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HODGSON AND MOUNT EVEREST.

I05

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La is pass in Tibetan, slaan is mountain in Chinese, thus both are not synonymous; ling is pass in Chinese and ri mountain in Tibetan. But obviously langur generally means mountain, although it should be remembered that Hodgson himself gives in Amir's itinerary Langur as the name of a village in this very region, a village which does not seem to have been known to the missionaries.

Hodgson's views regarding Mount Everest gave rise to a long controversy. In 1852 Sir ANDREW WAUGH was informed that this peak had been found to be the highest on the earth and as it had no native name he called it Mount Everest after his former Chief, Sir GEORGE EVEREST. The name Devadhunga, offered by Hodgson, and Gaurisankar by HERMANN VON SCHLAGINTWEIT were not accepted, as subsequent investigation proved that the former did not exist, the latter belonged to another peak. In later years Jomokangkar was said to be the Tibetan name of the peak.

Colonel Sir S. G. BURRARD who gives the above history of the name, arrives at the conclusion that after 5o years of controversy no true native name has been produced for Mount Everest.' Major RYDER says: »Nowhere could we hear of any local name for Everest, although careful inquiries were made.»2 I do not find these assertions convincing. The fact that neither the Tibet Frontier Commission nor any other travellers could find a name does not prove anything, for so far as I know no European has ever approached Mount Everest from the north. I believe that Hodgson is right, for it is extremely unlikely that in a country where every ridge, every pass, every prominent peak has a name, the highest of all mountains should be anonymous. The fact that no name has been found out so far only proves that no sufficiently careful inquiries have been made in the immediate Tibetan neighbourhood of the peak. But even if the real old native name should be found one day in the future, it would be a great mistake to try and introduce it in geography. As Mount Everest the peak will be known for ever.

of Mount Everest with Deodanga. The arguments adduced for this purpose where so palpably conjectural, resting on hearsay evidence alone, that I thought it needless to refute them, as their fallacious character was apparent to any person competent to understand the subject. The true geographical latitude and longitude of Deodanga are unknown to Mr Hodgson, or even its true bearing and distance from any locality which can be recognised as a fixed point of departure. Its height also is unknown. All these data are elements necessary to the identification of that mountain. The physiognomical contour of a mountain is a very uncertain test, because it changes with every mutation of aspect; but even this test, is wanting in Mr. Hodgson's case, as he has never seen Deodanga . . .

The Sketch Map published by him in the Journal of the Asiatic Society, Dec. 1848, gives his idea of the configuration of that part of the Himalayas; a more erroneous impression of the formation of the country was never formed; he represents a solitary mountain occupying a vast tract ... this single mountain, however, is entirely imaginary». Proceedings Royal Geographical Society, Vol. I, 1855 —56, p. 345. If Hodgson's representation of Himalaya was imaginary, what can be said of his Transhimalaya!

I A Sketch of the Geography and Geology of the Himalaya Mountains and Tibet. Calcutta

1907, p. 20.

2 Geogr. Journal, Vol. XXVI. 19o5, p. 37o.

14-141741 III.