichI hadoccasiollto examillerouncl valley,hasre the theirdip to the east of laortll, JiSillo abrllptlywitll deep precipicesfrom the south and v est, Witll scarcelyallyvegetation,alld have on tlleir top, plains and long ridges,descendillt, an obtuseant,le,and covel vith tl-lel ichest at ed soil and vegetationin the direction of llorth and east. This changes a little Oll the Tibet Panjahl, where soIlletilnesplaills are on the Kashmirside of tlle highest ranS,e. In this direction Nanga Purvut,or Diaxnal, (tlle formerthe Tibet, tlle lattertlle Kashmir1lame,) l)earillt, by W. fromtlle town of Washmir N. is tlle highestpOillt, wllich, fiom the Banderpur Pass to Iscardtl,appearslike a giganticpyramid risingabove- tlle otllermountaills. all From Nunnenwarre by W. fromthe tOWIthe snowypeaks (N. ) of the Tibet PalljahltlaveX a soutllerly first, direction, reaching at the precipitous terminatioll themollntains thesouthal-ld of to west, within six miles from the actualplains of Wasllnlir;and then, turnitlgin an eastelly direction,recedefartlleralldfartherfro the valley. Ill this directiollale the tro hidhestpOilltS of tlle whole Tibet Panjahl; whichis tlle contilluatioll tlle higllest of chain of the Elimmaleh,and whicll points I believe to be the highest fromthe Sutlej to the Illdus. They arecalledMer and Ser, and collsist of tss!opyramids,one black, the otlleruhite in appearance near olle to tlle other, and of the same heit,ht; risingin unparalleled majesty over the looulldless region of snow, whellseen fiom the highestpointof the Pir Palljahl. 'rilesetwo mountaillsare seen fromVisierabad, bearinnN. 5o E. andN. 57 E., havingthe plai1lsof the Psllljab,the Pir Paljahl, alld tlle walley Kashmirbetweenthemand Vizierabad;fionsthe valley of I thinkthemfortymilesdistallt. Before the Moguls conqueredKashmil,sevel1passes existed leadingto the vsllley. Acbel entlustedthen1 heleditary to Alalliks, allottincr themvillages,for whichthey u!ele olxliged defendthe to pass entrusted them, atldill case of warto appearil) the field to with a certainnumberof soldiers,varyint, fionl 100 to 500, wl-lich at this momenttlaeyare unableto do. Acber gase them pouer of lite anddeath;the Patallsleclucedtl1isto tlle posver cuttint, of off noses andears, and llOW tileif pOM'el' COllSiStS ill filleS. rrhe followillg a list of tllelll,beginnillc, the noltllof tlle town,alld is to turning the east:to 1. Dellawel Mallik. Banderpul Pa1ljahl* (pass), by I(uillama to Iscaldu; the hit,llest pOillt of thepass tlsil ty-fotlrnliles fromthe tonvn. . FlossulMallik. Sandrileall Panjahl,to Iscal:lG.
+

Pansahlin the Kashmir lanlage.

za

visit

{0

theHimmaleh Mountains, Xc.

347

3. }!l[aredwaderan Mallik. Tlle salnePanjahlto Ladak. This pass divideswhen oll the higllestpoint of it, fifty miles fromthe town. 4. NaubuckNai Mallik. NaubukPanjahl,orTibet Panjabl, by Islamal)adand Naubvlkto Ladak; the highestpoint of the passseventy-four miles fiom the town. 5. Shahabadka Mallik. Sa",am Panjahlllur BanllallPalljalll. Both to Kishtewarand Jummu; the forulel fifty, the latterfolty-si2lniles,to tlle highestpoint. 6. liulnarwah Mallik. Kulnaruahlvanjahl Junlm6, fiftyto fourmiles to the highestpoint. 7. ShupiallkaM7a11ik. Patljalll, sixty 1nilesto the highest Pir
point.

The followinz, the now existi1lb ale passes: 1. Banderpur Pass. 2. Kalldriball Pass. 3. NaubuckPass. 4. SagamPass. 5. BanhallPass. 6. Kulnarwah Pass. 7. Scllpianka Pass, melltioneel befole. 8. NillgmarukTera Pass to Plullch; tu7elsty-six miles to the highestpointof tlle pass. 9. Tossemaidall Pass to Prunch, o^er the plaill of Tasse, twenty-six milesto the higllestpoint. 10. Ferospur Pass to Prllnch,twenty-eight milesto the highest
point.

11. Baramulla Pass, by Canhorn, Pruncll,fifty-twomiles to to the highestpoi7X1t. 12. Baralllulla Pass, by Mozuffierabad, Tchikri of old, to the Attock. All the passesto Prunchare of a neryrecentdate, and for this reasonI10 Mallikexist. It is the salale ith Baramulla, llOWtlle existil1g pass being nladeby tlle Patales eighty years ago; which appearsto throwsonle doubt on Acbels entelingthe valleyfrom that direction. He found, at all events, the difficulties great, so thathe thought unnecessary appointa Mallik.* it to All the passesof Kash1llir overthe lliglsestmountaills, go with the exceptio1l the Baranlulla,or Westeln Pass, which follows of the coulse of the Jhylllm. It is ratherextraordi1laly this that liver comes from a part of the valley 7here no snowy rallges exist, and runsill tlle directioll wheretheylise withouttermination
* Nos. ll. 12. 5. 3, arethe passesalwaysopen,

348

d lmisifto theHimmaleh Mourztains, Qc.

one overthe other It is a peculiarfeature the three largest of riversof the Panjab, the Sutlej, the Jhylum, alid the Attock, that they runfor a considelabletime in the directioll the foof mationof the highest ridge: the first and the last havillt,tileir sollrcesbeyondthehighestmountains it. of The valley of Kashmirhas on its south side gentl+7rising hills,thelast declivities the Pir Panjahl,coveredwith tile mo.st of luxuriantvegetation;and the eye gradually ascendsover theil beautiful formsandcolours to the snowyrange with its thousand peaks. On this side moreor less extensive valleysare formed)in the centre whichthe purest mountain-strealils of flow, and form, higherup, innumerable cascades. In this directionthe Zoologist alid botallistmust bend hls steps; here the thickest woods are interspersed with open plaills, and the ^landerer tilroubhthem finds1leither the former tree felled by man,nor ill the lattel in a the countless tiowersbelit by the steps of a livingbeing. Here is perfect solitude; there, treasules of vegetatiollare 11eaped up withoutall eye to enjoythem; andthe sileliceis only interrupted by the notesof the blackbird the hillbul. or The travelleris surprised filid themountains tilis temperate to in climate very cold; with their southernexposurebare alid Ullcovered; andto reachthe highestpOillt, andto see, facillg north plains coveredwith {lowersulider tile snow-lille,and tilen the richestforestsdescending the valley. to Kashulfr, a political and financialpoint of view, has been in muchoverrated:llOtill a picturesqueone. The valley, ill its lengthfrom1lorth-\^Testwest to south-east east is little more by by thall ei:,hty miles lOlig; the breadth,crossiligtile forillerlille, varying from thirty miles to six. I speak of the actual plains: fromthe eternalsnowof the Pir Panjahlto the Tibet Panjahlare fromfiftyto sixtylniles. Bothranges nearly run parallel the first in dilectioll,svith greatnumber peaks. Tlle heightof tilepasses a of from13imber Kashnir,and thatfromKashmir Iscarduis the to to same, nearly from 12,000 to ]3,000 feet: the hit,hest pOillt of the Plr Panjahl,1f,000 feet by boilingz!ater. The city of Kashulir, o800 or aS100 feet* abovethe level of the sea. Poputation.-Four years about800,000; now,notexceeding ago, 200,000 persons. The valleyis dividedilltO Illilty-sixperganahs, colitaining townsand2200 villages. SashrnirTown contains ten still 40,000 inhabitants;Chupeyan, 3000; Islalllabad Pamand pur, 2000. It svasnot the bad adtninistration the Sikhs, but a of faminebloughton by frostat the time the rice was itlfloer, and choleraill consequence it, that reduced population oneof the to
* Threethermometers brought verynearlyto the sameheight. it

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