THE Ganges, the sacred stream of the Hindoos, and one of the most important, though not in extent the longest, of the rivers of Asia, takes its rise from a species of cave, called by the natives Gangoutri, or, as it is now sometimes written, Gungootree, a name which signifies "The Cow's Mouth." This cave is situated amid the perpetual snows of the Himalaya chain, and at a height not much short of fourteen thousand feet. The surrounding scenery is grand beyond description. Rocks piled upon rocks in majestic confusion, enclose the most romantic glens imaginable; while the peaks of the neighbouring mountains, cased in snow from the base to the summit, reflect, as they glitter in the sun-light, the most enchanting rainbow hues. The great elevation,

however, of these "shivered points of ice," and the almost impracticable nature of the paths which lead to them, render the ascent to the Cow's Mouth, one of the most arduous enterprises which a traveller can undertake. The sacred cave, however, defended, as it were, by the icicles of ages, has often been reached; and the holy river issuing from it, through a low arch, forms at some distance, and at a lower elevation, a lake, in which the goddess Yamuna is believed to hold her secret abode, and which no Hindoo pilgrim dares to approach without a long preparation of prayer and penance. Nothing can be more picturesque, yet nothing more melancholy, than the appearance of the benighted devotees, who here offer their misdirected worship in the midst of roaring torrents and towering mountains, round the summits of which the screaming and wheeling eagle seems not larger than a crow. These grand solitudes of Nature, were they but illumined by the light of truth, are especially fitted to call forth adoration to Him whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain; and who dwelleth not in temples made with hands: at present the river Ganges, throughout its course, but more especially near its source, where the approach to it is beset with danger and difficulty, is the object of the Hindoo's worship. The way to heaven, he, in his darkness, believes to lie through its waters; and with a constancy and self-denial from which Christians, in the enjoyment of the full noon of spiritual light, might derive a useful lesson, he pursues that way, all unmindful of its hardships. Believing that a pilgrimage to Gungootree will have the effect of securing him from the ordinary troubles of this life, and of insuring him a happy passage through the various stages of transmigration in store for him; and setting at nought the ice-bound paths, the almost impassable ravines; the thousand perils of the way; he makes the required pilgrimage, and plunges into the sacred stream. If possible, he drags himself, while in the very article of death, to some accessible part of its banks, and breathes his last breath amid its soul-purifying waters. Hither, too, with the view of securing their eternal happiness, he brings his relatives, his years-stricken parents, or, it may be, his dimpled infant—to die. Surely not for ever,

"Shall we, whose souls are lighted

With wisdom from on high,

To brother-man' benighted
The lamp of life deny :"

Surely the time will come when the rose of Sharon, planted amid the stupendous solitudes of "Gungootree," shall shed its beauty and its fragrance over THE SOURCE of

THE GANGES.

Sweet stream! 'mid palm-trees waving,

Thy crystal course is laving

The bright green strand;

Famed river, onward rushing

Thy gem-like waves are gushing

Through the fair land.

MOHUNA, NEAR DEOBUN.

THE glorious scenery of the Himalaya range must be seen in order to be conceived; the most picturesque description of cloud-capp'd hills, roaring cascades, luxuriant woods, and foaming torrents, must fail to convey any adequate idea of the beauty and grandeur of the almost inaccessible regions which constitute this vast mountain-chain. Occasionally, indeed, the wild yet majestic character of the landscape is relieved by scenes of calm and quiet loveliness; by grassy slopes stretching downwards to the very margin of some gurgling stream; embellished by clumps of trees or flowering shrubs; and in some parts carpeted by sage and thyme, or embroidered by flowers of every hue. The approach to Mohuna-a view of which is presented by the accompanying plate-is singularly rich, both in the more sublime and in the softer features which distinguish this romantic land.

That approach lies through a narrow gorge, which, though overhung by tremendous precipices, is itself at an elevation equal or superior to that of the loftiest English or Scottish mountains. The pass, or ghaut, in many parts walled in by abrupt rocks, and often encumbered by huge fragments of fallen crags, widens in some places into a natural terrace, which, wooded by stately alders, rich mulberry, or magnificent chesnut trees, and commanding an extensive view of deep rivers, umbrageous forests, and foaming cataracts, is backed by the towering summits of the snowy range, reflecting with inconceivable brilliance such "hues of heaven," as none but the traveller in these marvellous solitudes can conceive.

The magnificence of these snowy peaks, with their infinite variety of light and shade, is utterly indescribable. Early in the morning, before a single beam from the sun has shot athwart the brief and sombre twilight, they are visible in their solemn majesty; their icy outline distinctly defined, as they stand out in the gray atmosphere; presently a tint of amber spreads itself over them; and, as the day advances, they glow like living rubies. Before noon, their roseate hues disappear; and, divested of their rainbow glories, they stand forth, cold and bright, in all their chilling grandeur, till the departing orb of day once more suffuses them with crimson light. The very magic of colour, varying with every turn of the road, and blended into new combinations of beauty by every passing wreath of mist, or spray of glittering waterfall, is here displayed, with a richness inconceivable by a northern imagination.

The village of Mohuna stands in a highly romantic situation, as indeed do most of the hamlets in these mountain-districts. The high ridge of the Himalaya upon which