Respecting the Physical features of <hi xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" rendition="#u">Eastern <placeName ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0009370 https://www.geonames.org/1279685">Thibet</placeName></hi>, its manners, <hi xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" rendition="#u">customs</hi> & <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />agriculture, religion, &c, I gleaned many particulars; but I fear they would <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />only weary you. Your general account is admirable. Plains, as you say, <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />are but local features, & very limited ones: – the country is one of stupen<g xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="#typoHyphen" /><lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" break="no" />dous, rugged mountain-chains, – & not of Plains or Table Land. The <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />flat-floored valleys & scarped-flanked Mountains are of comparati<unclear xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" reason="illegible" cert="high">vel</unclear>y <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />uniform elevation above the Sea, but widely variable as to their height <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />above the valleys, giving to <choice xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"> <abbr>East<hi rendition="#sup">n</hi>.</abbr> <expan>Eastern</expan> </choice> <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0009370 https://www.geonames.org/1279685">Thibet</placeName> a very different look from the <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />Snowy <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0006863 https://www.geonames.org/1252558">Himalaya</placeName>. The absence of snow & wood completes the illusion; <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />& as you truly remark, the Traveller, who suddenly comes upon the <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />features of an open country, the access to which begins abruptly, is <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />very apt to be deceived (in its elevation): the Theodolite alone can<pb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" n="305r" /><fw xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" type="folNum">7</fw>dispel the error.<space xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" dim="horizontal" /> The Line of Perpetual Snow is about <measure xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" quantity="15000" unit="foot">15,000 feet</measure>, where <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />the masses of the Mountains first rise so high; it gradually rises with <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />the increasing height of the land to <measure xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" quantity="19000" unit="foot">19,000 <choice> <abbr>ft.</abbr> <expan>feet</expan> </choice></measure>, – & <measure xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" quantity="19500" unit="foot">19,500</measure> is the lowest <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />mean Level, in <choice xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"> <abbr>Lat.</abbr> <expan>Latitude</expan> </choice> 28°. 30′, <choice xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"> <abbr>Long.</abbr> <expan>Longitude</expan> </choice> 88<supplied xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" cert="high">°</supplied> East, – & <measure xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" quantity="15000" unit="foot">15,000</measure> in the same Longitude <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />& <choice xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"> <abbr>Lat.</abbr> <expan>Latitude</expan> </choice> 27°. 30′.<space xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" dim="horizontal" /> I have seen well-defined patches lower down on the <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />South flanks of <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0000349 https://www.geonames.org/1283259">Kinchin</placeName>.<space xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" dim="horizontal" /> Glaciers abound, but not towards the <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />Southern limits of the Perpetual Snow, where the mountains are too <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />rugged.