120 Abode of Gods
around are the great snow peaks, over 20,000 ft. high. In the
tight rises the sharp cone of Nanda Kot The river rushes out
of a kind of cave or mouth below the glacier, of considerable size
at its very base.
After crossing the first portion of the glacier, we come to the
formidable part where the ice begins to rise in great humps or
hummocks, with crevasses underneath which water flows. The
ice caves and pits with their depths of clear blue ice look very
beautiful.
Stunning views
At the foot of the Pindari glacier in Kumaon, the river Pindar
issues from an icy-cavern, and is poetically said to flow from the
locks of Shiva, The Pindar is a glorious river, filling the whole
gorge with its rear. There are water falls over the cliffs above
the river, some of which are over 400 ft. in height, and can be
seen for aloft falling over still higher precipices in some cases the
whole cascade with its various leaps being not less than 1200 feet
in perpendicular descent. The mountain scenery is simply stupen-
dous. As we look up to mountain, rising sheer from the river
bank to a height of 8,000 ft. above the river and 16,000 ft. above
sea level, clothed with forest about half way and ending at the
top of terrific battlements and walls of bare rock. TTien above
all this, glimpses of the snowy peaks rearing into the very zenith
as it seemed, at a height of 25,000 ft. But words and figures
can give no idea of the glories of such a scene. They are truely
"the wonderful works of Gods" and among the grandest sights
on the earth.