"
"We used to pronounce the name of your great northern range of mountains
Hi-ma-lay'-a; you do not call it so, Sir Modava," said the commander.
"I have always called it Hi-mal'-a-ya, the _a_ after the accented
syllable being very slightly sounded; this is the pronunciation of all the
Indian officials," replied the speaker, with his pleasant smile. "These
mountains consist of a number of ranges; they extend 1,500 miles east and
west, and are the sources of the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra. The
highest is Mount Everest, the loftiest mountain in the world, 29,002 feet;
and I could mention several other peaks which overtop any of the Andes.
Himalaya means 'the abode of snow,' and the foot-hills are the resorts of
the wealthy to obtain a cool climate in the summer.
"India is remarkable for its fertility, and its luxuriant growth of plants
of all sorts, from the productions of the torrid zone to those of the
temperate in the hilly regions of the north. It is abundantly watered by
the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, the Jumna, the Indus, the Godavari, and other
great streams. The Ganges, though it does not vie with the great rivers of
America, is 1,557 miles in length. To the natives it is a sacred river, and
the land through which it flows is holy ground. To bathe in its waters
washes away sin; to die and be buried on its shores procures a free
admission to the eternal paradise of heaven.
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