PASSES.
Ghat, . . . Hon. I JAP The following are the principal passes bound ing British India, and traversing many of the provinces and regions within the frontier:— In the southern part of the Peninsula of India is the valley and gap or pass of Palghat, leading to the western coast. The Guzzelbutty pass leads up the deep valley separating tho Neilgherry Bills from Colligal.
The Nana and the Niti passes are on the Saraswati and the Dooli branches of the Ganges.
Juwahir Drama or Belong and Jlyaus are passes on the Gouri, Dbouli, and Kali rivers, branches of the Gogra. The Rotting pass, in the Himalaya, in lat. 32° 24' N., and long. 77° 10' E.. is 13,200 feet above the sea. The Rotang p.v-ktt near Dharinsala leads to the heart of Central Asia, The Bess river rises in a sacred pool called ' Wyss Rikhi ' in the Rotang pass, at the head of the Kula valley. The scenery of the river valley Is very beautiful, and is unlike that of the Chenab or Sutlej. The river is fringed with trees, and studded with green islands. There is a good riding path close along the bank, which does not exist upon any other river in the Panjab. Besides deodar in the Upper Boas valley, ' kail,' Pinus cxcelsa, elm, maple, oak, and walnut are abundant. On the Parbati, box occurs; also olive and the twisted cypress (C. torulosa) are found in small quantity.
Kanawar is usually divided into Upper and Lower Kanawar, and includes the upper part of the Sutlej basin to the borders of Piti and Guge in Tibet. Its general direction is N.E. and S.W. It has two parallel bounding mountains. On the S.E. it is bounded by the Cis-Sutlej mountains, and to the N.W. by the mountains of Piti. The mountains which descend from the two parallel bounding chains of Kanawar are very lofty. They are crossed in the usual route into Tibet by the Werang pass, 13,200 feet ; by the Runang pass, 14,500 feet ; the Kuibrang in the north, across the Cis-Sutlej, is 18,300 feet. The Shatul pass across the Cis - Sutlej leading to Simla is 15,560 feet ; and the Ilangrang into Piti is 14,800 feet. The passes to Upper Piti are more 'lofty.
The bed of the Sutlej, from 8000 to 9000 feet at the upper part of Kanawar, descends to 4000 feet in Lower Kanawar.
The passes from Kanawar through the Outer Himalaya range are fifteen in number : (a) Shatul, 15,555 feet, leading from Rol to Utharabi. This pass is reckoned worse than most of the others, not on account of its elevation, for it is inferior in altitude to many of the rest farther to the east, but from there being almost 14 miles without even a single bush for fuel. It is open part of June, July, August, September, October, and sometimes November.
(b) Sundru, from Tangno to Rasgrami. The people represent it as crossing two ranges, and say it was very seldom attempted, and was never open more than two months in the year ; so it is probably little below 16,000 feet.
(c) Yusu, 15,877 feet, leading from Janglig to Ras grami.
(d) Burendo, 15,171 feet, is the easiest pass in this quarter, and most frequented ; it leads from Janglig to Rasgrami, and is open seven or eight months, and during the rainy season almost all the snow dissolves.
(e) Nibrung, 16,035 feet ; (f) Gunas, 16,026 feet ; (g) Muni', 15,851 feet ; from Chuara to Sungla of Tukpa. These three passes cross the top of the range within half a mile of each other.
(h) The next is Rupin, 15,480 feet, a very easy pass.
(i) Nulgun, 14,891 feet, is the lowest pass seen by Gerard, in the outer Snowy Range.
(j) Barga • (k) Lumbia ; (/) Marja ; (ht) Singa. These four passes are contained in the space of little more than a mile; they lead from Sungla, Rakeham, and Chetkul, to Lewar of Garhwal. and, like Gunas, Nibrung, and Gillum], are crossed in different months. Barga is reckoned lowest, so is probably little above 15,000 feet ; it is chiefly travelled by the Sungla people, being on the direct road from that place. The others are most likely between 16,000 and 17,000 feet, and are frequented by the inhabitants of Rakeham and Chetkul.