GLACIERS are masses of ice which are formed and remain in the valleys and on the slopes of lofty mountains. In every part of the Himalaya and of Western Tibet, wherever the mountains attain a sufficient elevation to be covered with perpetual snow glaciers are to be found: In the lofty chain of the Cis and Trans Sutlej Himalaya, and of the Konen Lun, whose peaks rise to a very great height, and collect in winter enormous depths of snow, the glaciers are of great length. In the central parts of Tibet, which are often lower, and even iti their loftiest parts are less snowy than the liounding chains, the glaciers are of inferior ditnensions. Where the snow-bed is at once cut off abruptly in an ice cliff, which can hardly be said to be in motion, or rather whose motion must be almost entirely from above downwards, moraines, which. on the larger glaciers and among tnountains of easily decaying rocks are of astonishing dimen sions, form the margins of each glacier, and also occur longitudinally ou different parta of their surface, increasing in number as the glacier ad vances, till at last the several series, whose origin can long be traced to the different ramifications of the glacier, become blended into one. En route to Kara-korum, after leaving,* the Nubra when a sufficient elevation above his encampment had been gained, Dr. Thomson obtained a com manding view of the glacier which occupied the continuation of the main valley. It was nearly straight, and he gues.sed at least five or six miles long. The inclination of its surface was consider able. On each side, two or three lateral glaciers, descending from the mountains by which it was enclosed, contributed to increase its size, all loaded with heaps of stones, which had at the lower end of the central glacier so accumulated as completely to cover its whole surface. One day he-proceeded along the end of the small plain close to which he had been encamped. On the right hand WU an ancient moraine, fvhich prevented him from seeing the road in advance. At the upper end of the plain he found a small strearnlet running parallel to the moraine ; and about a mile from camp reached the end of a small glacier, from which the streamlet had its origin. Crossing the
latter, which was still partially frozen, he ascended ! in a deep hollow between the left side of tho glacier and the moraine. The icy mass had not yet begun. to thaw, the temperature being still ' below freezing. After half a mile he ascended on the surface of the ice, and as soon as lie did so, was enabled t,o see that the glacier had its origin in a ravine on the south, and entered the main valley almost opposite to him. The great body of the ice took a westerly direction, forming the glacier along which he had been travelling ; but a portion formed a cliff to the eastward, which dipped abruptly into a small, apparently deep lake. At the distance of perhaps 500 yards there was another glacier, wluch descended from a valley in the northern range of mountains, and, like the one on which ho stood, presented a per pendicular wall to the little lake. Right and left of the lake were enormous piles of boulders, occupying the inWrval between its margin and the mountains, or rattier filliag up a portion of the space which it would otherwise have occupied. Into this very singular hollow be descended, on a steep icy slope, and, passing along the northern margin of the lake, ascended on the glacier beyond, as before, between the ice, and, on reach ing the surface of the second glacier, he found that a similar but snuffler depression lay beyond it to tbe east, in which also there was a small lake, with another mass of ice beyond it. This third glacier also came from the north, and was a much more formidable mass than those which had already been crossed. It was very steep, and was covered with snow, which was beginning to thaw more than was convenient. When at the highest part, he found that though apparently nearly level, it sloped downwanls sensibly though very slightly, for nearly half a mile in an easterly direction. It was evident to him that he had now reached the highest part of the tuscent, which he assumed to be 17,600 feet, and that the crest of the pass was covered by this glacier.