SURVEY OF CENTRAL INDIA.

Southland Times, Issue 589, 9 November 1866, Page 3

SURVEY OF CENTRAL INDIA.

(From the "Pall Mall Gazette." At a late meeting of tbe Eroyal Geographical Society, Captain T. G\ Montgomerie, E.E., read an interesting paper on tbe geographical position of Tarkund and other places in Central India. There are aDout 1,400,000 square miles of all but unknown territory north of the Himalayas, and of late years the more northern part has been inaccessible to Europeans. Captain Montgomerie's paper , describes a first attempt to explore tbat region with tbe aid of native Indians specially trained for the work. Since the annexation of the Punjaub the whole of the mountains north of tbat province have , been surveyed up to tbe Karakorum and Mustak range, which runs parallel to, and about 150 miles north east of tbe Himalayas, and is higner that the Himalayas to the soutb of it. The range bas been delineated for 450 miles. The Mustak culminates in a peak 23,300 feet above tbe sea — the highest peak actually in ber Majesty's protected territory — and a great many of tbe peaks are over 23,000 feet. These peaks and their spurs enclose gigantic glaciers ,* tbe Biafo glacier being thirty-two miles in length, or more than four times as long as Mer de Glace ; other glaciers over seventy miles in length have been surveyed, and there are a great number over ten miles in length. The glaciers are, in fact, larger than in any part of tbe world, except tbe artic zone. In order to survey this gigantic range, the triangualtion bad to be carried over many snowy ranges higher than tbe Alps and three times across the Himalayan range, which required the surveyors to reside and take observations on peaks from 16,000 to 20,000 feet above tbe sea. Some idea of tbe work may be gained from tbe fact that the mountains cover an area six times as great as Switzerland and that the peaks are on an average 10,000 feet higher than those of the Alps. The surveyors bad to undergo great hardships. Captain Montgomerie reports that latterly they had to live in small blanket tents only large enough to turn round ia. Food was carried on sheep and yaks, and as the grain, &c, wes consumed tbe sheep Avere one by one turned into mutton. Fuel was very scarce. Notwithstandingall obstacles, tbe triangulation was carried right up to tbe Karakorum range and some distance beyond.' Captain Montgomerie's paper referred more especially to the exploration of tbe country north of tbe Karakorum range. A native agent, who could make a rough route survey and take latitudes, was despatched by tbe Karakorum Pass to Tarkund. He made his way in safety to tbat city, and remained there about four months. He took a great many observations and determined both the latituder and height of Tarkund, and tbe longitude has been deduced from bis route survey. The latitude of Tarkund is 38 20, tbe jo-igitude about 77£, ai^d the height 4* -0 feet above the sea. Tbe height bad not been deters nined previously by any one. The latitude agrees with tbat given by tbe French Jesuit missionaries about 120 years ago. The longitude is very considerable to tbe east of that given by tlu A Jesuits, and more than three degrees (160 miles) east of tbe position given by the Schalgenweits in tbeir " Haute Asie." Tarkund seems to be situated in a vast basin or depression in the very centre of Asia, ab-)ut fifteen marches north of tbe Karakorir.i Pass. The rivers of this drain into an inland lake or are lost in the G-reat Desert Gobi. The desert seems to be on the increase, a large city called Kbootan having disappeared before the advarchug sand. The basin would appear to be surrounded by mountains, its lowest point is probably about 2000 feet above the level of tlie sea. Captain Montgomerie discussed tbe new and old positions assigned to Tarkund, and hoped that before long positions of all placea in Eastern Turkistan would be satisfactorily determined. He concluded by pointing i out tbe great breadth of tbe Himalayan chain, the ino3t direct line across being ' frsm Jbemu to Killiyan, about 400 miles. : A man takes sixty-six days to march across the mountains even with tbe aid of a pony, while tbe Alps can be crossed in i three days. During 25 marches tbe path to Tarkund is always more than 15,000 feet above the sea, and for twenty days no villiage is met with, whilst in the Alps a good walker can cross v\ one day from village to village. ' Tne native agent a Mahommedan monsheeof Northern India, remained in Tarkund during the winter, wbicb was very severe, he found tbe Mahomedan governor most friendly, but, in some way, tbe suspicions of tbe Chinese officials : were raised, and] tbe moonsbee bad to leave before be had visited any other cityj of Turkistan. He returned with a carayan and recrossed the Karakorum Pass into British territory, but shortly before reaching there- be was taken ill and died under suspicious circumstances. His death was a sad termination to so successful an expedition, as he bad reached British protected territoiy, and was within a few marches of one of tbe camps;'of tbe great triganometrical survey of India, and might well have fancied himself out of all danger.