^.l^

THE LIBRARY

THE UNIVERSITY

OF CALIFORNIA

LOS ANGELES

REMARKS OF THE PRESS

INDIAN RAILWAYS.

BY AN OLD INDIAN POSTMASTER.

" AilEn's Ixdian Mail," August
nth, 1846.

" In regard to the great line to
connect the seat of government witli
the extreme north-west, the author's
opinions are peculiar."

The " Indian News," February
22nd, 1848.
" The best testimony of the sound-
ness of the 'Old Postmaster's' views
is, that, in the settlement of Indian
Railways, as far as it has recently
taken place, not a few of his opinions
have been followed by those in au-
thority."

"The Times," 19th November,
1851.

"The line (in Bengal) seems to
have been adopted, which was origi-
nally recommended by Mr. W. P.
Andrew."

The "Morning Chronicle,"
November 20th, 1851.

" By recent accounts from India,
we observe that the Howrah termi-
nus, indicated by Mr. Andrew to
save bridging the Hooghly, had
been adopted."

The " Observer," November 23rd,
1851. Indian Railways.

" It is not a little remarkable, on
reviewuig the past and present posi-
tion of Indian railways, to perceive
that the views of a private individual
have prevailed against, and finally
overthrown, the plans of the Indian
Eailvvay Commission.

" The Government and people of
India are therefore indebted to the
' Old Indian Postmaster,' who has
thus saved them from prosecuting
a design which would have led to
disastrous afid humihating results."

" The Economist," December \Zth,
1851.

" We see with some satisfaction,
that the views propounded as to
forming railways in India, by Mr.
W. P. Andrew, imder the cognomen
of an ' Old Indian Postmaster,' and
which were long ago recommended
in our journal, find favour in India,
and are likely to be adopted."

The " Britannia," December IZth,
185L

" It is announced, we see, by the
'Friend of India,' received by the
last mail, ' That the Court of Direc-
tors had decided for tlie adoption of
the line proposed by Major Kennedy
from the coUiei-ies to Rajmahal, and
thence up the valley of the Ganges,'
which is exactly the scheme origi-
nally propounded and advocated by
the 'Old Indian Postmaster,' (Mr.
W. P. Andi-ew) in 1846, some two or
three years before Major Kennedy
went to India, and to whom exclu-
sively the merit is due of having
pointed out the erroneous views of
the East Indian Railway Company,
and adopted by the India Govern-
ment Railway Commission. Had the
authorities acted upon Mr. Andrew's
views, a large and useless expendi-
ture of time and money would have
been saved; and it is admitted on
all hands that this gentleman ' has
saved railway enterprise in India from
a great and lamentable failure.' "

The

Morning Herald,"
tember lUh, 1852.

Sep-

" Mr. Andrew is well known as
the author of a valuable work pub-
lished some years since by Mr. Pel-
ham Richardson, under the noni de
guerre of an ' Old Indian Post-
master,' by which public and official
notice was mainly, if not first, di-
rected to the great subject of railway
communications in India."

r • "'"■''"'

THE

SCINDE RAILWAY

AND ITS RELATIONS TO

THE EUPHEATES VALLEY,

AND

OTHER ROUTES TO INDIA,

mitf) inustratibc iftlnps, Statistical tables, Sec.

FROM OFFICIAl S0TJECE8.
BY

W. p. ANDREW, ESQ.,

CHAIRMAN OF THE SCINDE RAILWAY COMPANY,

Author of "Indian Railways and their Prohahle Results, bj/

An Old Indian Fostmaster" "Railways in Bengal,^^

" Is India to have Railways ?" Sfc,

" Heretofore, and until very recently, every recruit that joined liis corps from England —
every invalid that was sent buck shattered to his home, was obliged to travel tlie long,
slow, weary track to Calcutta, ho-.\ever distant the station at which he was placed. Within
the last two years, the establishment of steam communication regularly on the Indus has
enabled the (.overnment greatly to lessen this evil. This dispatch of recruits by IJumbay
to Kurrachee for that large portion of the Bengal army that is stationed to ihe westward
of the Juuuia, and the conveyance of the invalids of the same portion of the army from
Ferozepore to the sea, have been a vast improvement."— .M^inw^f by the Governor -General
of India, 1853.

" Indeed these two essentials, viz,, the Railroad and the Steamers, may be said with truth
to be the crying wants of the Punjaub in the Department of Public Worlis.

"These provided, the commerce and produce of these territories will be turned to their
due course, viz,, the Indus and its feeders and to their natural outlet, viz., the Port of Kur.
rachee.

" For the Railroad, the face of the Doab offers an unusual equality of surface.

" If carried out, they (the railway and steamers) would effect more for the development of
the resources of these territories than any other work, or number of works that could be
devised." — The Chief Commissioner of the Punjaub to the Government of India, 18S5.

LONDON :

Wm. H. ALLEN & CO., 7, LEADEN HALL STREET.

1956.

W. LEWIS AND SOX, PRINTERS. 21, FINCH LANE, CORNHILL.

"The sea stages of the present route to India, excUisive of the
trip across the Channel, are two ; one from Marseilles or Trieste
to Alexandria ; and the other from Suez to (Kurrachee) Bombay,
or Calcutta. These stages constitute by far the longest part of
the journey, being 5075 miles, performed by steam.ers ; from
■which an average speed of some ten miles an hour is all that can
be expected. The longer again of these two stages is that from
Suez to Hindostan, as it includes a circuit round two sides of the
triangular territory of Arabia. The first object, therefore, is to
get rid of the detour by Aden ; and this is to be done by carrying
the passengers to the mouths of the Oroutes, instead of the mouths
of the Nile, and forwarding them across the Turkish territory to
Bussorah, at the head of the Persian Gulf. The railroad req^uired
for this purpose would run along the Euphrates Valley, and its
length would not exceed 900 miles ; whereas, its completion
would reduce the distance from London to Calcutta by more than
one-half, — by twenty days in fact out of thirty-nine !" — The Times.

" There is scarcely one important article of tropical production
"which is consumed in this country, either as the raw material of
our manufactures, or as articles of daily use, for the production
of which India is not as well or better adapted than any other
country ; while its dense and industrious population would seem
to offer an illimitable demand for our manufactures. Nor are
there opposed to these national and flattering elements of com-
merce any fiscal restrictions to counteract their beneiicial results."
— The Economist.

"It is to India that the chief enterprise of British commerce
and civilisation should be directed by an intelligent legislature.''
— Blackivood s Marjazine.

EQUIVALENTS IN INDIAN AND ENGLISH CURRENCY,

12 Pie = 1 Anna = lid.

16 Annas = 1 Enpee = 2s.

100,000 Rupees = 1 Lac = £10,000.
100 Lacs = 1 Crore = £1,000,000.

EQUIVALENTS IN INDIAN AND ENGLISH WEIGHTS.

80 Tolas = 1 Seer = 2 lbs.

40 Seers = 1 Maund = 80 lbs.
28 Maunds = 2240 lbs. = 1 ton.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PAci;

I. The Scinde Railway and its relations to the Eu-

phrates Valley and other Routes to India . . 7

Immediate objects contemplated — Contract with East
India Company — Profitable character of the Line — Har-
bour and Port of Km-rachee— The Indus and its Steamers
— Trade of Kurrachee, the Indus, &c. — Value of the
Trade of Scinde — Value of Staple Exports— Local Au-
thorities' Opinion of Line — PubUc Advantages of Line —
Act of Incorporation — Kurrachee the Gate of Central
Asia — Punjaub requires connexion with Natural Port —
Lord Dalhousie's Ophiiou as to the Political Importance
of Improved Transit by Indus Valley — Geographical Ad-
vantages of Kurrachee — Eailways in connection with
Steamers — Same kind of Improved Transit alike appli-
cable to the Valley of the Indus and to that of the Ganges
— Wants of Commerce — Railway ft-om Mooltan to Lahore
and Umritsu' — Punjaub and Provmces drained by the
Indus — Amoimt of Mihtary Force, &c. — Supply of
Etiropean Goods — Transit of European Goods to
Central Asia — Trade of India with Central Asia
— Grants of Land ; effect of — Europf^an Agency —
Dii'ect Steam Communication between Kurrachee and
Suez — The Euphrates Valley Eoute to India — A new
Field for British Capital and Enterprise— Fibrous Sub-
stances—Cotton — Wool — Linseed and Flax — Wheat —
gait — Progressive Improvement of Scinde — Kurrachee
the European Port of Incha — Junction at Kurrachee of
European and Indian Telegraphs — Identity of Interests
of Punjaub and Scinde — Expected Development of Re-
sources and Revenue of India — Mutual Dependence of
our Western and Eastern Empires — Prestige in Asia
essential to Power.

II. Letter from H. B. E. Frere, Esq., Commissioner in

Scinde to Mr. Hardy Wells, Civil Engineer in
Scinde . (i5

III. Letter from the Commissioner in Scinde to the Right

Hon. Lord Viscount Falkland, Governor and Pre-
sident in Comicil, Bombay ^'^

IV. Letter from the Superintending Engineer to the

Commissioner in Scinde ''7

V. Report from Lieutenant W. Chapman, Bombay Engi-
neers, on Special Duty in Scinde, to the Super-
intending Engineer • • ^^

VL Letter from the Forest Ranger in Scinde, to Lieut

Chapman ^1

VII. Statement of Imports and Exports of various places
in Scinde, also, the Tonnage employed in convey-
ing ^lerchandizc. and the amount of Freight paid
thereon, from IstMnv. 1«.tL to Ist Ai>ril. \^'r2. . 03

PAGU

Vlll. Statement, showing tlie Number of Troops, Stores,
and Passengers, conveyed by the different Steamers
and Flats of the Indus Flotilla, between Kun-a-
cliee and Mooltan, and vice versa, between the
1st February, 1848, and 80th April, 1853 . . . 94

IX. Return of Traffic at various places, from June, 185'2,
to May, 1853 inclusive, compiled from the Monthly
Pietmiis, furnished by the Police Authorities . . 95
X. Roll of the Merchants residing in Kurrachee, show-
ing the amount of Merchandize transported by
them, during the year 1852, from Kurrachee up
Country, Weight and appi'oximate Value of each
Load, and the number of Camels and Tattoos
used for the Carriage thereof 90

XI. Estimate of the average Load carried by Camels and

Tattoos, and approximate Value of each Load . . 98
XII. Letter from Deputy Collector of Customs, Kurrachee,

to Lieutenant Chapman 99

XIII. Abstract of Shipping for 1852-53 (of the Port of

Kurrachee) . . , 102

XIV. Letter from Deputy Collector of Customs, Kurrachee,

to Lieutenant Chapman 103

XV. Tabular view of the Returns of the Custom House,
Kurrachee, for the official years, 1847-43, 1850-51,
and 1851-52, with a contrasted Statement of the
Increase and Decrease in Exports for 1850-51,
and 1851-52 105

XVI. Statement, showing the number of Ti'oops conveyed

by the different Steamers and Flats of the Indus
Flotilla, between Kurrachee and Mooltan, and
vice versa, between the 1st February, 1848, and
30th April, 1853 ; also, the number that marched
from Kurrachee to Sukkur, and vice versa . . .107

XVII. Prices Cm-rent in the Districts (Scinde) during the

Week ending 20th June, 1853 ..... 108

XVIII. Letter from Superintending Engineer, Railway De-

partment, to H. E. Goldsmid, Esq., Secretary to
the Government of Bombay 109

XIX. Proceedings of a Public Meeting at Kurrachee on tlie

28tli August, 1854, for promoting Railways in

Scinde 110

XX. Letter from Lieut. -General the Right Hon. Sir Henry
Pottinger, Bart., G C.B., to W. P. Andrew, Esq!^,
Chainnan of the Scinde Railway Company . . .121
XXI. Letter from Sir James C. Melvill, K.C.B., to the

Chairman of the Scinde Railway Company . . 122

Vll

r.\oi:

XXII. Letter from the Chairman of the Scmde Railway

Corapany to the Secretary of the H. E. I. Company 134

XXIII. Letter from the Chairman of the Scinde Railway

Company to the Right Honourable the Governor of
Bombay . . - 126

XXIV. Letter from the Governor of Bombay to the Chair-

man of the Scinde Railway Company . . . .127

XXV. Table of Quantity and Value of Tropical Productions

imported into England .128

XXVI. Prices Current in Scinde during the week ending

25th August, 1854 130

XXVII. Prices Current in Scinde during the month of

September, 1855 131

XXVIII. Prices Current in the Chief Stations in the Pvm-
jaub and TransTndus and Cis-Sutlej Territories,

for the month of October, 1855 133

XXIX. Rates of Passage and Freight by the Steamers on

the Indus ] 33

XXX. Trade on the Indus 142

XXXI. Return shewing the Number of Boats arriving at

and departing from the Bunders (landing places),

on the Indus in 1853, 54 and 55 148

XXXII. Abstract Quarterly Register of Boats and Cargoes
proceeding up and down the Indus, for the first
Quarter of 1855 and 56 J47

XXXIII. Letter from the Commissioner in Sciude to the
Governor of Bombay (Increase of Road Traffic) . 149

XXXIV. Traffic along the Roads of Scinde, in 1852, 53
and 54 150

XXXV. Progressive Increase in the Trade of the Province

of Scinde under British Rule 155

XXXVI. Conditions of Grants of Land for Tea Cultivation 157

XXXVII. Soumeeanee; as it was and is KiO

XXXVIII. Report of a Meeting for direct Steam Csmmu-
nication between Kurrachee and Suez, held at
Kurrachee, 4th September, 1855 105

XXXIX Memoir on the Euphrates Valley Route to India,

by W P. Andrew, Esq 200

XL. Traffic between JMediterranean and Euphrates . 212
XLI. Approximate Estimate of Population and Traffic of

Euphrates Valley 215

XLII. Report of the Gerant of the European and Indian

Telegraph Company 217

XLIII. Report of Proceedings of First Annual General
Meeting of Scinde Railway Company, held on the
18th Februarv, 1856 223

NOTE.

An influential body of English merchants and
manufacturers sent a memorial to Lord Claren-
don on the eve of his departure to the Peace
Congress at Paris, praying that in the arrange-
ments about to be entered into, due regard should
be had to the securing new outlets for the products
of British manufacturing science and skill.

Those who are interested in the extension of British
commerce should turn their eyes to the once rich,
but now forgotten plains of the Euphrates and
Tigris, and the great countries drained by the
Indus and its tributaries, and learn the wants, the
capabilities, and the resources of those vast, inter-
esting, and most important regions.

The author has, as on former occasions, to express
his acknowledgments to the Government Authori-
ties for the ready access to official papers. Mr.
Frere, the Commissioner of Scinde, especially has
favoured him with valuable data as to the trade of
Scinde and the Indus, at once authentic and recent,
and not otherwise obtainable. General Chesney,
several officers of the Euphrates Expedition, and
more recent travellers in Eastern countries have
also placed him under obligation.

K J. P

%1^ ^^^-^^^^ W"l^^

tu/r Jtat/miy r,tir,d. ^»\ UO.Mili

H: I'.Jnttmv (rtintn Mvltun

^.>'
i.-'^'

THE

SCIJ^fDE RAILWAY,

AND ITS RELATIONS TO

THE EUPHRATES VALLEY

AND OTHEE ROUTES TO INDIA.

IMMEDIATE OBJECTS CONTEMPLATED.— The
Scinde Railway Company was established to introduce
railways into the province of Scinde, — the first section com-
mencing at the port of Kui'raclieej and proceeding to a
point on the Indus in the vicinity of Hydrabad.

This line about 110 miles in length, will place Kurrachee,
the only seaport of Scinde, in communication with the In-
dus, the great commercial artery of the countries on our
north-west frontier, at a point where the river becomes
free from the intricacies, dangers and delays of the naviga-
tion of the Delta.

The great political and commercial advantages which
may be fairly expected from this undertaking are clearly
set forth in the despatches of the Commissioner of Scinde
and the reports of the Engineer officers in the service of
the Honourable East India Company, who have made a
preliminary survey of tlie line. (Vide pp. 65, 74, 77, 81.)

CONTRACT WITH EAST INDIA COMPANY.—
The effect of the contract between the Honourable East
India Company and the Scinde Railway Company i.s, that
the East India Company guarantee a minimum rate of
interest on the capital of 5 per cent, per annum for 99 years.

The Honourable East India Company grant a lease of the
land necessary for the railway and works for ninety-nine

years, free of charge. On the opening of the line, all net
profits exceeding the rate of interest guaranteed are to be
divided — one half of the sin'plus is to go to the share-
holders, and the other half to the East India Company, in
liquidation of the interest they have advanced. When
this interest is repaid, the entire surplus profit goes to the
shareholders. The East India Company reserve a right to
regulate the trains and fares ; and as soon as the dividend
exceeds 10 per cent., to lower the fares, but not so as to
reduce the profit below that rate. The East India Com-
pany also reserve power, after the first twenty-five or fifty
years, to purchase the line at a price equal to the average
market value of the shares for the three preceding years.
On the other hand, the railway Company have the power,
at any time after the line has been three months in work,
to require the East India Company to take it off their
hands at six months' notice, and repay them the capital
expended.

PROFITABLE CHARACTER OF THE LINE. —
Irrespective of the guarantee, this enterprise possesses, in
the opinion of those personally acquainted with Scinde and
its resources, a highly remunerative character : —

1st. From the country, presenting a series of firm
and level plains, it is admirably adapted for the
construction of a railway. (Vide pp. 75, 78, 81, 120.)
2nd. From the line being of moderate length and
complete in itself, having an important town at
either terminns, (Kurrachee, the lower terminus,
the present seat of Government, being the only
sea-port for many hundred miles, and Ilydrabad,
the upper terminus, the former capital, being still the
chief entrepot for the inland trade of the jjrovince.)
thus of necessity forming the most important portion
of any system of railways, or other form of transit,

which shall follow the course of the Valley of the
Indus or its tributaries. (Vide pp. 69, 82.)
3rd. From the actual existence of a paying goods
traffic all the year round, which, in the opinion of
the late Deputy Collector of Kurrachee, will have
doubled its present value, aud of a passenger traffic
which will have increased tenfold, before a railway
can be in operation. (Vide pp. 80, 104, 116.)
HARBOUR AND PORT OF KURRACHEE.—
Kurrachee is the only land-locked harbour on the coast
between Bombay and the Red Sea ; it is on the sea coast
of the Indus valley, and is the nearest safe port to the
Persian Gulf.

This port is perfectly safe and easy of access for large
ships during the height of the south-west monsoon.

During the last year the following ships, among others,
entered the harbour of Kurrachee : —

From London.

Tons.

Dec. 1,

Marion,

684,

18 ft.

6 in.

draught.

Nov. 23,

Norwood,

850,

15 ft.

in.

Oct. 19,

El Dorado,

841,

21 ft.

in.

Sept. 24,

James Gibb,

813,

21 ft.

6 in.

/Aug. 12,

Marmion,

388,

16 ft.

3 in.

» 6,

Kenilworth,

582,

16 ft.

6 in.

July 30,

Granger,

878

19 ft.

6 in.

)> '}

Sir James,

646,

„ 26,

Alex. Wise,

295,

15 ft.

Oin.

Saxon,

526,

15 ft.

2 in.

)} }}

Tamar,

556,

17 ft.

10 in.

June 30,

Semiramis,*

large

steamc

L".

^ „ 14,

Agamemnon,

756,

16 ft.
(Vide

3 hi.

pp. 121,

1G5, 17-1.)

* I'Vom Bombay.

THE INDUS AND ITS STEAMERS. — From
Mooltan in the Pimjaub to Kotree (port of Hydi'abad),
a distance of 570 miles of permanently open naviga-
tion, the steamer best adapted for this portion of the
Indus cannot get out and round by sea to Kurrachee,
nor thread the narrow channels of the Delta. If the
troops and stores could be landed at Kurrachee and con-
veyed by railway to Kotree, a large saving would, accord-
ing to the officer in charge of the Indus flotilla, accrue
to the state on that service, while steam boats of improved
construction could be employed for the inland navigation
from Kotree to Mooltan.

At present, large quantities of stores, particularly porter,
obliged to be sent by country boats, are found to be
worthless on reaching the Punjaub, the voyage of 800
miles from Kurrachee to Mooltan lasting five months.
During the last season, the cost of transport of government
stores by country boats was about £150,000. By the
railway, stores would be delivered in one day at Kotree on
board steamers, which in a week might deliver them in
the Punjaub.

This railway would exert a powerful influence in pro-
moting the development of the trade of the Indus vaUey.
The annual losses are very large, from the accidents which
take place in threading the narrow channels of the Delta.
Major Preedy, the Collector of Lower Scinde, states, that
" if one or two boats only out of a batch of six or so were
lost, it is considered a good venture.''

TRADE OF KURRACHEE, THE INDUS, &c.— In
the port of Kurrachee, the average of the shipping is from
90,000 to 100,000 tons yearly, of which about 40,000
tons were, last year, square-rigged vessels. (Vide pp.
100, 104.^

The following is the return for boats which run the
whole distance from Kurrachee to Sukkur : —

1851-2 1,284,920 maunds = 45,890 tons.
1852-3 1,565,120 „ = 55,500 „
1853-4 1,624,740 „ = 58,026 „
1854-5 1,681,720 „ = 60,060 „
The return of the number of boats passing any one
station below Sukkur would be much higher than the above.
The number of laden steamers passing Hydrabad and
Kotree is 170 in the year, with a tonnage of 1,190,000
maunds, or 42,500 tons.

The Government receipts for goods and passengers car-
ried in the river steamers have been —
1852-3, (the first year of the ex- Gross Net.

periment,) „ Rs. 50,273 Rs. 43,291

1853-4, „ „ 59,865 49,277

1854-5, „ „ 67,981 60,554

The returns of camel traffic leaving Kurrachee are not
complete, — but, assuming one half of the amounts ascer-
tainable as being intended for the Indus, the total is
112,000 maunds, or 4,000 tons.

The post-office outlay on the line is £2,4^00 per annum.
From the recent orders transmitted to India, that the
Government stores for the Punjaub and neighbouring ter-
ritories should be sent from Bombay, up the line of the
Indus, instead of as heretofore from Calcutta, up the
Gangetic valley, a great increase of the above-shewn traffic
must ensue, and a revenue, at railway rates, derived, which
would give a large return on the capital of the Company.
The preceding figures convey but a moderate idea of the
amount of tonnage which would come upon the railway.

The increase of the import and export trade is still
continuing, especially in the exports of the staple products
of the valley.

VALUE OF THE SEABORNE TRADE OF SCINDE.

Year

Imports.

Exports.

Total.

1843-4

121,150

1.010

122,160

1844-5

217,700

9,300

227,000

1845-6

312,900

40,500

353,400

1846-7

293.400

49,300

342,700

1847-8

287,872

154,730

442,600

1848-9

344,715

107.133

451,849

1849-50

419,352

114,378

533,731

1850-51

425,831

196,461

622,293

1851-52

489,220

244.122

733.343

1852-53

535,690

376,337

800,000

1853-54

900.000

1854-55

1,000,000 *

VALTTE OF STAPLE EXPORTS.

1847-8.

1851-52.

1852-53.

ceut.in5jears.

Wool ....

18.159

75.716

160.000

800

Indigo . . .

2,825

21,595

24.000

750

Saltpetre . . .

4.323

9,600

12,000

Ghee ....

726

9,616

18,300

2,400

Piece Goods ")
Silk & Cotton]

1,288

3,921

4,750

260

Every increase in facility and safety of transport will
give fresh impulse to all native products. The export of
wool, corn, oil seeds, saltpetre,t and indigo, madder, and

* I have not exact returns of the total value of the Sea Trade for
1853-4 and 1854-.'j, but the latter was over a million sterling.

t The following shows the growth of the saltpetre export trade
from Scinde : —

1847-48 Maunds 33

48-49
49-50
50-51
51-52
52-53
53-54

Cwt.

426

6,052

6,822

13,949

25,066

other dye stuffs, is capable of almost iiidefiuite exten-
sion.

Besides the European and native troops, European
travellers and native traders will, it is believed, largely
avail themselves of the Indus Valley line of transit, when
relieved of the obstructions of the Delta.

From the large number of passengers proceeding from
the Punjaub and Upper India to Europe, and vice versa,
there can be little doubt but that a direct steam communi-
cation will soon be established between Kurrachee, and
Aden and Suez — this route being actually the shortest,
while it is the safest from the prevailing direction of the
periodical winds. (Vide pp. 71, 165.)

The pilgrims from the countries on our North-west
Border en route to Mecca, and other holy cities, would
supply traffic to the railway, and increase the intercourse
already established between Kurrachee and the ports of
the Persian Gulf.

LOCAL AUTHOBITIES^ OPINION OF LINE.—
The Line was preliminarily examined by that late dis-
tinguished officer. Lieutenant Chapman, of the Bombay
Engineers, who reports it to present the greatest possible
facilities for the construction of a railway, with the very best
gradients (in fact nearly level), and at a low rate of cost.
Colonel Turner, the Superintending Engineer in Scinde,
Mr. Frere, the Commissioner of the Province, and Lord
Elphinstone, the Governor of Bombay, all concur in
desiring the early completion of the Line, which is now
in the hands of the Scinde Railway Company's en-
gineers; and the requisite material for a portion of the
permanent way is now in the course of shipment from
this country for Kurrachee. (Vide pp. 65, 74, 77, 81, 127.)

PUBLIC ADVANTAGES OF LINE. — The public

advantages to ])e derived from tliis Company's exertions
may be tlius recapitulated, viz. : —

By the construction of a Railway from Kurracliee to the
Indus —

1st. Greatly increased facilities will be afforded for
the lauding and conveyance of troops intended for
any part of the Punjaub, and neighbouring terri-
tories. (Vide pp. 118, 190.)
2nd. A sum, estimated at £50,000 per annum at least,
will be saved to government in the transport of stores.
3rd. Improvements, to the extent of nearly j£10,000
per annum, may be effected in the Indus Flotilla
service, without any increased charges on the finances
of the province.
4th. A very large sum would be annually saved to the
country in freight alone, besides the saving in
loss and damage to goods, which in itself would
be a very large item.
5th. Sources of trade would be opened which at pre-
sent are not in action.
It is believed that, in accomplishing these objects, a
very large profit will result to the Company.

ACT OF INCORPORATION. — An Act of Parlia-
ment during the last Session, limiting the liability of the
shareholders to the amount of their subscriptions, and
conferring the necessary powers, has been obtained, with
the concurrence of the authorities.

KURRACIIEE THE GATE OF CENTRAL ASIA.
— "From the Sutlej to the Oxus, whoever wishes to commu-
nicate with any place beyond the sea, must pass through
Kurrachee. It occupies a position scarcely less favourable
to commerce than that of Alexandria."

The port is protected from the sea and bad weather by
Munorah, a bluff rocky headland, projecting south east-

ward from the mainland, and lea\iug a space of about tv^o
miles between the extreme point and the coast to the east.

The harbour is spacious, extending about five miles
northward from ISIunorah Point, and about the same
distance from the town, on the eastern shore, to the
extreme western point.

"Km-rachee is a position of very great importance, whether
regarded in a commercial, a political, or a military point
of view. In a commercial point of view, it may be defined
the gate of central Asia, and is likely to become to India
what Liverpool is to England.

"It has been officially reported that accommodation exists
for the reception within the harbour, at the same time, of
tAventy ships of 800 tons (and any number of smaller craft).

"The climate of Kurrachee is cool in proportion to its
latitude ; and under British auspices, the toAvn must
speedily become a most important place. Lat. 24°, 51",
long. 67«, 2^*

Its value was manifested and tested during the recent
campaigns on the Sutlej.

It became the grand depot whence our field forces were
suppUed with all the munitions of war. Thousands upon
thousands of tons of military stores were imported into its
harbour. The population of Kurrachee is about 30,000,
and is rapidly increasing ; and boats, as well as laboui', in
the harbour are abundant and cheap.

KuiTachee then is not only the natural port of Scinde,
but also of the Punjaub and central Asia; and the Scinde
Railway, which connects it with permanently deep water in
the Indus at Hydrabad, is only the first link in that chain of
improved communication which must, at no distant period,
connect Peshawer, on the borders of Afighanistan, with the
sea.

* Thornton's Gazetteer.

PUNJAUB REQUIRES CONNEXION WITH
NATURAL PORT.— The resources of the Pimjaub, with
its 1 3,000^000 of inhabitants, have lain dormant for the
want of an outlet ; the surplus produce of tlie country has
had no market sufficiently remunerative, owing to the ex-
pensive and defective inland transit, and the absence of
European agency. It is evident, that the demands of the
State, and the wants of the inhabitants on the banks of the
Indus and its tributaries, require the development, with
as little delay as possible, of a comprehensive system of
improved transit from Lahore and Umritsir, by the vaUey
of the Indus, to Kurrachee.

LORD DALHOUSIE'S OPINION AS TO THE
POLITICAL IMPORTANCE OF IMPROVED TRAN-
SIT BY INDUS VALLEY.— Lord Dalhousie, in his
celebrated Minute on- railways in India, dated 20th April,
1853, makes the following suggestions : —

" I attach no great value to the connexion by railway of
the several capitals and seats of government, considered
merely as such. But it appears to be of the first import-
ance to connect the several Presidencies by a line of rail,
each Avith the other, and to unite Hindostan and the
districts to the north-west with the western ports in the
Peninsula.

" Whatever strength there may be in the arguments by
which a general line through Hindostan has been urged
on political grounds, they bear as strongly in favour of a
junction line with the Presidency of Bombay. The
military power of the government of India would be
incalculably advanced thereby.- The Presidency of Bom-
bay may be said to have no foreign fr'ontier, except in
Scinde.

" Heretofore, and until very recently, every recruit that
joined his corps from England — every invalid that was sent

back shattered to his home, was ohliyed to travel the long,
slow, tveary track to Calcutta, however distant the station
at which he was jylaced. Within the last two years, the
establishment of steam communication regularly on the
Indus has enabled the Government greatly to lessen this
evil. The dispatch of recruits by Bombay to Kurrachee
for that large portion of the Bengal army that is stationed
to the westward of the Jumna, and the conveyance of the
invalids of the same portion of the army from Ferozepore
to the sea, have been a vast improvement. Furthermore,
I hope before long, to see the cost of the conveyance of
troops to India reduced by still another step, and the time
occupied upon the voyage equally curtailed, by obtain-
ing permission to convey them across the Isthmus of
Suez.

"When Hindostan is connected by rail to the western
coast of India, the conveyance by rail across Egypt will, I
venture to hope, remove any objection which might be felt
there to the passage of foreign troops; while, if the per-
mission should be granted, a corps might leave England
after the heat of summer was over, and might be quartered
before Christmas upon the banks of the Sutlej, without any
exposure in its way, and with four months before it of the
finest climate mider the smi ; so that the men would enter
the first heats of India with constitutions \igorous and un-
impaired by the accident of voyage or march."

When the Governor General penned the above, the merits
of Kurrachee had not been ascertained ; and in August
last, little more than two years after the date of the Minute,
we find the Commissioner in the Province of Scinde, pre-
siding at a public meeting at Kurrachee, ginning the follow-
ing character of its port : —

GEOGRAPHICAL ADVANTAGES OF KURRA-
CHEE. — " The idea of a direct communication between

Kurrachec and Suez was no new one ; it had been mooted by
the late Sii" C. Napier, very shortly after the conquest of the
Province, and it ^ould in fact suggest itself to almost any one
who considered the physical configm-ation of this part of the
continent of Asia. A glance at the outline map hung up
in the room (which was taken from a parliamentary Blue
Book very recently published), Avould show the meeting
that from Aden to Bombay the direct distance Avas 1640
miles ; while from Aden to Kiu'rachee the distance was but
1435 miles, making a saving of 205 miles — but this was
during the fair weather. In the south-west monsoon, the
distance to be run from Bombay to Aden was 2170 miles,
which would make a difference in favour of the passage from
Kurrachec to Aden of 745 miles, Avhenever the passage
could be made direct. There appeared reason to suppose
that the cases would be very rare, in which the direct pas-
sage along the Arabian coast would be impracticable ; and
even if a vessel from Kurrachec were obliged to deviate
from the straight com'se, the difference would still be many
hundred miles in her favom', as compared with a vessel
going from Bombay. The advantages of Bombay, as re-
garded geographical position, were well known, and there-
fore a knowledge of these facts was sufficient to show the
superior geographical position of Kurrachee as the port of
communication with Suez, and for all pai'ts of India which
were as near, or nearer to Kurrachee than they were to
Bombay.

" Colonel Turner instituted a series of very careful expe-
riments by boring, and showed most conclusively that there
was not a particle of rock anywhere on the bar ; that the
whole Avas composed, to considerable depth, of soft sand.
The establishment of this fact of course remoAcd one prin-
cipal ground of the fear which mariners before had — of
approaching or touching on the bar.

" But the principal share of the credit of practically prov •
ing the absence of any clanger in entering the port, was due
to Lieut. Leeds, the port officer, who with great sldll and
judgment, and on his own responsibility, piloted in ships
of considerable biirthen, and had practically shown that this
might be safely done, even without any aid from steamers.
The result was, that during the monsoon just closed, four
large steamers from Bombay and Aden, and eight sailing
vessels of from 300 to 878 tons, had come in and gone out,
and with one exception, it had never been found necessary
to wait even a single day for any particular tide. And it
must be further remembered, that each of these eight sail-
ing vessels was towed in and towed out of the harbour by
a steamer (the Victoria) , which, no later than last year, was
employed in conveying passengers at the most crowded
season between Bombay and Suez.

" Facts like these prove beyond a possibility of doubt,
that there ivas no difficulty uhattver in getting vessels, even
of a considerable size, into and out of Kurrachee harbour
during the south-west monsoon, the most unfavourable pe-
riod of the year.'' (See pp. 66, 166).

Brigadier Parr, commanding at Kurrachee, stated, on the
occasion before referred to, that, "by the facilities for rapid
connnunicution with Suez and Mooltan, Avhich were glanced
at in the Eeport, and which the statements they had heard
showed to be strictly within the limits of what was possible,
and he hoped practical at no distant date, it would positively
take less time to mo\ c a brigade from Southampton to the
Punjaub, than it would at present take to move the Kur-
rachee brigade from this camp to Mooltan ; in other words,
yon might have Southampton, instead of Kurrachee, the
base of your operations for any campaigns in the Punjaub,
or any countries beyond it. This facility appeared to him,
as a military man, to afford advantages so enormous, that

he was sure the meeting would excuse his dilating on the
other aspects of the scheme." (Vide p. 190.)

RAILWAYS, IN CONNECTION WITH STEAM-
ERS. — So far back as 1846, I suggested that railroads
should be introduced into Bengal, in connexion with river
navigation, so that the new mode of transit should, instead
of superseding, co-operate with the old — at all events in the
first instance; and the same views and arguments are as
applicable to the Indus as to the Ganges.

'' Our opinion remains unchanged, notwithstanding that
the Railway Commissioners have enunciated propositions,
and proposed projects in exact accordance with the \iews
entertained by the East Indian, or Mirzapore Railway
Company ; but which they have failed to demonstrate, not
even supplying the requisite data, on which to found the
demonstration of the plans and propositions proposed and
enunciated by themselves — we say that our opinion re-
mains unchanged, as to the impolicy of commencing the
rail-road system by an attempt to supersede the river navi-
gation, where it is comparatively free from obstruction, and
is always available for steam navigation, as is the case
between Rajmahl and Allahabad. The former is situated
at the head of the Delta of the Ganges, and the latter at
the confluence of the Ganges and Jumna, the distance
between the two towns, by the river route, being 500 miles.
But should a line he determined on for this portion of the
country, an extension of the Rajmahl line up the Ganc/etic
valley to Mirzapore and Allahabad, would have many
advantages over the direct route indicated hy the East
Indian, or 3Hrzapore Railway Company . These advan-
tages we shall notice in detail when we come to review the
report of the Railway Commission. It may, however, he
mentioned now, that although the actual, or lineal, distance
hetween Calcutta and Mirzapore hy the valley of the

Qangcs, would he 100 iniles longer' than by the direct rovte,
yet taking the difference of gradients into account {assistant
■power being required on the latter, and pro rata to the
power required so is the distance) the gain in time by the
direct line, would not be more than three or four hours,
which would be too trivial to be an element hi any calcu-
lation of the comparative merits of the two lines, in a
country, where time occupied in travelling is estimated by
months instead of hours.''*

SAME KIND OF IMPROVED TRANSIT ALIKE
APPLICABLE TO THE VALLEY OF THE INDUS
AND TO THAT OF THE GANGES.— Turning from tbe
valley of tne Gauges to that of the Indus and its tributaries,
I woiJd recommend precisely the same mode of introducing
improved transit, substituting Hydrabad for Rajmahal, and
!Mooltan for Allahabad. The rail from Kurrachee to
Hydrabad will, as formerly explained, avoid the dangers
and delays of the Delta, and debouche on a point of the
river above which there is permanently open navigation for
570 miles, to Mooltan.

WANTS OF COMMERCE.— To improve the means
of communication, is the primary duty of every govern-
ment. The steamers at present on the Indus are ill
adapted to the peculiar requirements of that river, and
are quite inadequate to meet the pressing demands for
passage and freight. Goods frequently remain months
at Kurrachee and Mooltan from the want of the means

* Indian Railways, by An Old Indian Postmaster. 2nd ed., 1846.
As the Bengal Line is at this moment exciting great attention, both
in India and in this country, I may remark that the Gangelic
Valley Line is now being constructed by the East Indian Railway
Company, as above publicly recommended by me ten years ago, and
subsequently in a Report, the original of which is at the Board of
Control.

of transport on tlie Indus ; and notwithstanding that the
home Government have ordered out from this country
several additional steamers^ of a superior description to the
present flotilla^ the residents in Scinde and the Punjaub are
desirous that the impetus which private enterprise alone can
impart, should be brought to bear on the navigation of the
inland waters of the Indus, in connexion with the railway and
direct steam communication between KuiTachee and
Suez.

I am assured, on the best authority, that " The steamers
ordered out by the Court of Directors will do no more
than replace those now on the river, which are old and
worn out. They will add little to the available accommo-
dation for goods.

" I have been,^' says the same authority, " repeatedly
assured by the government agents for the river steamers,
that they every month reject twice as much freight as the
steamers are able to carry ; and that this freight is applied
for with a knowledge on the part of shippers, that the
chance of its being taken is very small.

" Of course, if there were ample accommodation, the
applications would be much more numerous.

"The Government river steamers on the Indus never
take native second class passengers for hire. This Avould
of course be a source of great profit to any private com-
pany, as the natives are most anxious to avail themselves
of steamers whenever they can.

"/ have known instances of goods at Kuruachke in-
tended for the Punjaub being sent hack to Bombay, with a
vietv of being fonvarded by the Peninsula and Oriental
Company's boats, via Galle and Calcutta, and so up the
Ganges to the Punjaub, because there appeared no hope of
tonnage being available for them in the Indus river steamers
for several months to come."

RAILWAY FROM MOOLTAN TO LAHORE AND
UMRITSIR. — The navigation above Mooltan is tedious
and precarious, from the want of water, the tortuous course
of some of the rivers and other causes, except to small steam-
ers and country boats of light di'aught. The country, how-
ever, between Mooltan, Lahore, and Umritsir, is singularly
favourable for a railway, being almost level throughout, and
having no rivers of any magnitude to cross.

In brief, then, it is my opinion that the line of rails
from KmTachee to Hydrabad, and another line of rails
from Mooltan to Lahore and Umritsir, co-operating with
fleets of river steamers, of improved construction, such
as those, for example, recommended by Mr. John Bourne,
from Hydrabad to Mooltan, would at once be the most
judicious, the easiest, the least costly, the soonest con-
structed, and in every other point of view, the most ad-
vantageous mode of introducing the railway system into the
Valley of the Indus and its tributaries.

The local authorities, especially Mr. Frere, the Commis-
sioner in Scinde, Colonel Turner, Superintending Engineer
of the Province, Sir John Lawrence, the. Chief Commis-
sioner of the Punjaub, Colonel Glasfurd, late Executive
Engineer at Lahore, Major Hamilton, late Commissioner
at Mooltan, and Mr. Edgeworth, the Commissioner of the
trans-Sutlej States, corroborate the above views, which the
writer has long entertained. The last-mentioned gentleman
expresses himself as follows : —

"But the main and only permanent improvement vnll be
the formation of a railway from either Umritsir or Lahore
to Mooltan,

" With regard to the commimication below Mooltan, the
main point is, increased accommodation for travellers and
greater comfort in the boats, which are at present peculiarly
ill-suited for the purpose.

" The proposed Scinde Railway will do almost all that is
required for the lower communication.

" For the conveyance of goods, the present steam accom-
modation is utterly insufficient.

" In fine, I may express my fervent hope that the pro-
posed measure may be carried out, [i. e., direct steam com-
munication between Kurrachee and Suez,) as I am con-
vinced it will be one of very great importance to the im-
provement of these provinces.''

The Chief Commissioner of the Punjaub, in a recent
dispatch to the Government of India^ makes the following
forcible remarks : —

" Indeed, these tivo essentials, viz., the railroad and the
steamers, may he said with truth to he the crying wants of
the Punjauh in the department of puhlic loorks. Thesepro-
vided, the commerce and produce of these territories will he
turned to their due course, viz., the Indus and its feeders,
and to their natural outlet, viz., the Port of Kurrachee.

" For the railroad the face of the Doab offers an mmsual
equality of surface, while it possesses few or none of the
requisite resom-ces for metalhng a road. For the rivers, it
were preferable, instead of improving the navigable stream,
to concentrate all efforts on the provision of powerful
steamers of the smallest possible draught. The Chief
Commissioner, while deprecating any general extension of
the public works department in the Punjaub for the present,
would yet beg most earnestly to press these cardinal objects
on the attention of the Government. He believes that, if
caiTied out, they would effect more for the development of
the resources of those territories than any other work, or
number of works, that could be devised.

" He (the Chief Commissioner) would suggest that, if
possible, private enterprise be directed to the Umritsir,
Lahore and Mooltan Railway. It is understood that

possibly the Scinde Railway Company may be disposed to
extend their line northwards. "

PUNJAUB AND PROVINCES DRAINED BY
THE INDUS. — The provinces on the Indus and its
tributaries are eut off from India by the Great Desert^ and
camiot naturally eommunicate with the sea by any other
route than by the valley of the Indus. Of eourse, goods do
find their w^ay to the Punjaub, through Calcutta and Bom-
bay^ but they have to follow round-about and unnatural
routes ; and if they can be supplied through the direct and
natural channel_, the benefit to the provinces so supplied
will be felt even at Calcutta and Bombay, far more tlian
the loss of any traffic which may leave those ports, to pursue
a luore direct and cheaper route.

What are the resources of the Punjaub, North-west Pro-
vinces, and Scinde, which, under the improved facilities of
communication suggested, are calculated to feed and main-
tain independent steam communication between Kurrachee
and Suez?

AMOUNT OF MILITARY FORCE, &c.— SUPPLY
OF EUROPEAN GOODS.— The military force of these
provinces, going no further east than Umballa, numbers
upwards of 70,000 men, more than 15,000 of whom are
Europeans. This is independent of officers, which, allow-
ing for absentees, cannot fall short of 2,000, without taking
into account their wives and children, besides the covenanted
and uneovenanted civil servants and their families, which
must make the total European population of these provinces
little short of 20,000.

The large supplies of overland goods which the army
we have alluded to must annually consume, would, doubt-
less, form a considerable item in the receipts of the pro-
posed undertaking. We have no means of forming an
estimate of the probable consumption of such goods; but

some idea of their extent may be obtained from a statement
of Colonel Jacob, the Political Superintendent of the Upper
Scinde frontier, and Commandant of the Scinde Irregular
Horse ; that about fifty camel loads, or 24,0001bs., is about
the average annual supply of Em'opean goods required by
the regiments he commands ; and which, were the proposed
steam communication established, could be forwarded to
him with much greater ease and celerity.

If, then, this be the annual consumption of overland borne
goods of two native regiments, 1,600 strong, what must be
the consumption of an army of 70,000, of which above
15,000 are Europeans, besides civilians, women, and children?

TRANSIT OF EUROPEAN GOODS TO CENTRAL
ASIA. — A proper system of transit, once established
through Scinde and the Punjaub, a few enterprising Eu-
ropean merchants at Kurrachee would soon afford a medium
for extensive shipments from the Punjaub and proAdnces to
the north-west of Dellii, and the distribution of our manu-
factures to the remote parts of central Asia finding cus-
tomers along the valleys of Affghanistan as far as Herat,
and in Balkh, Khiva and Bokhara.

I will now point for a moment to the extensive
provinces of Central Asia, which are now our near neigh-
bours, and explain briefly how those important and com-
paratively far advanced countries have been supplied with
merchandize, and have disposed of produce since the
course of the Indus was comparatively closed to commerce
by the exactions of the native princes. To follow the de-
scription the reader must refer to a large map of Asia. First,
he will find to the north-cast of our fi'ontier, in the imme-
diate vicinity, the celebrated valley of Cashmere, inhabited
by a people renowned for their great skill and ingenuity.
Beyond that lies Thibet, famous for its fine goat wool, and
the manufacture of yarn for the shawls Moven in Cashmere.

To the west and south-west we find the Affghan territory,
with the large to\\Tis of Cabul, Ghizni, Kandahar, and
Herat the Gate of India ; in the same direction, the
northern provinces of Persia. In a north-westerly direc-
tion we find the extensive and fertile countries of Tiu'kestan
and Bokhara, with the large central towns of Balkh, Khiva,
and Bokhara; and, at a great distance westerly, we find the
Caspian Sea.

The commerce of this vast territory is now carried on
by so circuitous and expensive a route, that it will be easy
to restore it to the ancient and natural channel of the
Indus, and by that means how much it is likely to be
increased, now that it is freed by the supremacy of England
from the political obstructions and exorbitant demands of
the tiu-bulent and semi-barbarous states on its banks may
be readily conceived.

" In former times the Indus was the great highway of
commerce between India and Central Asia ; but upon the
dismemberment of the empire of the Great Mogul, the
river fell under the power of a midtitudc of petty chiefs,
whose exactions gradually extinguished the traffic. One
consequence of this revolution was, that Cabul, Bokhara,
and Persia, instead of being supplied from India with
manufactured goods, as had previously been the case,
received most of their supplies from Russia, which, from
the facilities of conveyance afibrded by the Volga, running
into the Caspian Sea, was enabled to come into the
markets of the East upon eligible terms. These advantages
possessed by Uussia have, it is understood, been latterly
augmented by the establishment of steam-vessels upon the
Volga and the Caspian; and the Russian are now. supplant-
ing the English manufactures in the Punjaub, and even
threatening to do so in the north-west provinces of Bengal.''*

* Indian River Navigation, by John Bourne, C. E.

o/>

" The imports into Central Asia consist of European
manufactures of every description : — Calicoes, long cloths,
chintzes, muslins, and other kinds of cotton goods, broad
cloths, velvets, nankeens, gold-thread, copper, and brass
wares of all descriptions, cutlery, and jewellery, and, in
fact, of almost every article which compose British exports,
and including considerable quantities of refined sugar. At
present, (besides the valley of the Indus,) there are three
routes by which these imports are received : — 1st. By the
Persian Gulf, through Persia ; 2nd. By the caravans from
Smyrna and the ports in the Levant ; and 3rd. chiefly, and
by far in the largest proportion, through Russia. Let us
trace the route from the latter, as bemg the chief source.
Goods either manufactured in, or imported into Russia from
England, France, and Germany, many of them purchased at
the gi'cat German fairs, after paying very liigh transit duties,
are shipped at some point on the Volga, and conveyed by
steam-boats down that river to the head of the Caspian
Sea. They are then conveyed the whole length of that
sea by other steam-boats established thereon to Balfrush,
where they are again landed. From that point they are
conveyed by the eastern caravans by the high road through
Sari to Bustum. At this point one road diverges in a
north-easterly direction to Bokhara, Khiva, and Ballch.
Another road continues onward in an easterly course to
Herat thence to Candahar, and so on to Ghizni and Cabul;
from whence Peshawur, Attock, Lahore and all the country
of the Punjaub and Cashmere have partly been supplied."*

" The imports of Cabul are indigo, cotton, sugar, calicoes,
muslins and shawls; and the exports are horses, the madder
of Ghizni and Candahar, and fi-esh and dried fruits. The
chief carriers of the trade are the Lohance merchants, f a

* The Economist.
+ Lohanee Merchants. — The following is an extract from a

pastoral race of Affghans, who occupy the country eastward
from Ghizni to the Indus. The Lohanee caravan usually

recent letter from Mr. H. B. E. Frere:— " These men are the great
carriers of the Affghan trade. They have their homes ahout Guzni,
where they spend the summer. Since the trade via Tatta and the
Indus was extinguished in the latter end of the last century, these
people have supplied themselves with seaborne goods via Calcutta.
They descend the passes before they are blocked up by snow, between
Guzni and the Indus, in vast caravans of eight or ten thousand souls
^the whole tribe moving bodily — men, women, children and cattle —
their goods being on camels and ponies. Arrived in the Derajat, they
leave the aged men, women and children in black felt tents, with their
flocks and herds in the rich pastures bordering on the Indus, while
the able-bodied men push across the Punjaub with their goods for
sale either in that province or on the banks of the Ganges. The lead-
ing merchants precede the main body on dromedaries, taking with
them a few samples, letters of credit, &c. &c , make their purchases
at Delhi, Agra, Allahabad, Cawnpoor, Mirzapoor, and even Calcutta,
and return with them express — collect their families and flocks, and
force their way up the passes. Their numbers generally enable them
to compound with the tribes of the mountains for a reasonable amount
of blackmail, but they have sometimes to fight their way. I have heard
of the wife of an eminent merchant of this tribe, whose husband had
been detamed longer than he expected at Delhi, ofiering the " Kaffila-
bashee " (head of the caravan) demurrage at the rate of 10,000 rupees
a day, to defer the upward march of the caravan, and enable her hus-
band to rejoin, as she knew that if left behind he would be unable to
follow them through the passes, except at great risk to his life and the
property he might have with him.

" Last year, the first of this tribe came down to Kurrachee, and told
me that they would soon all come that way ; that they had no idea of
its comparative shortness and other facihties. When I met them,
they had shipped the wool they had brought down from Guzni on
board river boats at Dhera Ismael Khan, and were taking their unladen
camels down to Kurrachee, expecting there to find return loads, with
which they would go back to Aflghanistan.

" The fact that the merchants who carry on this trade have turned
their attention to Kurrachee as a substitute for Calcutta, seems to me
a point of much importance."

reaches Cabul about the beginning of June; and after the
merchants have disposed of their goods they prosecute their
journey onward to Bokhara. The imports which Bokhara
receives from India arc the same as those received by
Cabul. About 2000 camel-loads of goods reach Cabul
from India yearly, and about half this quantity is trans-
mitted to Turkestan.

" The imports into Bokhara from Russia are — white
cloths, muslins, chintzes, broadcloths, velvets, brocade,
nankeen, gold thread, cochineal, refined sugar, honey, furs,
locks, iron, iron pots, wire, copper and brass, leather, paper,
needles, iirferior cutlery and jewellery, hardware, and a
variety of other small articles. English broadcloth is much
prized in Bokhara, but none reaches that comitry, except
through Russia or Persia; from which countries, although
its transmission is subject to heavy imposts, it can be
brought at a cheaper rate than fi'om India, in consequence
of the expense of the land-carriage through Affghanistan,
which, however, the opening of the Indus would in a great
measure supersede.

" Besides the Russian and Indian trade, Bokhara carries
on a considerable traffic with China, by way of Cashgar
and Yarkund. The imports to Bokhara, from China, arc —
China ware, musk, bullion, and tea. Of the latter article
there are nine hundred and fifty horse-loads, or two hundred
thousand pounds, transmitted annually, although the diffi-
culties of the roads, and the long land-carriage through
Thibet, necessarily much enhance the price. A horse-load
of tAvo hundred and fifty pounds costs sixty tillas in Yarkund,
and sells for one hundred tillas in Bokhara. It is entirely
green tea which is carried to Turkestan, and the best comes
from a place in China called Turklit, and is packed in small
boxes of Banca tin, from whence it is called Banca tea.
The sugar-candy of China is also imported into Turkestan,

but being a comparatively cumbrous article, it cauiiot be
carried by the same route as the tea, but is conveyed from
China to Bombay, from thence up the Persian Gulf, and
on by land to Teheran : from thence a large quantity is
carried across the Caspian to the Bay of Balkhan, from
whence it is carried to Khiva,* and a small quantity is also
carried by way of ]\Ieshcd. It is ob\ious, that if the Indus
were available for commerce, it uould afford a much easier
route for the produce of China to Khiva and Bokhara, than
either the route through Thibet, or the route through
Persia ; and many of the commodities which find their way
into Central Asia through circuitous routes, would neces-
sarily take the route of the Indus, so soon as that channel
of communication was properly opened up.

"The principal exports of Bokhara are silk, wool, and
lamb-skins. The silk is chiefly produced on the banks of
the Oxus, where the mulberry grows in the most luxuriant

* " Khiva, of the site of which Major Abbott gives a new determina-
tion, placing it in latitude 41° 20", and longitude 60°, is the modern
capital of the kingdom of Khaurasm, the ancient Chorasmin. On the
north-west this is separated from the district of Orenburg by a belt of
steppe inhabited by Kirghese Cossacks, or as Captain Abbott chooses
to call thera, Kuss-auks, whose Chief is a nominal tributary of the
Russian government — an allegiance, probably, secured mainly by the
market which his people find at Samara for the skins that their flocks
produce. On the west, Khaurasm is bounded by the Caspian Sea,
on the south west by Persia and Herat, on the south-east by Bokhara,
and on the north-east by Kokann. Taken roughly, its area extends
about 800 miles from north to south, and 600 from east to west, and
it entirely separates Russia from Bokhara, and consequently commands
the line of traffic between those two places."

Merv, the principal town of the district of Yoollataun, is an extremely
important position, as the trade between Bokhara and Persia, and also
that between Khiva and Alfghanistan passes through it, and con-
temptible as its present appearance is, it might, with judicious care,
rapidly rise into wealth and consequence.

manner, and nearly all the inhabitants are engaged in
rearing the silk-worm dui'ing the summer months. The
lamb-skins of Bokhara are renowned throughout the East,
and are only procurable at Karahool, a small district lying
between Bokhai-a and the Oxus. These skins are chiefly
carried to Persia ; but the risks of the transport are great,
in consequence of the misettled condition of the tribes
between the two countries. From these causes it is not
possible to negotiate a bill between Meshed and Bokhara,
and the cost of transport is very high,

" The manufactures of Russia find ready access into
Persia by the Caspian ; but Tabreez and Teheran also
receive Russian goods by way of Tiflis and the Caucasus.
Latterly a route has been opened for English goods into
the northern parts of Persia by way of Treljizonde, from
which much benefit has accrued — the southern districts
being supphed with English goods from Bushire, on the
Persian Gulf. To the north-west of Bushire the Karoon,
a large and navigable river, ascends into the heart of
Persia; and, under suitable an-angements, goods might be
carried by this route to witliin a comparatively short
distance of Ispahan." *

TRADE OF INDIA WITH CENTRAL ASIA.—
Goods brought to Attok, on the Indus, by steamer and
rail, may be placed in the Cabul, Ghizni, Candahar, Herat,
Balkh and Bokhara markets, at a much less cost than by
the expensive caravan route from Novogorod and the Volga.

There is a great trade in silk between Bokhara and the
Punjaub.

The trade of India, with central Asia, amounts to about
one million sterling. One portion of this seeks egress and
ingress on the borders of Scinde, and the remainder passes

* Indian River Navigation, by John Bourne, G.E.

through the Punjaub. By the former route the trade is
can-icd on by means of the Indus^ and by camels, horses,
mules, and more recently by carts ; by the latter route it is
carried on by multitudes of camels, mules and ponies which
are used in the transit instead of wheel carriages. A string
of camels, numbering five thousand, occasionally comes from
Bokhara to Dhera Ismael Khan, on the Indus. The mer-
chants travel armed, and are accompanied by their families,
and the caravan constitutes as it were a moveable bazaar.
Silks and wools, groceries and spices, fm's from Russia, and
gold with the Bokhara stamp, although extracted from the
Ural INIountains, dyes, books, cloths and metals are the
wares they carry. Arrived at Dhera- Ismael- Khan, the
families and baggage are deposited, and the merchants
severally start, with their trains and merchandise, for the
south. About 20,000 camels are employed in this trade,
exclusive of ponies and mules. A large number of armed
retainers accompany the caravans, besides 8,000 servants.*
The import trade carried on in this truly primitive fashion,
cost for transit from 6d. to Is. Qd. per ton per mile, and
^'^amomited on the average of the five years, ending 1849
to—

Article. Country of Produce. Value.

Raw silk Bokhara, Khorasan Rs. 2,80,000

Wools Hills north of Cabul, Ghuzni 12,000

^ - C Affghanistan, Herat and Bok-

P^otions I hara, Persia and Khorasan 85,000

Dried fruits Cabul, Jellalabad and Kandahar 91,000

Red dye Kandahar 1,20,000

Iron Mines west of Bunoo 33,500

Alum Kalabagh 22,000

Carried forward Rs. 6,43,500

Vide Note, page 23, supra.

Brought forward lis. 0,43,500

T3 r, .^ ( Aft'ffhanistan, except pomegra-

KaAv fruits ^J nates from Kandahar 22,000

Horse cloths D.-Ismael-Khan 12,000

Gold Bokhara 3,00,000

Horses Affghanistan and Persia 1,50,000

Light articles 30,000

Total 11,57,500

Add specie payments 6,00,000

Grand total Rs. 17,57,000

"The word which we have translated hy the American
equivalent ' notions, * includes, gum-arabic, rose leaves,
assafoetida, yelloiv amber, medicines, sulphur, liquorice,
antimony, dyes, and a variety of groceries, spices, and all
that is pleasant — and unpleasant — to taste and smell. The
phrase ' light articles ' covers a variety as miscellaneous
as the stock-in-trade of a marine store dealer, or a shop in
the Calcutta China bazaar. It includes Persian silks,
Russia leather, Russia chintzes, pet animals, great coats,
Ispahan and Damascus blades, fans, punkahs, ermine and
sable fui's;"* in fact anything and every tiling not absolutely
necessary. " Silk, it will be perceived, is, with one excep-
tion, the most important item. Of the whole quantity
imported, one-half is consigned to a single house at Uni-
ritsir, and a moiety of the remainder to a second. The
latter, moreover, the house of Tukht Mull, imports half the
wool. The raw fruits are confined chiefly to Jewan Singh
of the same place, and we may remai'k generally, that
although the trade is widely scattered, the greater portion
ahke of merchandise and profits remains in exceedingly few
hands. The traders are generally ' Kabulecs,^ ' Lohanees,'

* Friend of India.

and ' Puraclias/ the two latter being natives of Daman
and Attock. The Purachas are remarkable for their branch
establishments. They maintain them throughout the Pun-
jaub at Umritsir, Mooltan, and Hooshearpore, in Behar,
in Moorshedabad, and at Radhanagore. The only caravans
apparently which reach Calcutta are those which convey
the articles under the head ' notions/ "*

The export trade during the same period amounted on
the average to —

Place. Value.

"Shawls Cashmere (Rs.) 6,50,000

Loaf sugar Jullundur 50,000

Rough sugar (goor) Barce and Rechna Doab 8,000

Indigo Mooltan and Upper India 1,57,000

Coarse native cloth Punjaub 3,54,000

Piece goods Manchester 3,80,000

Notions Europe 45,000

Total 16,44,000

" The ' notions ' again include hardware, glass, cutlery,
camphor, cloves, cinnamon, sandal wood, verdigris, quick-
silver, tea, and everything with which Sheffield can tempt
the taste of semi-barbarian tribes.^f The amounts of
exports and imports through the Punjaub, was only
£340,000 ; but it has increased since the estimates were
made, and there is little doubt but that it, taken in con-
junction with that traversing the provmce of Scinde,
approaches nearly a million sterling. The appearance of
bullion amongst the imports, shows that the balance of
trade is in favour of India, and the trade being in every
item susceptible of considerable extension is well worth the

* Friend of India. f Ibid.

attention of Manchester and Yorkshire. English chintzes
and broadcloths are greatly esteemed in central Asia; and
broadcloth of light texture, such as lady's cloth, at moderate
rates, -vrould meet with a ready and extensive sale.

"We have already mentioned the many products which
Central Asia has to give in exchange ! but there is one very
important one which appears to have been almost entu'ely
overlooked, and which is capable of great extension — we
mean sheeps' wool. All the countries bordering on the
Indus, and especially those to the west, contain very ex-
tensive pastoral districts, where wool is produced in gi'eat
abundance. The rapid increase in the supply of wool to
this country from that territoiy during the last few years,
even under all the disadvantages which have existed, and
the great cost of transit and re-shipment from the ports on
the coast to Bombay and thence to England, is the best
proof of what may fairly be expected with the facilities now
for the first time about to be offered. Little as India is
noticed as a source for fflie supply of wool, the quantity
now imported is as large as our whole Australian colonies
produced as lately as 1836. In 1833, the quantity of
sheeps' wool imported from India was but 3,721 lbs ; in
1841 it had risen to about 3,008,000 lbs.''

" But it is quite essential to its success that du'ect com-
munication between this country and Kurrachee should be
established as early as possible, and there can be no doubt
that private interest and competition will soon lead to such
arrangements. According to the most recent accounts from
India, it appears that some American trading ships have
already availed themselves of the new facilities afforded
by the improvement of Km-rachee as a port. A direct
communication between the Indus and this country will
be of even more importance as respects the importation
of the raw productions of Asia, than the export of the

more expensive and less bulky articles of British manu-
facture/'*

Our trade with India, important as it is, is only to he
regarded as in its infancy. In 1834 it was scarcely
£-4,000,000 in value, while it now amounts to nearly
£20,000,000.

Holding as we do the Indus from Cashmere to the sea
we have a power which, if "well understood, and wisely
improved, puts us in possession of the key to the whole
commerce of Central Asia ; which cannot be pursued with-
out adding to the prosperity and productiveness of our new
teri'ltories.^'i-

The Indus debouching into the plains, separates the
Himalayah range from the Hindoo Koosh, and after re-
ceiving the Punjaub rivers and other tributaries, flows
through many mouths into the Arabian Sea.

The Indus and its affluents being now subject to us, it
becomes our duty to re-open to the world this ancient
highway of nations. The resources of modem science
judiciously applied to this line of communication woidd at
once not only be of inestimable benefit to our ovm pro-
vinces, but would loosen the political hold which Russia
possesses over Central Asia by her commercial relations
with that country.

It remains for private enterprise to occupy tins mag-
nificent field for commerce and civilization.

The transit duties being abolished and all fiscal restric-
tions removed, and the energetic and tm-l)ulent races of
the vaUey of the Indus having been reduced to peaceful
cultivators of the soil, the life and property of the trader
are as safe as in this country, and the advent of the steam
engine, that herald of commerce, enlightenment and peace,

* The Economist. f Ibid.

is alone wanting to enable enterprise to take possession of a
field which has been hitherto to the British merchant
almost hermetically sealed, and " with the facilities which
will be afforded to the traders of Cabul, and those who
supply the extensive markets of Khiva and Bokhara ; and,
lastly, with the impetus that will be given to the coasting
trade of the Persian Gulf, by the establishment of Kur-
rachee as a great emporium of British commerce, it is not
difficult to foresee that in a few years it must become one
of the most extensive and lucrative markets in our Eastern
possessions."*

The importance of completing trunk lines is apparent.
The railway from Lahore and Umritsir to Mooltan, once
in operation, the rivers of the Punjaub, covered with the
smaller boats of the country, will act as feeders of the
railway, which will become the highway of an extended
commerce; while the river steamers from Mooltan to
Hydrabad, and the railway from Hydrabad to Kurrachee
will give a continuous steam communication to the natural
port of the valley of the Indus.

GRANTS OF LAND, EFFECT OF.— Grants of land,
on conditions similar to those recently conceded for tea
cultivation in the province of Kumaon, (page 157) would
rapidly extend in the country of the five rivers, the
cultivation of cotton, wheat, tea, flax,t hemp, and the
mulberry. (Vide p. 157.)

* The Economist,
t Linseed. — Eleven hundred bags of Punjaub linseed were sold
at Kurrachee on the 26th September last. The average price was
4rs. 8a. a maund. Seven hundred bags, not yet arrived, were sold at
4r8. 10a., and an offer to sell all that might arrive before October,
brought 4rs. 5a. a maund. A quantity of Scinde linseed was also sold
at 4r8. Ca. a maund. These prices are extremely profitable to the
growers.

EUROPEAN AGENCY.— Land obtaiiiahle, and the
means of transit establislicd, manufactories of indigo, salt,
saltpetre, silk, and produce marts will spring up under the
direction of European agency) while the inexhaustible
supply of iron ore, and other mineral wealth, lying dor-
mant on the very surface of the soil, Avill be accessible and
appreciated and cease to be a reproach.

Transport to the sea once provided, the borax, from
the far lake of Mansoreewar, will no longer seek a market
eastward; and the more useful articles of the looms of Cash-
mere will form part of the exports from beyond the Sutlej,
while the export of wool, the great staple of the valley of
the Indus, Avould be incalculably increased.

DIRECT STEAM COMMUNICATION BETWEEN
KURRACHEE AND SUEZ. — Steam transit in the
Valley of the Indus once fairly established, the overland
route, turning from the Nile to the Euphrates, Aleppo
and Seleucia, will supersede Cairo and Alexandria.
With a rail from Seleucia, by way of Aleppo to
Bussorah, and a steam service across to Kurrachee,
our mails will reach that port in fifteen days, and Anth
the aid of improved steamers and the rail, passengers
and goods will reach Lahore in a tenth part of the
time now occupied. But years arc required to establish
and perfect such a comprehensive arrangement ; and
as it is of the utmost importance to this comitry to
have the existing route kept up as an alternative line
of communication with the empire in the east, it is of
primary urgency to give effect to the wishes of the Commis-
sioners and other authorities of Scinde and the Punjaub, as
well as the inhabitants generally, that the countries bordering
on the Indus should be brought nearer Europe, by estab-
lishing a direct steam communication lietwccn Kurrachce
and Suez. Kurrachce, from its geographical position, must
become the European port of India. It is 205 miles neaivr

Aden than Bombay is to Aden ; and daring the prevalence
of the south-west monsoon, it is \drtually 745 miles nearer
Aden than Bombay is to Aden.

The present distinguished Commissioner of Scinde has
manifested a great interest in obtaining a dnect steam
communication between Kurrachee and Aden and Suez.
He has repeatedly urged his ^dews on the attention of
Government, and has collected data on the subject from
the Punjaub and north-west provinces which, we believe,
will afford a guarantee that if this project is undertaken by
a private company, and supported liberally by the local
Government, it bids fair to become a safe and remunerative
enterprise. " It is well kuown,'^ observes a Kurrachee
paper, " that the passenger traffic alone from the north-west
provinces via the Indus to Kurrachee, has increased four
hundi'ed fold dm'ing the past year, and the goods traffic has
expanded itself in a still larger ratio. The expenses which
passengers from up-comitryare put to,Avlio prefer the Bombay
to the Calcutta homeward route, are enormous. Their tem-
porary sojourn here whilst waiting for a Bombay steamer,
their passage-money hence to the presidency, and their de-
tention there, frequently cost them as much, or nearly so, as
their overland journey . Now, all these delays, inconveniences,
and heavj'^ charges would at once be done away with by the
establishment of regular and direct communication with
Aden or Suez, say once a month ; and the natural result
of this arrangement would be, that for one passenger that
now comes down the Indus on the way to Europe, there
would be twenty who would gladly patronise the new route.
Again, it is not unreasonable to expect that Government
woidd pay any private company who might undertake this
enterprise, a handsome sum annually for the conveyance of
the mails to and from Scinde, the Punjaub, and north-
west provinces. The parcels and light goods would Hke-
wise help to swell the retm-ns ; and altogether we think

tliere can be little doubt that such a company, properly
managed, would be a paying concern, and a safe investment
for capital/'

Were a direct steam communication between Kui'rachee
and Suez once established, at moderate rates, numerous
Moslem pilgrims and merchants from the banks of the
Indus, Central Asia, and the Persian Gulf, would take ad-
advantage of this route to Aasit the holy cities, of ]\Iecca
and ]Medma, especially Mecca, "the grand mart of the
Moslem world, or the meeting-place of nations."

We know that thousands of pilgrims annually resort
thither from the Persian Gidf; some travelling across
Arabia, others in native craft to Bombay, and thence by
boat and steamers to Aden and Suez.

Were a company to take up the Kurrachee and Suez line,
it might be so arranged, either that the Suez steamers
should touch at INIuscat and embark pilgrims thence, which
would not perhaps entail more than a day's delay; or a
branch steamer might ply between the Persian Gulf and
Kurrachee as a feeder of the Suez steamer ; and there is a
considei'able ti'affic in merchandize carried on between the
ports in the Persian Gulf, Muscat and Kurrachee. This
steamer could also carry the Persian Gulf mail; and, ^dewing
the present aspect of the political horizon, would it not be a
matter of the highest importance to have a regular communi-
cation with the Gulf, upon which we could always depend ?

The thousands of pilgrims who for foiu- months in the
year pass througli Egypt to embark at Suez for Arabia,
would gladly exchange the prolonged misery which they
endure in the wretched vessels of the country for permission
to couch on the deck of an English steamer.

According to an authority long resident in the East,
"The heterogeneous mass of pilgrims (passing through
Egypt) is composed of people of all classes, colours, and
costumes. One sees among them not only the natives of

countries contiguous to Egypt, but also a large proportion
of Central Asians from Bokhara, Persia, Circassia, Turkey,
and the Crimea, who prefer this route by Avay of Constan-
tinople to the difficult, expensive, and dangerous caravan
line through the Desert from Damascus and Bagdad. The
West sends us Moors, Algerines, and Tunisians ; and inner
Africa a mass of sable Takrouri and others from Bornu,
the Sudan, Ghedamah near the Niger, and Jabarti from
the Habash."* (p. 165).

THE EUPHRATES VALLEY ROUTE TO INDIA.
— " The Indian government contributes £70,000 a year
towards the charges of an extended commiuiication with
India and China, and the intercom^se with England, by way
of Egypt, is now regular and rapid. The prejudices, and
even the imperial considerations, which favoured the old
circuitous communication by way of the Cape of Good
Hope, have given way before the irresistible desire for rapid
locomotion and intercoiu'se with all parts of the Avorld.
This influence is still exerting itself with full force. As
soon as the war vrith Russia is over, and Turkey becomes
settled down into a state of peace, and is gradually brought
within the range of European enterprise, improvements,
and civilisation, we are satisfied that the desire to secure
the shortest route to India will be revived in full force, and
that eventually we shall penetrate through Asia Minor to
the Persian Gulf, so as to jnake that mighty river once
more, as in ancient times, a highway to the commerce
of the East. If any one had predicted three years ago,
that an English railway would be constructed from Balak-
lava to Sebastopol, the notion would have been quite
derided. It is, indeed, far more probable that this genera-
tion will not pass away before a railway is perfected, so as

* '•Pilgrimage to El Medina and Mecca," by Lieut. R F. Burton
and Mr. Levick's " Notes on Suez and the Suezians."

to unite the Euphi-ates at some accessible point with the
Mediterranean^ and thereby shorten and render still more
easy the overland commmiication with the East^ tlirough
the Persian Gulf."*

A glance at a map will demonstrate the commercial and
geographical advantages of the position of Kurrachee, both
in relation to the existing route by Egypt and the lied
Sea, as well as to that bj the Euphrates Valley and Per-
sian Gulf, proposed by that eminent authority General
Chesney and advocated by the late Dr. James Bowen
Thompson.

This latter truly excellent and talented gentleman died
lately at Constantinople, after having devoted many years
to the advocacy of the Euphrates valley route, and with his
latest breath he urged the early and energetic prosecution
of the design.

The route from Europe via Suez and Kurrachee to

Lahore is about 2,700 miles shorter than the route via

Suez and Calcutta to Lahore; and by the opening of the

Euphrates Valley Route, the distance will be reduced in

all by 3,594 miles, viz. ; —

Miles.
London to Lahore, via Trieste, Suez, Aden and

Calcutta 9,015

London to Lahore, via Trieste, Suez, Aden and

Kurrachee - G,908

London to Lahore, via Trieste, Seleucia, the

Euphrates Valley and Kurrachee - - 6,02 If

* Madras Athenaeum,
t London to Lahore, via Trieste, Aden and Calcutta.

Miles. .Miles

London to Trieste . . . 1,593

Trieste to Aden . . . 3,000

Aden to Calcutta . . . 3,789

Calcutia to Lahore . . 1,233

9,615

Independently of the foregoing considerations^ the vakie
of the line of intercourse proposed to be established from
the northern coast of Svi'ia to the Euphrates^ and thence to
Bussorah and the Persian Gidf, will appear still greater
when vre estimate it as combined with the commercial
importance which the fom* great rivers of western Asia
must add to it. In this respect, General Chesney obser\-es,
that " the elevated plateau, which extends from the base of
^Mormt Ai'arat into northern Armenia, Km^dhistan, and
part of Asia ^Nlinor, contains the sources of four noble
rivers, ha^-ing their estuaries in three different seas; and
thus, from Armenia, as from the centre of a great continent,
gi\'ing an easy communication to the nations of Em-ope
and Asia/^ A reference to General Chesney^s map will shew,
" that by following the Kizil-Irmak through Asia ^Nlinor,
we reach the Black Sea ; from whence there are iidets into
Kussia, Austria, Turkey, &c. In the same way, the A/as,
by terminating in the Caspian, opens several routes towards
Great Tartary, as well as towards the rest of Central Asia
and China; while the Tigris and Euphrates, with their
numerous ramifications, aflPord abimdant means of commu-

London to Lahore, via Trieste, Aden and Kurrachee : —
London to Trieste . . 1,593

Trieste to Aden . . . 3,000

Aden to Kurrachee . .1,435

Kurrachee to Lahore . . 880

6,908

London to Lahore, via Seleucia, Euphrates, Bussora and Kurra-
chee : —

London to Trieste . . 1,593

Trieste to Seleucia . . 1,600

Seleucia to Bussora (Air Line 660) 1,008
Bussora to Kurrachee . . 940

Kurrachee to Lahore . . SSO

6,0-21

nicating with Persia, Iudia_, Arabia, aud the continent of
Africa."* With these regions, an extensive commercial traffic
is maintained to this day, through the medium of very large
and numerous caravans, which, fi'om a very early period,
have provided the countries traversed by those four rivers
with the produce and merchandise of Eastern Africa, and
fui'nished the latter with those of Asiatic and Em'opean
origin. (Vide p. 200.)

A NEW FIELD FOR BRITISH CAPITAL AND
ENTERPRISE. — A correspondent from Mooltan writes: —
" It is a matter of surprise to not a few here that British
capitalists have not ere now been attracted to this quarter
of the globe. The Mooltan district presents a field for
enterprise which is enjoyed by but few of the districts
in the Punjaub. The countiy is intersected by canals
and water-cuts, and is almost entirely iudepeudent of
the periodical rains. The soil is rich and fertile. There
is a vast ai'ea of cultui'able land lying waste — the lease
of which could be obtained on very favourable tenns.
The banks of the rivers are fi'inged with luxuiiant cvd-
tivation. Indigo and cotton are extensively grown, par-
ticularly in Shoojabad, where the absence of cultivation
is a feature unknown in the landscape of that portion
of the district. The whole pergmia presents an unbroken
scene of perpetual verdure. The district must have been,
at no remote period, in a very prosperous condition
for the ruins of ancient towns and villages are to be
met with everywhere, while the vestiges of numerous
canals indicate that agriculture was the chief means of sub-
sistence of a generation now passed away."

FIBROUS SUBSTANCES.— The demand for flax,

* Expedition to Euphrates and Tigris by Colonel, now Major-
General, Chesney, R.A., F.R.S., &c., &c.

hemp, silk, cotton, and hair is now hecoming so great that
the market camiot be supplied with a sufficieney of these
raw materials to keep our large manufaetories in full opera-
tion, and India is noAv looked to as the country whence
these supplies must be derived.

COTTON. — A recent correspondent of an Indian paper
says : — " In April last (1855), I brought to England a small
quantity of cotton (the raw material) grown from accli-
mated American cotton seed in a district on the banks of
the river Jhelum ; this specimen I had shown to several
cotton spinners in Manchester. They pronounced it to be
the finest specimen of cotton they had seen grown in India,
even directly from American seed^ and to be worth from
6^d. to 6|-d. per lb.

" Along the banks of our Punjaub rivers lie tracts of
land admirably situated for the growth of cotton. It only
requires steady encouragement on the part of the local
Government, trouble and perseverance on the part of the
district officer, to cover those lands with cotton of the
finest quahty.

" The cotton that could thus be grown might, with ease
and at trifling cost, be conveyed in country boats, (imtil
we have, as we ought to have, steamers on those rivers)
down the Indus to Kurrachee, and there shipped for
England.

" Kurrachee is a port of great importance ; but, like
many things of great importance, not heeded or taken
advantage of. The one article, cotton, if properly culti-
vated in the Punjaub and in Scinde, would afford export
freight for a vast number of ships visiting Kurrachee, while
Government stores for the Punjaub, private property and
merchandize would afford endless import freight, to say
nothing of the great number of passengers who would avail
themselves of that route. ''^

According to a Sciude paper — '* Any one located on
the banks of the river Indus might observe fleets of
boats coming doAvn the river in tlie winter months, all
laden with cotton/' The cotton brought to Scinde and
shipped at Sukkur comes across the Jaysuhnere Desert
from Rajpootana, and is either consumed in Scinde or
exported to Affghanistan.

WOOL. — The western presidency yields her millions of
tons annually of this article of commerce (wool), and she is
indebted for it chiefly to the countries which are in greater
proximity to Km-rachee than to Bombay. " Why, there-
fore, (says a Kurrachee paper) should we not avail our-
selves of the advantages of our position, and establish a
direct commercial communication with England ?

" There existed one drawback to this before, which was
the circumstance of no European vessels calling here likely
to receive cargo. The example set us by the Court of
Directors, in making Scinde the highway for troops for the
far north-west, should, however, remove this difficulty.
The Punjaubee, Affghan, and Patan merchants woidd, we
are certain, be glad to avail themselves of the opportunity
of shipping their wool at Kurrachee, and thereby avoid a
sea trip to Bombay ; but the first step towards overcoming
the present apathy, must be the establishment of a screw
company,* or perhaps, more appropriately, a working com-
pany, of people who will undertake and guarantee the
screwing of the wool ; and our ships, which bring us
annually cargoes of human beings, for the service of their
country in India, may receive in return cargoes of wool
and other raw produce, for the use and the benefit of our
bretlu-en at home."

* This has been accomplished, in some degree, by private enter-
prise, and screws for cotton and wool are about being provided for
Mooltan and Kurrachee by the liberality of the East India Company.

LINSEED AND FLAX.— "One consequence of the
war with Russia tvlQ be^ to make us, to a great extent, in-
dependent of many of her staple exports. In the case of
oil seeds, the trade with Calcutta has been so greatly
develoj)ed, as to render seeds one of the most important
features in our trade with that port ; and om' East Indian
possessions bid fair, at no distant period, to supply the
entire consumption of this country.'^*

Major Hollings, Deputy Commissioner of Shahpore, in
the Punjaub, observes : — " Dm^ing the past season my atten-
tion has been directed to the cultivation of linseed and the
preparation of flax — subjects which have been taken up by
the Financial Commissioner, Mr. McLeod, Avitli a view to
the exportation of these products to the markets in England.
The position of the Punjaub is peculiarly favorable for the
development of commerce, and there are in it soils and
climates suitable for the production of every kind of fruit
and vegetable. TMien the mineral resources are better
knowTi, it will be found that the Punjaub contains un-
limited supplies of those valuable manures which chemistry
has lately introduced to agriculture."

" ^Tien intelligence reached us," says the Bombay Times,
"that war had been declared by our Queen against the
Emperor of Russia, Mr. Frere, the Commissioner of Scinde,
and his friends here, began to consider how they could
assist our manufacturers and their territory by supplying
us with raw material usually heretofore received from
Russia. If we were only able to take their goods during
hostilities, it might be a profitless transaction for Scinde to
supply part of the vacuum caused by war ; but one use of
this quarrel is to compel a thorough search of our own
resources, and one loss to Russia from its existence wiU be
the employment of other lands to grow those staples that

* Messrs. Laing and Campbell's Annual Circular for 1856.

it has hitherto suppHed. Two productions of Russia which
we buy in large quantities may be profitably grown in
Northern India. Wheat is the first, and probably the
more important of these articles. Flax is the second staple
of Russia referred to in the preceding sentences, and which
the friends of Scinde expect it to supply. Egypt is a
somewhat similar country, and the flax of the Egyptians
must have been of high quality thousands of years since ;
for their fine linen was, at that distance of time, in high
reputation. We have, therefore, no reason to doubt the
capabilities of Scinde to produce fine flax. The value of
the staple in a great measure depends upon its quality.
Very few articles present an equally long range of quota-
tions. It has been sold at £30, and it has brought .£140
per ton. The average price in this country is higher, how-
ever, than that of cotton ; and therefore no great difficulty
will arise regarding the freight, although the construction
of railways, or the improvement of the Indus, is still an im-
portant essential to a great flax trade from Northern
India.^'

Some 5,000 maunds of linseed have been recently sold
in Lahore at two rupees a maund. This is a price which
amply repays the cultivator, and the demand is likely to
continue. The seed was intended for Kurrachee and Bom-
bay, to be exported to England, where prices were then
ranging about equal to seven rupees a maund.

The Bombay Telegraph and Courier, 5th October last has
the following statement, from a correspondent, regarding
the sale of the seed scut down to Scinde to be disposed of: —

" We have now the pleasure to wait on you with the
result of the first sale of Punjaub linseed, which took
place yesterday, when 1,200 bags were submitted for com-
petition in lots of 25 bags each, and sold at prices varying
from rs. 4 to 4 13-16th per maund of 80 lbs.

" After this a lot of 40 mauiids of Scinde linseed was put
up, which realized rs. 4 8-6th per maund, and another batch
of 84 packages, in six different lots, which realized rs. 4
8-6th to 4 12-6th per maund.

" Shortly afterwards a batch of 700 bags of Punjaub
linseed, now on its way from Mooltan, was sold to arrive
at rs. 4 10-1 6th per maund. After which the whole of the
remaining quantity of the Punjaub linseed, estimated at
7,000 or 8,000 maunds, was offered for sale to arrive. The
bidders at first showed some hesitation in offering for the
quantity in consequence of the uncertainty as to the time of
delivery, when it was agreed that the whole quantity that
may arrive before the end of October becomes the property
of the purchaser. With this stipulation, the lot was
knocked down at 4 8-16th per maund."

WHEAT. — " Till within the last two years, we had but a
few isolated cases of this article being imported from India,
and, from various causes, these importations gave no encou-
ragement to importers to continue them. Several thousand
quarters imported in 1854, however, have induced further
shipments ; and about 60,000 qrs. were shipped at Calcutta
for England during the last year, from January to the
22nd of November. The article being little known, the
importers found it difficult to sell for arrival on satisfactory
terms till November last, when sales on c. f. and i. terms
commenced to be made; and since then to the present
time upwards of 40,000 qrs. have been sold. The highest
price paid for good qualities of soft wheats was 705. c. f.
and i., on terms considered equal to 80*. delivered; and
this was when the price of good white English wheat was
855. per qr. The lowest price since the decline in the corn
market has been 62s., c. f. and i., for hard wheat. We
are informed that some few thousand quarters are now on
the way from Bombay (no doubt Punjaub wheat, which is

the best grown in India) ; and, from the samples shown, wc
estimate the value of the hard at about the same as Spanish
hard, and the soft the same as good soft English. Some
quantity of the Calcutta wheat has lately arrived, and most
of it in excellent condition, and its present value on the
spot is 6Ss. to 72s. per quarter of 504 lbs/'*

With an immense wheat country at its back, Kurrachee
can at present export no wheat. Scinde has almost bovmd-
less means for the production of wheat, and could, without
difficulty, and at a moderate price, supply the entire con-
sumption of Great Britain and Ireland. In these days,
when the price of the quartern loaf is a serious matter for
consideration to all housekeepers, and a terror to the poor,
the opening of such a source of supply is like the finding of
concealed treasure. At present, the capabilities of produc-
tion are useless from the want of means of transport. Colonel
Turner, Superintending Engineer in Scinde, observes that —
*' In travelling through the country after the inundation of
1851, I found at a place called Naree, a fcAv miles above
Sehwan, stocks of Government grain of three successive
years : — the excessive inundation of that year had swamped
it, and it was utterly spoiled, fit only for manure. At
first I imagined the Kardar must be to blame, but on en-
quiry, I learned that there had been repeated attempts to
sell it by auction, but that no one would buy it, because
the cost of conveying it to a market would render it an un-
pro/itable speculation." (Vide pp. 78, 119.)

Major Preedy on this head remarks, "that as the
proposed Railway was to be constructed entirely in
his coUectorate, he considered it his duty to bear tes-
timony to the great commercial advantages likely to
be gained by it, in the transport of large quantities

• Messrs. Laing and Campbell's Annual Circular for 1856.

of grain of all descriptions, wliicli are produced in such
luxuriance in Upper and Middle Scinde. Tlie quantity of
grain which might he exported from Kurrachee, was im-
mense; Avhen Sir C. Napier was here — in the year of the
Irish famine, he offered to have ready 11,000 tons of grain
at Kurrachee for transmission, and such a quantity might
and could have been spared without interfering with tlie
consumption of the country. The cost of carriage now was
so great as actually to prohibit grain as an export. The
price of wheat and grain was at Shikarpore and Hydrabad,
just one half its price in Kurrachee, the navigation of the
Indus rendering attempts to bring grain down as an ex-
port very hazardous. Major Preedy instanced a case
where out of seven boats laden with grain which started
from Kotree, but one arrived in Kurrachee, the other six
being lost; if one or two boats only out of a batch of six
or so were lost, it was generally considered a good venture.
He looked, therefore, upon the grain transport alone to
give a large return — a return far exceeding what Lieut.
Chapman had allowed towards the profits of a railroad in
Scinde.'^ (Vide p. 120.)

SALT. — Salt, of the purest quality, is formed naturally
on the coasts of Scinde, and the Indian system of taxing
salt is not extended to that province. The immense trade
which might be carried on in this article was pointed out
eight or ten years ago, by Lieut, (now Major) Burke, of
the Bombay Engineers, who published a small pamphlet,
giving an account of the vast and practically- inexhaustible
deposit whence the supply might be derived. But no
notice was taken of the fact b}^ mercantile men till January
1855, when the captain of a vessel going round to Cal-
cutta in ballast took a cargo. The venture was so succes-
ful that it has since been repeated. The duty paid on

import of Scinde salt into Calcutta for the portion of the
year up to August 1855, was Rs. 30,000.

A Company was formed at Kurrachee last year, for the
purpose of exporting Scinde salt to Calcutta. Its opera-
tions have not been very extensive, but so far they ap-
pear to have been successful. From information, supplied
by the Bombay Government, we learn that about half a lakh
of maunds of Kurrachee salt have been exported to Calcutta
by the Company since December 1854, and that, " though
previously unknown there, it has commanded prices beyond
the prices obtained for Bombay salt, which, next to Liver-
pool and foreign Europe salt, had heretofore stood in the
highest favour in the Calcutta market." But according to
the Scinde Commissioner : — " There is one cause which
retards the development of this trade, that is the apparent
ignorance, in the mercantile circles in England, that we
have such an article as salt in the province, though some
pains had been taken last year to give the fact publicity
through the medium of the Prospectus of the Salt Company."

PROGRESSIVE IMPROVEMENT OF SCINDE.
— " Mr. Frere is leading the Mvay," says the Friend of India,
" in an enterprise Avhich, if successful, will do more for his
capital even than his own energy. Km-rachee, from its
position on the Indus, is the natural port of Central Asia.
From the Sutlej to the Oxus whoever wishes to communi-
cate with any place beyond the sea, must pass through
Kurrachee. It occupies a position scarcely less favourable
to commerce than that of Alexandria." "The produce
which ought to float down the Scindian Nile must cither be
carried overland, at an expense which sucks away all profit,
or incur imminent risk of destruction. With an immense
wheat country at its back, Kurrachee can export no wheat.
At Sehwan, the wheat of three years, tens of thousands of
maunds, rotted away under the eyes of Major Turner, for

want of tlie means of transport. The trade is already too
large for the flotilla/'

" The difficulties of the Indus commence at a place called
Jm'ruck. Above that point, the river will bear steamers of
any reasonable burden, and from its rocky bed is exempt
from the incessant changes which harass Lieutenant Gar-
forth in the Iloogly. From thence to Kurrachee, over a
country which presents few natural difficulties, a railway of
one hundred and ten miles, three-fourths of our Ranee-
gunge line, would bring goods and passengers to the Kur*
rachee harbour/'

" It is this scheine which Mr. Frerc, on the 28th August
(1854), explained to a meeting of all the respectable inha-
bitants of Kurrachee. The prominent and energetic part
taken by Mr. Frere in the matter is highly to his credit, but
it is unnecessary for us to write his eulogium. He is un-
derstood both in Scinde and in India^ and we prefer to
support the undertaking in which he has displayed so com-
mendable an interest."

Scinde is happy in her rulers. The head of the govern-
ment of the province (now in this coimtry) is identified
with enlightenment and progress ; and Mr. Frcre's good
deeds are worthily emulated by Colonel Jacob, of the famous
Scinde Horse, now acting as Commissioner in his absence.
The latter officer established himself about nine years ago,
on the frontier of the Desert between the Indus and the
Bolan Pass, at a village which had then three small shops
and a well, protected from the Desert plunderers by a
small fort. He has now a town on the same spot with
about 7000 inhabitants, exclusive of those belonging to the
garrison ; and the country has, by his judicious measures,
and by the digging of a canal from the Indus, been ren-
dered so quiet that the Desert, for twelve miles from
Jacobabad, has become a sheet of cultivation, and life and
property are more secure than in most parts of India.

The predatory tribes of Scinde now cultivate the arts
of peace ; its language has been reduced to a definite
shape ; its hitherto oppressed inhabitants, who, not many-
years ago, trembled to touch the white man's money, have
not only become reconciled to the British mode of govern-
ment, but have quietly submitted to all the imposts and
taxes levied upon them for the internal improvement of
the country. Wells, tanks, roads, bridges, bunds and
canals, have all been, and are now being, constructed, to
develop more fully the latent and long neglected resources
of the land. Such of its products as have already been
conveyed to the continent of India, or to the home market,
have met with a ready and remunerative sale. The de-
mand, in fact, is greater than the supply ; and the district
officers are now engaged in fostering, encouraging, and
urging on the cultivation of those staples, which can be
raised at so little cost, from the peculiar soil of the province,
and which are likely to realise such handsome returns to
the producer. The means for the transport of these
productions to other parts of the world will soon be, as it
were, at the door. The number of English vessels chartered
for Kurrachee is yearly increasing ; and with the improve-
ments now in progress, we may expect a large augmenta-
tion to the trade of the port.

KURRACHEE, THE EUROPEAN PORT OF IN-
DIA. — To be the nearest point to Europe of all our Indian
possessions, is important in many points of \'icw, l)ut more
especially with reference to " the Euphrates Valley route -,'
and when the electric wire shall have connected Kurrachee
with the Punjaub (already, there is reason to believe, de-
cided upon by the Supreme Government), and the pro-
posed communication established with Em-ope, the ad-
vantage will be great, of being the first to disseminate the
political and commercial intelligence of Europe to the most
distant parts of oui- Indian possessions.

Hitherto beyond the pale of the electric chain that
spans the empire, Kurrachee is destined, ere long, to be-
come the chief seat of the telegraph in India. (Vide p. 218.)

JUNCTION AT KURRACHEE OF EUROPEAN
AND INDIAN TELEGRAPHS.— Mr. John W. Brett,
the inventor and projector of submarine telegraphs, so far
back as 1845, proposed to the late Sir Robert Peel to
connect England with India by the telegraphic wire.
The importance of Scinde and its port will become really
apparent when Mr. Brett has placed England and India
in daily communication, by passing his electric wire,
already in the Island of Sardinia, on to ISIalta, Egypt,
and by the Red Sea (or rather by the Orontes, the
Euphrates, and the Persian Gulf) to Kurrachee; thus
uniting the European and Indian systems of telegraph in
one magic circle. This would establish a real and practical
bond of sympathy and identity of interests between this
country and her most valuable and magnificent dependency,
— place in the hands of Government over 100,000,000 of
our distant fellow subjects, a power of supervision and con-
trol hitherto unknown, — giving at the same time to the ship-
owner and merchant a means of imparting and receiving
information of inestimable value — to dissevered families a
bond which will at once re -unite them — to the inhabitants
of two empires widely apart a mode of inter- communication
which would enable them to meet, as it were, face to face —
in a word, the telegraph between England and India will
be at once the pledge and the instrument of good and
vigorous government, and of moral and material progress.
(Vide p. 217).

IDENTITY OF INTERESTS OF PUNJAUB AND
SCINDE. — Mr. Frere has done good service to the latest
acquisitions of the British Crown in these parts, by advo-
cating independent steam communication with Suez, rails

in Scinde aud the Piinjaub, and the electric telegraph.
Whatever may be the official and technical difficulties in
the way, sooner or later they must be overcome ; there-
fore the sooner the better.

Judging by the past administration of the Punjaub,
we feel convinced that the authorities want no spur to
induce movement in matters so important and interesting.
The Punjaub may soon be united by the closest adminis-
trative ties to Scinde. Not so to the Agra presidency; and
therefore it should be an additional incentive in these
eminently practical questions that, as the fortunes of
the Punjaub are concerned, so its influence should be
legitimately exercised by its Government, to secure objects
advantageous alike to both Provinces.

" The two provinces (Scinde and the Punjaub) have been
inseparably connected by the hand which made them.
They have been connected also, by the fortunes of the
great empire -to which both belong. They are tJie pro-
vinces of the Indus, as Bengal and Bchar are the provinces
of the Ganges. They constitute one section of the empire,
and are separated from every other part of it by rivers,
mountains, the sea, or broad belts of sandy desert. Their
commercial interests are inseparably united. Both must
ultimately depend upon the traffic of the mighty river,
which is the artery fed by the five veins of the Punjaub.

" Both depend for their communication with the external
world upon one and the same port. The Punjaub has no
outlet towards the north, but an imperfect outlet towards
the west, and a long, difficult, and expensive, though open
outlet towards the east. This river system, which is already
equal in magnitude, and may be equal in value to that of
the Ganges, should be under one government, and improved
on one system, devised by a single mind. Would the
Government place Bengal under one authoritv, and the

Ilooghly, from Cutwa downwards, under the commissioner
of Pegu? Yet that is exactly what we have done with
our north-west possessions. Our Danube has its mouth
occupied, not by enemies, it is true, but by alhes, owing
allegiance to a different authority. (Vide p. 168.)

" Again, the physical, political, and social characteristics
of the two countries are identically the same. Physically,
the districts of Mooltan, Dhera Ghazee Khan, and Khan-
gurh might be districts of Scinde. The soil is the same,
the products are the same, the people are the same. Poli-
tically, both have the same disadvantages, and the same
military necessities. Both have a turbulent frontier to be
guarded, which is identical in character from one end to
the other, and which should be arranged on one principle^
and be obedient to one head. The vast chain of military
forts which stretch along the Scindian and Punjabee fron-
tiers, depend upon each other, and should alike for military
effectiveness and economy depend upon one head. Both
have populations whom it is necessary to disarm and
overawe, and in both an enormous military force requires
an energetic central administration. The system, too, of
the Punjaub, would suit the pro\ance of Scinde better than
that of Bombay. It is less regular, and better adapted to
the fierce passions and uncontrolled habits of a wild Mo-
hammedan people. The revenue settlement, too, is more
in consonance with the ancient ideas of the population.
The administration would be infinitely cheaper; for, with
a slight re-distribution of force in the Punjaub, much of the
military expenditure of Scinde might be removed ; — while,
after two years of expense, the customs' receipts of Kur-
rachee, as the foreign entrepot of Central Asia and the
Punjaub, would totally remove the deficit. Of course,
with the improvement, the pressure on the more fertile
province would be removed, ^nd the strong counter argu-

ment with which we commenced our article becomes of
none effect. Scinde and the Punjauh^ then, we submit,
shoukl be united/^

" It (the union) would strengthen, not root up, the system
already successful ; and on every other ground it is indis-
pensable. The presidency would be the second of the great
divisions of British India. The immense triangle, broadest
between Kiirrachee and Peshawur, and tapering almost to a
point below Mooltan, would cover an area of 130,000
square miles.* This vast area is occupied by a popu-
lation of nearly twenty-five millions, thus : —

Punjaub, by census 13,000,000

States under control, including Cis-Sutlej

chiefs, and Cashmere 8,000,000

Scinde (probably) 2,000,000

States under Scinde (at a guess) . . . 1,000,000

Populations of Presidency . . . 24,000,000

" The revenue, unimproved, would be two-and-a-half mil-
lions. The surplus is far more than adequate to the neces-
sities of Scinde, and Lord Dalhousie would thus have re-
deemed the consequences of the act of Sir C. Napier.
Amid this population, all warlike, is stationed a great
irregular force, which must be directly subject to the civil
authority, and is apt to be jealous of a mere commissioner.
The flower of the European and native army is there also,
and occasionally even with these the weight of high official
dignity is imperatively required. Our most dangerous
foreign relations, with Central Asia and Dost Mahomed,
■\vith the Beloochees and Daoodpootras, and with the innu-
merable warrior chieftams of the highlands, must be con-
ducted at Lahore. Whoever may be the final authority, every

* Great Britain covers 53,000 square miles.

word of the Commissioner reverberates among the hills,
every blunder is bitterly resented in Cabul." *

EXPECTED DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES
AND REVENUE OF INDIA.— To make roads is the
first duty of every Government ; but the wars in India have
unhappily succeeded each oth(;r M-ith such brief intermittent
periods of peace, that this essential to good government
has not been sufficiently attended to. Steam navigation,
the railway system, the electric telegraph, free commerce, and
a more enlightened and liberal system of government at home
and in India, have now opened a new era in its history.

Yet what is now recommended by those who ought to
know better? 'Withdraw all expenditure on public works
not necessary for repairs, and let the revenue resume its
normal condition; and be carefid not to undertake any
more liabilities to complete your railways now in progress
to make them useful and productive.^ That is, destroy the
profit within your grasp, be careful not to make any more
by making India prosperous, and you will see how flou-
rishing the revenue will again become.

Allusion has been made to the expediency of the
Government promoting some project for working the iron
mines to supply the railways now in course of completion.
At the Great Exhibition of 1851, the quality of the Indian
iron attracted marked attention, and its steel has been
always celebrated for its quality. It is desirable to detach
the natives from the almost universal pursuit of agriculture
and to induce them to prosecute the mechanical arts.

In the latter part of 1854 the Indian authorities sent to
India, on my recommendation, a commission of mining
engineers and smelters to aid Lieutenant Colonel Henry
Drummond in his important mineralogical researches

* Friend of India.

in tlie provinces of Kumaon and Gurhwal, and it is grati-
fying to find a public announcement to the eficct that
Colonel Drummond laid the foundation of the first blast
furnace in Northern India on the 22nd of November last,
and that the Himalayan u'on works are progressing ra-
pidly, and in three months it is hoped the furnaces may be
at work. The locality chosen is easy of access, surrounded
with enormous surface deposits of ore of the finest quality,
with abundance of fuel, lime, clay, fire-bricks, and water-
power close at hand. India has now a fair prospect of
manufacturing her own iron ; we shall hear no more, we
hope, of iron suspension bridges sent out from this country
to span rivers and ra\ines, whose sides are composed of a far
superior ore to that from which the bridge itself was made.

In a state of peace and with perfect freedom of trade
with all parts of the world, it becomes a comparatively easy
task for the Indian Government to promote inland commu-
nication and navigation, so as to render inter-communica-
tion of all parts of the continent easy and complete. India
is not only a self-supporting, — it is a precious possession.
It furnishes honourable and lucrative employment in its
military and civil services to a vast number of the gentry
of England; its commerce enriches our merchants and
employs our artisans. All that it needs is a Goverimient
at once wise and energetic to develop its resources, which
are beUeved to be boundless. In this way our trade with
India would advance with a still more gigantic stride into
the inmost recesses of that lethargic land, carrying in its
train the arts, the sciences, and the civilisation of the west
for the elevation and enlightenment of a patient and loyal
people.

" When the spirit of enterprise still shows so feebly in
India; when the employment of English capital on a
great scale within the interior of this country is so rare ;

and when there is such good reason to anticipate the best
eflPects from its profitable investment in any one branch of
Indian undertakings, by the encouragement that would
thereby be given to its introduction through many other and
various channels;— I submit, that it would be impolitic
for the Honourable Court to put aside the several associa-
tions that are now presenting themselves to compete for
the advantage of supplying India with that which she much
needs ; in order that it may itself undertake these vast
works, on no stronger ground than the assumption (which,
after all, is only an assumption), that some little time and
money would be saved ; — I submit, on the contrary, that
all the money and time which the Honourable Board may
contemplate being able to save thereby, would be well ex-
pended in securing the introduction at this time, of a large
amount of English capital and English energy, so as to
encourage, by the successful issue which I anticipate for
these railway undertakings, a more extensive employment
of similar capital, and similar efforts hereafter, in connec-
tion with the products and the trade of India/^*

These facts ought to be considered in conjunction with
the important fact, that the Government of India is, to
speak generally, landlord of the soil, and sinks money
therefore in public works, not merely for the hope of a
general benefit accruing from increased prosperity, but
with the certainty of a direct immediate return upon the
money spent.

"Lord Dalhousie is reported to have said that he went to
India not to elevate England by foreign conquest, but to
elevate and enrich both England and India by sending
home cotton; it were 'a solecism of power to think to
command the end, and yet not to endure the means,'t

* Minute by Lord Dalhousie, dated 20th April, 1853.
t Bacon's Essays of Empire.

to accomplish this great object he must have railroads;
then — and not till then — will the supply of the raw
material of the greatest of the staple manufactures of this
country be placed upon a firm basis, and the energy and
skill of Europe come fairly into contact with the inex-
haustible resources of a soil which has for ages, repaid,
with three harvests in the year, the most rude and
inefficient husbandry. Then will our commercial and
manufacturing greatness be placed beyond the caprice
of a jealous rival, himself dependant on the labour of his
slaves; but even with America well affected, and the
reverence of the lash unimpaired, the premature advent of
a frost or a visitation of a grub to the cotton fields of New
Orleans might at any moment be fatal to us ! " *

MUTUAL DEPENDENCE OF OUR WESTERN
AND EASTERN EMPIRES.— PRESTIGE IN ASIA
ESSENTIAL TO POWER.— There never was a crisis in
the history of this country when the public mind was more
keenly aUve to the necessity of developing the territorial
value of India, and of approximating, by a rapid means of
communication, the distant limits of that vast empire.

At this moment, all who are alive to the inestimable
importance of British India, knowing as they do that its
possession is essential to the grandeur and prosperity, if
not to the very existence of this country, have watched
with painful interest the varying fortunes of the campaign
against the Russians in Asia, The events of this cam-
paign are fraught with results of immeasurably greater
import to us than to our allies. They have no great
Indian empire, and Asia Minor is not the route to any
of their possessions. Between the outer limits of Asia
Minor and the borders of the golden peninsula of India,
as weU as within the bounds of the peninsula itself,

* IndiaaRailways, by an Old Indian Postmaster. 3rd edition, 1848.

the rulers and tribes accustomed to the dominion of the
sword yield a scant allegiance to a sovereign they have
ceased to dread, and little respect to a neighbom' whose
might is not superior to their own. Much is being done
to enlighten and advance the people of India and develop
the latent resources of that country ; but, as yet, we hold
with a mailed hand our empke in the East. It is dangerous
to let our subject populations or our unsettled neighbours
think that we have an equal in the field, much more a
superior, and that superior, Russia, so long and so notoriously
a candidate for their suffrages.

In these days, the connection between e^'cnts in the East
and in the West is far better understood than it \^"as at the
beginning of the present century, and news travels infinitely
faster ; but even at the beginning of the present century, we
may remember that it was the superiority of the arms of
France in Europe that induced Tippoo to rise against us,
and led to the contest with him which ended in the taking
of Seringapatam. Indeed, there is no one who really knows
India that is not aware how greatly even the extremities of
our empire there are agitated by the slightest appearance of
a reverse in any quarter, so sensitive is the bond by which
those vast subject populations are held.

We did not relish the idea of the Czar at Stamboul, and
we may find his influence not quite agreeable at Tehran ;
neither must we close our eyes to the fact, that Persia is
insidiously and perseveringly advancing her outposts both
in Central Asia and along the line of the sea-board of the
Gidf of Oman. She has already taken Herat, formerly
regarded as the key of India, fi'om the Aff'ghans, and has
wi'ested Bunder Abbass in the Persian Gulf from the Imam
of Muscat.* Had the British minister at the Persian

* In the beginning of December, 1854, the seaport town of Bunder
Abbass, belonging to the Imam of Muscat and governed by his son,

court been under the immediate orders of the Governor
General of India, the Shah would speedily have recoiled
before the remonstrances of an authority backed by
300,000 men. We do not fear a Russian invasion of
India, but we must guard our prestige of invincibihty
with the treacherous and semi-barbarous courts of Asia,
as the best means of protecting our Indian dominions
from the dire effects of internal commotions, and from
the hostile incursions of the turbulent and warlike tribes
on oiu* north-west frontier. While the ancient seat of
empire of the Caesars in the East is in the hands of the
soldiers of the West, and Avhile British enterprise is surely,
though gradually, adding the Sultan's empire to the
area of its wide exertions, his dominion in Asia Minor,
and our name in the East, have received a shock by
the capitulation of Kars. "We owe India a victory in
Asia/' we owe it a Adctory that shall efface fi'om the
standards of Russia the record of our heroic misfortunes at
Kars. But now that the Temple of Janus is closed for a
season, let us stamp on Asia the impress of our genius and our
power ; — let us render the invasion of Asia Minor by Russia
for ever impossible, by throwing open to the world, by the
irresistible power of steam, the rich and forgotten plains of
the Euphrates and Tigris — the once-famed granaries of the
East, and subduing to Industry their wild inhabitants.

was attacked by a force of about 12,000 Persian horsemen with two
mortars and six guns. For two days and nights a heavy fire of shot
and shells was kept upon the fort, and the garrison, about 1,700 strong,
finding this too hot for them on the third day, saUied out under com-
mand of the young prince, and met them at the gates. A battle of
several hours ensued, when the Arabs, seeing that they were over-
powered by numbers, betook themselves to their boats and found
refuge on board a Muscat man-of-war at anchor outside. A large
proportion of the garrison had been either killed or wounded.

This would be a greater triumph than the re-capture of
Kars, and at once a colossal and enduring monument of
our science and enlightenment, as well as of our energy
and might as a people.

The Indian army has not only fought the battles of
England in India and Central Asia, but the sepoy of Bengal
and Madras has crossed bayonets with the best soldiers of
Europe, in Java and the Mauritius, while their brethren
of Bombay marched to oppose the same gallant enemy in
Egypt. Notwithstanding this, our tried and magnificent
army in India has been practically ignored in the late war.

There is now in India an army of nearly 300,000 men
at the disposal of this country, apart from 31,000 sub-
sidiary troops and contingents from Native States. In
that army, there are about 26,000 Europeans belonging
to the Queen's service, including cavalry and infantry
of the line; and 15,000 European troops in the Com-
pany's service, of every arm except cavalry, and 240,465
native troops. This last figure includes 233,699 exclusively
native troops, together with 3,644 European commissioned
officers, and 3,122 European warrant and non-commis-
sioned officers and rank and file. The numlDcr of the com-
missioned officers of the Queen's troops amounts to 588.
The police corps regularly organised consists of 24,015
native commissioned and non-commissioned officers and
privates, and 35 commissioned European officers. Large
and costly as this army may be, it might easily be in-
creased, especially from the warlike tribes lately added to
our dominion. Here, then, is a reserve, and an ample reserve,
well organised, officered, and generally with some experience
of war. How could it be said that we had no reserve ?
Of this immense force, 40,000 are British soldiers. Of
the rest, the irregular native cavalry is just the force we
most required in the late war, and could not supply from

home. Here then is everything that wc have ascribed to
Russia.

" AH former empires that ever pretended to hold distant
countries in subjection made a fair exchange of armies, so
that while Italians were holding Britain, or Numidia, or
Dacia, Britons, Numidians, and Dacians were stationed in
Italy, and even supplying candidates to the imperial pm'ple.
Whatever the final results, the Roman empire would not
have lasted ten years without that interchange."* Russia
carried on the war with forces drawn from the heart
and extremities of Asia, as well as from the most northern
shores of Europe ; and when we tallc thoughtlessly of her
overpowering population, it is these distant regions that we
are unconsciously thinking of. " Our case is the same as
Russia's, only we have not got the sense to see it, and
shall not see it till our eyes have been opened and our
wits quickened by a succession of disasters." f

The mutual dependence of our Western and Eastern em-
pires was clearly pointed out many years ago in these words :
" In case our enemies should prove sufficiently powerful to
press us hard either in Europe or Asia, it would be a matter
of inestimable importance to have it in oiu" power to trans-
port our military forces from Europe to Asia, and from
Asia to Europe, with the greatest possible celerity, as the
exigences of war may demand. A rapid means of com-
municating between India and Malta, both by means of the
Red Sea and of the Persian Gulf, through Egypt and
through Syria, would multiply tenfold the resources of
Britain, and secure the defences of our possessions from
Canada to llong Kong. Indeed, England, with her small
standing army, with her population not . trained and dis-
ciplined to defend their own territory against uivadcrs, and

* The Times. t Hj"!-

with ministers who neglect lier navy, can never be duly
secured against the sudden attacks of her rivals and enemies,
until she can impose some restraint on their ambition, by
having it in her power to array the sepoy on the shores of
the Mediterranean, and the Highlander of Scotland and
the gallant sons of Erin on the banks of the Indus and the
Ganges, with a deg-ree of speed which no other power
can equal. The small amount of our military force, in
comparison with the enormous extent of our empire, must
be counterbalanced by abundant means of commimication
and extraordinary rapidity of transport." *

Russia, aware of the mistake she committed in going to
war with imperfect means of transit, is, with our money,
about connectmg the shores of the Caspian, the Black Sea,
and the Baltic, -ndth the heart of the empire by means of
railways communicating with her navigable rivers.

In America, ten miles of railway are on the average
opened every day for the accommodation of the regular
traffic of the country.

And shall we, while enriching with railways Russia,
America, France, Italy and Austria, forget what is due to
India with her boundless resources and vast population ?

It is evident that to have the benefit of even the moral
weight of our magnificent and well-appointed army in India,
on the great events which are now in progress, and of the
consequent changes which must necessarily flow from them,
that we must have, above all things, increased facilities for
moving troops and stores upwards or downwards along the
line of the Indus, as well as up the Persian Gulf, or to the
Red Sea, as circumstances might render necessary.

While these pages are passing through the press, the

* On the Communications between Europe and India, by George
Finlay, Esq., 1847.

shadow of coming events in tlie East is deepening and ex-
tending, and it becomes more emphatically the duty of this
country to make their army in India, by proper means of
transit, not only sufficient for the internal peace of that
country, but that some portion of it should also by the
same means, be made available wherever and whenever the
welfare or the honour of the paramount state might demand
its service. There never was put forward a greater fallacy,
or an error more likely to be mischievous, than "that the
Turkish question was of no importance in an Indian point
of view." The grand problem, now in course of solution
in Turkey, must aifect in its results, whatever they may
be, in the most immediate and powerful manner, our power
and prosperity in India.

Every act in the grand drama of the war, has elicited
either the apprehension or the applause of the nations of the
East.* In the mosques of Bokhara, five thousand Moolahs

• " Dera Ismael Khan (on the Upper Indus) has not been far behind
Lahore in celebrating the fall of Sebastopol. The official news was
received with the greatest enthusiasm by all classes, and the
inhabitants resolved to have illuminations, fireworks, &c. The bazaars
of the city were brilliantly illuminated ; every shroff, or wealthy
shopkeeper, displaying from 1,000 to 1,200 lamps before his shop, and
all other shopkeepers from 200 to 300 lamps." — Lahore Chronicle.

On the 3rd cf December last, the day appointed by the
Governor-General for a general thanksgiving on account of the
Fall of Sebastopol, the great Parsee community, (of which Sir
Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy is so justly regarded as the leader and orna-
ment) spontaneously assembled in the Town Hall at Bombay, and
Dosabhoy Framjee read a lecture detailing tha events of the war, and
the successes of the Allied Forces. He then proceeded to enlarge on
the blessings which the British rule secures to the natives of India;
and concluded his address by offering, on behalf of his crowded
audience, the first public prayer to Almighty God ever uttered by a
Parsee in his native tongue; for the ordinary rehgious services

prayed daily for the success of the Sultan of Room^ and "the
name of Mouravicjf is probably now repeated Avith awe by
the Persian and Affghan."

The Eastern shepherd, in his solitude, pondered over, and
the warrior in his fastness, watched with kindling eye the
varying fortunes of the field, while every incident of the
campaign, whether in Europe or Asia, has been minutely
discussed, and will be well remembered in the bazaars
throughout the length and breadth of India.

of the Parsees are still performed in the Pehlevi, their ancient
language, which in the course of ages has become quite unintelligible
to all but the very learned. He prayed "that the shadow of the
Almighty might rest wherever the British rule extends, and that its
moral influence might be established over a still greater portion of the
globe ; that God would bless their Sovereign, and give success to her
armies: that his own brethren might live, as they now do, in perfect
security, and be ever impressed with a grateful sense of the blessings
they enjoy under the benign rule of their gracious Queen."

Tlie address was received with enthusiasm by the meeting, which
signified its hearty acquiescence in the concluding prayer. The event
marks an era in the annals of India. Instances are not wanting of
sovereigns who have enjoyed an extensive popularity among the varied
races of Hindostan ; but her history furnishes no parallel example of a
whole people thus rising above the prejudices of ages, and in a way so
opposed to their usual apathetic movements in political matters,
convening a large public assembly, to give spontaneous expression to
their belief in the superiority of British rule, and in the power of its
protection, while they invoked the Divine aid for the success of its
arms.

The novelty and gravity of such a meeting as has been just
described cannot fail to make a wide impression throughout Asia,
most favourable to the British character. — From a Memoir of Sir
Jamesetjee Jejeebhoy, by T. W. Ramsay, Esq., late Commissioner of
Revenue, Bombay.

From tlie Commissioner in Scinde to Mr. Hardy Wells,
Civil E)i(/ineer in Scinde.

Dear Sir,

I HAVE the pleasure to return the papers you
forwarded for ray perusal, relative to a proposed Company
for improving the Harbour of this Port (Kurrachee), and
connecting it by Railway with the Indus.

I will briefly state the reasons which induce me to con.
sider the scheme a most feasible and promising one.

A glance at the map shows that the coast of Scinde is
the natural outlet for all the Commerce of the valley of
the Indus and its tributaries^ as well as of the frontier
countries to the north and west — Cashmere, Affghanistan,
and the countries of Central Asia still further inland.
Hemmed in between the deserts of Mekran on the west,
and the " Thur," or great sandy desert, which extends
from near Ferozepore to Cutch on the east, the traffic of
the countries above-named, naturally converges to the
coast of Scinde as to the mouth of a funneh

The region to which the trade in question belongs will
bear no unfavorable comparison as regards extent, popula-
tion, and variety of productions with the tract, the com-
merce of which seeks the line of the Ganges, and centres
at Calcutta. Though it must be borne in mind that the
trade on the one line is in its infancy, that on the other
has been developed through a long scries of years.

On the coast of Scinde there is but one port,
Kurrachee, and there is no other which can be compared
with it as a Harbour for several hundred miles, cast or
west.

The Indus has never, during the last century, be;"n
navigable for sea-going ships of any size; hence the river
traffic is transferred, either at the mouth of the river, or
at Kurrachee, into sea-going coasters, -which convey it
to Bombay and other ports of India, as well as to Arabia,
Persia, &c.

Two obstacles were supposed to exist to Kurrachee
becoming a harbour for direct intercourse with England
and other distant countries. The Harbour was supposed
to be inaccessible to large vessels, and it was believed that
it was not safe during the south-west monsoon.

While these two drawbacks were supposed to exist,
Kurrachee could of course only rank as a harbour for
coasting traders, and an outport of Bombay.

But during the past years both these obstacles have been
practically and conclusively proved to be imaginary.
Three sailing vessels direct from England, the largest of
800 tons old measurement, have visited the port and come
in and out without difficulty, one of them in the begin-
ning of August, when the south-west monsoon was blow-
ing as strongly as at any time during the season ; all the
commanders of these ships expressed themselves as equally
surprised and pleased at the ease with which they made
and entered the harbour, and with its excellence when they
were inside. The Honorable Company's steamers, Queen
and Auckland, made three experimental trips, 20th June,
coming in and out at the dates noted in the ^^'•

margiu, and the ease and safety with which

^ ' y , 3rd August.

this was effected, showed conclusively that ^^j^ Au-^ust.
the Harbour is accessible to vessels of very 6th August,
considerable tonnage throughout the year, including the
monsoon.*

* Since the foreffoin<T letter was written, Mr. Frere stated in
his speech at the Public Meeting held at Kurrachee in favour of the

That the Harbour may be still further improved l)y the
means you have suggested^ and at an expense by no means
disproportioned to the object of making it accessible to
ships of the largest size, I have no doubt ; but even in its
present state, it is clear it possesses all that is required
for a trade vastly exceeding what now passes through it.

How large that trade is, even at present, and how
rapidly it is increasing, is shown in the tables, which are
among the papers you furnished to me. I find they agree
with the official returns, and may, I believe, be relied on
as correct.

Scinde Railway, on the 28th of Aufrust, 1854, that "last monsoon
"Sir Henry Leeke, (Commander in-Chief of the Indian navy), sent
" up the Queen, the first large vessel which had ever come there in
"the monsoon, and the following were the results of the last season's
" experience, as to the possibility of entering and leaving the harbour
" during the monsoon months : —
1853.
June 20tli, Queen, 750 tons, drawing 16 feet.
July 5th, Do.
„ 23rd, Do.
August 3d, Auckland, 800 tons, 15 i feet.
5 th, Do.
„ 6th, Queen.
„ 16th, Rubicon, 16 feet.
„ 20ih, Auckland.
„ 27th, Do.
February 8th, Victoria, 478 tons, 15^ feet,
„ 1 1th Rubicon.
" But this e.vperience of one season was, of course, inconclusive, and
" here is the result of the present season : —
1854.
July 11th, Queen, 750 tons, drawing 16 feet.

„ 22nd, Sea Queen, 414 tons, 15ft. Sin.
August 2nd, Ann Black, 513 tons, l6ft. Sin.
,, 7th, Two Dingeys from Guadur.
„ 13th, Queen, 750 tons, 16 feet.
,. 23rd, Auckland, 800 tons, 15 i feet.
„ 2rth, Do.

SiNDIAN, Aug. 30, 1851.

Your Railway will join this port, with the river Indus,
the great inland artery of the trade we are considering,
above the point where the diflficulties, delays and dangers
of the Delta navigation commence. These obstacles are
so great that I have no doubt a Railway would almost
entirely supersede the river water carriage below Jerruck,
for all goods passing between the country above Jerruck
and Kurrachee, or any point beyond sea.

The operation of the Railway on the steam navigation
of the Indus will be most important.

From the confluence of the five rivers of the Punjaub to
Tatta, the steamer best adapted to the Indus is a large
powerful boat, of great capacity in proportion to her
working expenses.

But from Tatta to Kurrachee such a boat is unsuited.
She can neither thread the narrow winding channels of
the Delta without constant risk of accident, nor face the
ocean swell, by running out at the mouth of the Indus,
and so coasting to Kurrachee harbour.

This short piece of Delta navigation, therefore, renders
it necessary either to tranship from one description of
steamer to the other, or to use throughout the river trip
as far as Mooltan, a smaller, less capacious, and more
expensive steamer

Your railway, by avoiding the Delta altogether, will
render it possible to use the larger and more economic;'!
class of steamers throughout the river voyage, and thus add
greatly to the facilities of steam navigation on the river.

I may observe that I have every reason to believe that the
establishment of a railway to Kotree would effect a sa\ang
of at least Rs. 75,000 per annum in the expenses of the
Government steam flotilla on the Indus, or what is in
efl'cct the same, increase its efficiency to the same extent
as an addition to its strength costing that sum.

6<J

The post office at present expends a snm of Rs. 24,000
per annum for the conveyance of the mails on lines which
will be superseded by the railway.

Of the military and political advantages of the line, I
feel justified in saying that they will be such a-s to ensure
for the project the attentive consideration, and I think I
may feel assured, the cordial approval of the Government
in this country.

Your plans and sections will enable professional men
at home to judge of the line, and I will only add that,
from my personal knowledge of the country, I can safely
say, you have not, in my opinion, overstated the extremely
favourable character of the line, its remarkable freedom
from engineering difficulties, the facilities for procuring
materials, and for obtaining the land almost without cost.

Yours faithfully,

[Signed) H. B. E. FRERE,

Commissioner in Scinde.

KURRACHEE,

Uth October, 1853.

P.S. — T have omitted to point out one great recom-
mendation of the line you propose, viz. that it is complete
in itself, connecting the only port on this coast for sea-
going, square-rigged vessels (Kurrachee) with the lowest
of the few fixed points on the river (.Turruck), which at the
same time happens to be sufficiently far nortli to be quite
clear of all the dangers and delays of the Delta navigation.
No further extension beyond Kotree is necessary to secure
every advantage belonging to the line, as the connecting
link between the Indus and its only seaport. But though
complete in itself, your line is a necessary part of any
system of railways which shall follow the course of the
vallcv of the Indus or its triluitaries. Bv no other line

can the Puvijaub be directly connected with the sea; and
shonld it hereafter be fonnd expedient to extend the
rail\yay, there is^ I believe, not a single serious engineering
obstacle to sncli extension, from Kotree towards Peshawar
till you reach Kaladagh, or on the other bank, from
Hydrabad to Ferozepore.

I need not point out the immense effect which increased
facilities for transport would have on agricultural pro-
duction; but I cannot resist the temptation to quote
from a private letter lately received from an officer well
acquainted with Scinde and justly ranking among the
first authorities in this part of India on all engineering
questions. He alludes to some American statistics show-
ing that a ton of wheat valued on the spot where it is
grown at 495 dollars, if carried 330 miles by railway, is
still worth more than 49| dollars, but if carried by
ordinary highway, the cost of conveyance becomes equal
to the cost price of the grain ; and that cheaper descrip-
tions of corn, costing where produced 26| dollars, can be
carried 330 miles by railway at a cost of five dollars,
whereas if carried only IGO miles by ordinary highway,
the cost of carriage would equal the original cost price of
the grain.

He uses this as an illustration of " the immense im-
" petus a railway would give to cultivation in Scinde,
"^ VA here wheat is very cheap (I have seen it at 801bs. for
" Is. &d. at Sehwan and Sukkur) and the cost of con-
" veyance is excessive — provide the means of carrying it
" to a market cheaply, and cultivation would, I believe,
" immediately increase beyond all expectation, land" (and
he might truly have said of the finest description abun-
dantly irrigated) " capable of cultivation is very abundant,
" but the sole obstacle to an almost unlimited production,

" at a cost less than, I believe, any country in the world,
" is want of cheap means of transport."

It might be premature to dwell on the certainty of this
port (Kurrachee) becoming ere long, the channel of a direct
steamcommunication withAden. But, compare thelengthof
the run hither from Aden, with the length of the rnn to
Bombay, and consider that the passage from Bombay to
Aden is for three mouths in the year in the teeth of the
south-west monsoon ; that on the line from this to Aden,
the south-west monsoon does not blow with violence, and
is in fact not more than a steady trade wind, equally
favorable for the run to or from Aden. The result of a
consideration of these circumstances, can hardly be other
than a conviction, that a direct steam communication will
be established at no distant period, and from the large
number of passengers between the Punjaub and England,
to whom it is of importance to avoid the delays and ex-
penses of going round by Bombay, there can be little
doubt but that it would prove a good passenger line. The
construction of your railway would, I am of opinion, at
once lead to the establishment of such a line.*

(Signed) 11. B. E. FRERE.

Hardy Wells, Esq ,
Cicil Enyhieer.

* The local press coniirni ihe accuracy of the ahove views : —

" KURRACHICE TO AuKN DIIUOCT.

"A direct steam coinuiunication Ijctween Aden and Kurrachee is
now much discussed, and the Lahore Chronicle has even assured its
readers that an offer on the subject has been made to Government by
the BomlKiy Steam Navigation (,'onipany. A Kurrachee Steam

Navigation Companj-, could it be got up, would, we venture to say,
manage the line much better than the Bombay one, or any Bombay
one. It would be a fine lesson to our venerable progenitrix, who for
some time has been urged on to have a company of her own, to send
boats to Aden, could we start a-head of her and put her to shame.

"For a monthly communication between this and Aden, two small
steamers would suffice, each of 600 tons burden, and 100 horse power,
capable, when necessary, of being worked up to 200 ; and these, we
find, could be procured each at a lakh and a-half of rupees. The
monthly working expenses would be about 7,000 rupees. Coal
would certainly not cost more than 10,000 rupees. Two steameis,
then, running monthly, would only require barely one month's coal,
so that the expenses for two months would amount only to 24,000
rupees each, or 48,000 for the two, in which sum we include insurance,
repairs and loss on ten years' purchase.

*' These two steamers would go four single trips in two months, and
we might calculate on eight first-class passengers, five second, and
twenty deck, for at certain seasons the number of pilgrims going to
and returning from Mecca, would be very great, so excluding pro-
Adsions, we would have

Rs. Rs.

8 First class Passengers, each at 150 = 1,200

5 Second ditto ditto 100 = 500

20 Deck ditto ditto 50 = 1,000

But if charges were reasonable, the boats might calculate on pretty
full freight, and they would take 300 tons, or 24,000 cubic fett, which
at the rate of five rupees per cubic foot, would give us

Receipts from Passengers 2,700

Ditto ditto Freight 1 20,000

Total of receipts from one trip ........ 122,700

And total from four trips 490,800

Deduct from this the expenses 4 8,000

And we have two-monthly j)rofits 44-2,800

which would give monthly returns of 221.400 rujioes, on an outlay, for
the steamers, of 30.',000 rupees, and say a general capital of 8(10,000
rupees. Out of these returns, of course, would have to be deducted
the expenses of agency, wliich we liave no means at present vt
estimating.

" The returns look so large as to be suspicious. Were there fewer
))assengers than we have allowed, and were only three rupees per cubic
foot charged for freight, the returns would be considerably less ; but
enough appears above to show that a line could be run, were it well
managed. Any private speculator could make it most profitable ; but
we confess to ' no confidence ' in large Indian Joint Stock Companies.
They can do nothing rightly. If any persons in Scinde are really in
earnest in this matter, and are imwilling to take the responsibihty
upon themselves, let them apply to the Austrian Lloyd's Company for
aid, which Company professes to be paying a dividend of 8 per cent,
just now, and notoriously is anxious, if any guarantee or encourage-
ment from Government be held out, to commence operations on this
side of the Isthmus of Suez.

" On the extension of steam communication in the East, much re-
mains to be done, and we shall discuss the subject more fully and
elaborately in our next issue. "—Sindian, Nov. 8, 1854.

From the Commissioner in Scinde, to tlic Riglit Honor-
able Lord Viscount Falkland, Governor atid Pre-
sident in Council, Bombay.

(EXTEACTS.)

My Lord, Dated IGth November, 1853.

I have now the honour to transmit a letter from
Major Turner, superintending engineer, forwarding the
Eeports, in which Lieutenant Chapman details the results
of the season's work^ and the plans with which he illus •
trates them.

Lieutenant Chapman has taken no credit for the cer-
tain increase of trade.

It will, in all probability; by the unaided result of causes
now in operation, be 60 or 80 per cent, greater than at
present before the line can be possibly opened, however
speedily it may be commenced ; and the making, and, still
more, the opening of the line, will, of course, give it a
vast impetus.

Nor has Lieutenant Chapman taken credit for any-
thing which was not before him officially, e.(j. the vast
amount of commissariat and other government stores now
in progress to the Punjaub, or expected, such as 10,000
barrels of porter this year, 3,000 tons of iron expected
next season for a bridge at Attock — facts which might
have materially swelled his prospective returns.

He might also have fairly taken credit for the s.iving
his projects, if carried out, will effect in such heavy items
of expense as wear and tear of tents and camp equipage,
deterioration of stores by delay and exposure, and the

saving in the local expenses of the commissariat which
M'ill be possible 'when a vessel can discharge direct into a
railway track^ which will a few hours afterwards deliver
its contents on the river bank at Kotree, — a point to reach
which at present occupies generally a month at least, and
often much more.

J therefore consider Lieutenant Chapman's estimates
quite on the safe side ; and I believe he might, without
rashness, have greatly enhanced the amount of his pro-
spective returns.

As regards the extraordinary facilities which the line
presents for either canal or railway, I may be allowed to
add my testimony, as an unprofessional traveller, to the
more competent testimony of both engineer officers. I
have certainly never seen a country with superior facilities
for the easy and cheap execution of such works.

Of the two projects I prefer the railway, as being the
more perfect means of attaining the desired object, as
regards position of the river, terminus, speed, and cheap-
ness ; as the more profitable ; the less liable to mishaps
from unforeseen accidents, and caprices of the river ; the
more comprehensive, as regards the classes of traffic it
will accommodate ; but more especially because there is no
rival or alternative means of communication which can
compete witli it : whereas the success of a canal would be
the most certain means of ensuring the speed}'- rivalry of a
railway.

Moreover, a railway would meet witli ready support
from capitalists at a distance, who would be less likely to
view a canal as a favourable investment.

Such capitahsts arc, I believe, prepared to find the
means of carrying out a railway over the line in question,
as soon as they hear that the scheme is approved of and
supported hy Government as sound in itself, and that the

Government of India is willing to extend to the under-
taking the usual guarantee of interest.

Mr. Hardy Wells, a civil engineer now employed in
tLe province, was so struck by the facilities for constructing
a railway over the line in question, when he traversed it
on duty last year, that he communicated his observations
to friends at home, and supported them by sections of
most of the Avatercourses, v/hich Major Turner procured
for him, and by Custom House and traffic returns. The
result has been, that a company is now, as I learn from
him, in course of formation in England, with a view to
undertake the line, if supported by Government, in the
manner above alluded to.

The very satisfactory mode in which the duty entrusted
to Lieutenant Chapman has been performed is, I believe,
in no small degree owing to the effective support and
assistance he has in every case met with, and the valu-
able advice he has received from Major Turner, the su-
perintending engineer.

I have the honour to be, &c.,

(Signed) H. B. E. Frere,

Co7nmissiGncr' s Office, Kurrachee, Cotnmissioner.

16/A November, 1853.

From the Superintending Engineer, to the Commis-
sioner IN Scinde.

(EXTRACTS.)

Sir,

As tlie commerce and the traffic of tlie country
have increased, so also have the risk and inconvenience of
the existing- means of communication become more ap-
parent; and it has now become absolutely necessary to
improve those means, in order to meet the urgent demands
of Government and of the public, for the conveyance of
stores and merchandize to the countries through which
the Indus and the other rivers which fall into it flow, as
well as to enable the produce of those countries to be
brought to a market.

During the last two years the necessity for such means
have become even more pressing : unusually heavy falls
of rain and high inundations have closed the direct
land route to the river for many months in each year,
while the constant changes inseparable from all delta
navigation threaten at no distant period to cut off the
communication from Kurrachee to the river through the
tidal creeks altogether; besides which, the opening of the
harbour to English merchant shipping, arising from im-
proved knowledge of its capabilities, has created a dispo-
sition to carry on trade direct Avith England, instead of
through the port of Boinl)ay.

Moreover, Government are in a variety of other ways
directly interested in improving the means of communica-
tion : the existing state of matters cripples the enterprise
of the cultivators, and in many places limits the extent of

cultivation to the local dsmaiid. You will remember a
fact brought forward in my Report, on tlie lloads in
Scinde, dated the 30th March, 1852, that at Narree I
found stocks of government grain of three years^ standing,
which, though repeatedly submitted to public auction, nobody
would buy, in consequence of the cost of conveyitig it to
a market : the grain was eventually destroyed by the in-
undation of 1851. The effects of improved communica-
tion on cultivation were very clearly explained in a late
American journal : wheat, valued in that country at ^49
50c. at the nearest market, if carried 330 miles by or-
dinary highway, cost in conveyance its full prime cost,
and its value was thei'efore doubled ; while if conveyed by
railway the same distance, it would have cost in carriage
no more than ^5. In cheaper kinds of grain, the cost
price, %2i 75c., would be expended in carriage, if conveyed
only 160 miles by highway, whereas it would have cost
^2 40c. only to have conveyed it to the same distance by
railway. In Scinde, the proportion the cost of conveyance
bears to the price of grain on the spot where it is grown is
much greater ; and it could be easily proved, that in parts
of the country, at even short distances from markets where
the demand is not limited by local consumption, the cost
of carriage to that market is so great, that it is unprofitable
to cultivate, and that the cultivation is therefore checked,
and limited to the consumption of the immediate localities.
Having carefully examined the country through which
it is proposed the railway shall pass, I can assure you
that it is admirably adapted for such a work : it con-
sists of a number of level, or nearly level plains, with a
generally hard and smooth surface. Abundant stone will
be found along it for ballasting, as Avell as for stone
blocks, ahould they (as I believe will be the case) be found
preferable to wooden sleepers. The measured distance of

tlie present road is 1001 miles, so that in taking 110
miles I conclude Lieutenant Chapman j)rovides for ex-
tending it to Kecaraaree, and the town, but even then
110 miles is a very ample allowance.

I approve of Lieutenant Chapman's proposal to ex-
tend the line of railway to Kotree : Hydrabad and Knr-
rachee are two of the three principal toAvns of Scinde,
and should be united, and, for the reasons given in the
1st to 3rd paragraphs of his Report, I do not think any
communication from Kurrachee to the river by railway
short of Kotree would pay.

The two objections raised to Kotree as a terminus, I
do not consider of much moment : the Bahran has yet
to be examined, and I bslieve, that at an inconsiderable
distance to the west of the direct line, a rocky bed for the
foundations of the bridge will be discovered, and there is
no doubt that if the bank of the river above Kotree were
faced with dry rubble, it would be quite safe. The cost of
the measure is at present the difficulty : when a railway
has been laid down from the hills, that difficulty will be
removed.

Great credit is due to Lieutenant Chapman for tie
labour and forethought with which, in so short a time,
lie has succeeded in getting together so much valuable
information, and for the business-like manner in which he
has collated and arranged it. In neither of his projects
(railway or canal) has he made the most of the facts he had
adduced : not only has he discarded all information not
strictly official, but he has used the official returns with the
greatest caution ; and with the knowledge that it has been
a very common practice in England, when framing traffic
returns, to double all the existing traffic, and that the re-
sult has generally shown that the projectors have been by
no means too sanguine, I am certain a much larger return

might very fairl\^ have been promised. For instance, the
commerce of Scinde has been found, without the stiraubis
of improved means of communication, steadily to have
increased at the rate of 20 per cent, per annum : the
removal of all transit duties will certainly tend to increase
the commerce still more rapidly ; yet, notwithstanding the
Deputy Collector asserts that by the time the railway
could be opened (say four years hence) the trade will be
doubled, Lieutenant Chapman has not taken any credit
for even the ordinary per-centage of increase due to the
years the railway must be in progress. So, again, with
respect to taxing the boats : he proposes not more than
the actual saving of food to the crews, whereas decrease of
wear and tear, the absence of risk, saving of time, and
consequent preservation of perishable goods, are all
advantages, which would willingly be paid for.

In the single item of 10,000 casks of ale and porter
now being sent to the Punjaub, I am confident a large
profit could be shown, either in the canal or railway
project; while, as the length of voyage would be decreased
some twenty-four days, there would be a much better
chance of its arrival at its destination in good order. In
the Commissariat, too, the saving of expense would be
immense, were there direct communication from the har-
bour to Kotree.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

(Signed) H. B. Turner, Major,

Superintending Engineer, Scinde.

Kurrachee, I5th November, 1853.

.vJ-

RAILROAD REPORT.

From Lieutenant W. Chapman, Bombay Engineers, on
Special Duty in Scinde, to the Superintending Engineer^

(EXTRACTS.)

A cursory inspection of the map of Scinde, and a slight
knowledge of the commercial routes of the province, are
requisite to determine on the valley of the Indus as the
direction that any contemplated railroad must of necessity
take; and since the unequivocal success which attended
the construction of the first line of railroad in England is
universally attributed to a complete communication having
been at once established between two important points,
while the M'isdom of the principle laid down has been so
fully borne out, as well by the failures as successes of
subsequent undertakings, as to have become almost an
axiom in railway considerations, no further argument
appears necessary to demonstrate the advisability of at
once connecting the two most considerable places in the
general line of communication desired.

In ascending the valley of the Indus, the first point
of political and commercial importance presenting itself,
on the right bank of the river, is Kotrec ; and as a railroad
with its terminus here would fully satisfy the requirements
of a direct connnunication with the Indus, which forms
the subject of this Report, it appears advisable that Kotree,
— the port of Hyderabad, should be at once connected with
Kurrachce, — the liarbour of Scinde.

The latter derives its consequence from being the head
quarters of the Civil government and Military establish-
ments of the province, in addition to being a rising sea-
port, dependent only upon the improvement of its harbour
for European commercial importance ; while the former,
in addition to its immediate proximity to the large station
of Hyderabad, and being itself the depot of the Indus
flotilla, presents also, in conjunction with Hyderabad, a
centre, to which all the great lines of traffic from Upper
and Lower Scinde, Soutliern Eajpootana, and Cutch,
severally converge ; whilst its position on the Indus adds
to these the additional advantages of intercepting the
down river traffic before the navigation becomes difficult
and attended with risk.

As the only other important preliminary consideration
necessary to be noticed, i. e. that of capability of exten-
sion along the valley of the Indus, is answered by the
position of Kotree, little doubt appears to exist as to the
advisability of selecting Kotree, (or, as will be hereafter
explained, a spot near it,) and Kurrachee, as the termini
of the first railway to be constructed in Scinde, provided
it can be shown that no financial objections exist.

From the position of Kurrachee M'ith respect to the
Indus, the traffic naturally classifies itself under two
divisions : —

IsL The traffic by river.
2nd. The traffic by laud.
Each of these, again, resolves itself into two heads : —
Ist. The traffic carried on by Native river craft.
2nd. That conveyed by the steamers of the Indus
flotilla.

And again : —

'ist. The traffic by the main road through Tatta and
Jerruck to Kotree.

2nd. That existing on severfil direct routes throup;h
the hills, varying in extent, as the supplies of water
and forage are scarce or abundant.

Under these heads, the goods' traffic must first be
considered.

To enable a judgment to be formed of the amount
under the first head, a return of the exports and imports of
the different ports of the Indus furnished, by the Collector
of Customs, is available, from which it will be seen, that
the 'river traffic by native craft is estimated at 30,406
tons.

A slight check upon this amount is derivable from a
register, kept by the authorities of the Indus flotilla, of
the number of boats passing different stations of the river
from which an approximation to the maundage of goods
passing Tatta, (which only, for reasons given in the Canal
Report, can be safely taken,) is calculated at 15,46,600
maunds.* Reducing this by one-third, as an allowance
for vessels being imperfectly filled, it gives a tonnage of
55,236 tons, which is no doubt exaggerated, but so far
valuable as to show that the first estimate, which must be
taken as representing the river traffic, is probably on the
safe side.

The quantities of goods and merchandize, both Govern-
ment and private, conveyed by the Indus flotilla, are shown
in the returns, furnished by Captain Ethersey. The first
item, Government stores, amounted from the 1st February
1848, to 30th April 1853, or during the course of 03
months, to 10,936 tons. The proportion of this for one
year is 2,117 tons. Private merchandize, again, conveyed
from the 1st May 1851, to the 30th April 1853, was 23,623
maunds. The half of this for one year amounts to 122

* Maund = SO ll)s.

tons. The tonnage imder this head ma}^ consequently be
set down at 2,539 tons per annum.

The overland rontes, divided into, 1st, the traffic by
the main road by Tatta and Jerruck ; 2nd, by the various
hill routes.

In consideiing this branch of the traffic^ the returns
furnished by the police authorities constitute the only
official documents available : though imperfect for the
purpose, still some approximation may be deduced from
them, upon which an estimate of the probable amount of
traffic may be based.

These returns are taken at four places on the high
road between Kurrachee and Hyderabad : two of these,
i. e. those at Gharra and Tatta, the central stations,
cannot clearly be taken as representing the through
traffic, on account of the registers at Jemedar-ke-Landi
and Jerruck, the outer stations, showing a great decrease
in almost every item. The great difference observable
may be accounted for, in the instance of Tatta, by its
being a large city, and consequently subject to great
local movement ; and in the case of Gharra, by a much
frequented cross-communication from the Sakra Purgunna
passing through it^ as well as from its neighbourhood
being a favourite grazing-ground for camels, of which
animals a large number is shown in its register.

To assume the returns of Jemedar-ke-Landi, would be
to suppose that everything passing through that place
continued on to Kotree, which would manifestly lead to
error.

The mean between the returns of Jemedar-ke-Landi
and Jeri-uck must, therefore, be taken to represent the
through traffic between Kurrachee and Kotree, on this
road.

As the returns do not distinguish between laden

and unladen, the usual proportion of two-thirds to one-
third will be taken for all descriptions of conveyance.
The abstract statement attached to the Police Returns
shows the calculation, agreeably to the above considera-
tions; and the amount, 1,571 tons, must be supposed
to represent the overland traffic by this route.

But a correction is still required for the various routes
mentioned under the second head of this division, for
which no register of any description exists.

This is supplied by a return furnished me by the Captain
of Police, from inquiries made of all the principal
merchants of the town, and by waitten statements received
from those of Camp, including, in all instances, the entire
trade of their firms by the land route. From an abstract
of these statements, in which the necessary deductions are
made in certain cases, it will be seen that 3,792 tons are
deduced.

In order to apply this correction, it "will be necessary
to take the mean of the tw^o estimates, or 2,681 tons,
as the. total amount of traffic to be calculated upon the
land route from Kurrachee through to Kotree.

The entire present traffic in goods and merchandize

which would be carried by a railroad would therefore be

as follows : —

^ . C Native craft . . . 30,406 tons.
By river i ^ , „ .„ « -or.

^ \ Indus flotilla . . . 2,539 „

By the land routes 2,681 „

Total 35,626 tons.
As a check upon this total, again, the Collector of
Customs, in a return furnished by him of the exports and
imports by the sea face {vide page 95*), after making de-

* Appendix to Lieutenant Chapman's Report, ])rintc(l for Hoinhay
Government.

diictions, — 1^/, for the consumption at Kurrachee ; 2nd,
for the imports and exports across the western frontier ;
and 3rd, for the partial lading of vessels, — estimates the
probable amount of exports and imports of the land face,
both by the direct routes and by the river, at 57,050
tons.

Considering, then, the sources from which the totals
of the above summary have been derived, and the authority
which supports the last estimated amount, it appears to
me that 40,000 tons may be very safely assumed as the
smallest amount of goods which will probably be carried
over its entire length each year by a railroad.

N.B. — All sto]'es forwarded by the Commissariat and
Ordnance Departments are transmitted through the
agency of the Indus flotilla, and are consequently
included in the returns furnished by the Superin-
tendent.

Before proceeding to the consideration of the amount
of passenger traffic that may be expected upon a railway,
I would quote an extract from a letter from Captain
Crawford, the Superintending Engineer Railway Depart-
ment, Bombay, on this head, which, though of the greatest
importance at home, has not always been allowed a
place in railway calculations in India, an omission arising
from a general conviction that natives would be slow to
take advantage of a new means of locomotion supposed
to be incompatible with their present habits, and in fact,
much beyond their appreciation.

Captain Crawford, in speaking of the experimental line
at Bombay, more than three months after its opening,
when the novelty must to a certain degree have worn off",
says : — " It answers Y.ell, and conveys a regular traffic.

even during the monsoon, of some 5,000 passengers a-weck,
and considerably more than pays its own expenses. All
classes use it — men, women, and children j and the poorest
avail themselves of it in travelling on business, which is a
good sign for the further extension." *

This testimony, supported by the combined reports of
the different Presidency journals, appears a sufficient au-
thority for believing that passenger traffic in India, pro-
vided the fares are low, will form a very important item in
railway returns ; and that taking into account the mar-
vellous increase of movement which has always followed
the introduction of railroads, it fully warrants the assump-
tion that at least one-third of the number of passengers at
present found on any line of road affected are likely to
avail themselves of the new means of transport.

* A farther confirmation of the readiness with which the poorer
class of the natives of India avail themselves of railway transit is
furnished by the Report of the Directors of the East Indian Railway
Company, under date the 20th February, 1855 :—

"East Indian Railway Company.

" The Report of the Directors of this Company states that tlie first
sections of the experimental Imes— namely, from Howrah to Hooghly,
and from Hooghly to Pundoah, in all 371 miles— were opened for
passenger traffic on the 15th of August and the 1st of September
respectively. The traffic returns for the first sixteen weeks shows that
109,034 passengers were carried, being an average of 6,852 per week,
the trains not running on Sundays. The gross receipts for the same
period amounted to £G,793, or an average of £424 per week. The
traffic on the portion of line open has far exceeded the Board's most
sanguine cxpectations,and the most gratifying feature of all is the fact
that by far the largest number of passengers carried has been of the
third-class. The numl)er of first-class passengers was 5,51 1 ; second-
class^ 21,005 J and third-class, 83,118."

Suppose tliis to be admitted, the following passengers
may be expected on the line : —

Per annum.

1st Class, say

600

2nd Class, say

1,200

3rd Class, the mean of the

Police Return of Jemedar-

ke-Landi and Kotree, taking

one-third ....

11,342

Troops, the average of Five

Years (vide Deputy Assist-

ant Quarter Master Gene-

ral's Return, page 107)

9,300

Total Third Class .
4th Class, servants and camp

20,G42

followers

for above, 2 to each

18,600

In the above calculations, no credit is taken for the
great increase of the trade of the port, which is stated
by the Collector of Customs (vide his letter, page 99), to
have steadily augmented "for several years past at the
rate of 20 per cent, per annum,^^ and which bids fair to
show a greater proportional increase for the future, from
the desire evinced by the commissariat authorities to take
advantage of the Indus route, in providing European ne-
cessaries to the troops in the Upper Provinces and the
Punjaub.

As an experiment, 10,000 casks of ale and porter,
during the present year alone, have been forwarded from
England direct to Kurrachee, for transmission by the
Indus. Should this not answer as an economical arrange-
ment, from the serious drawbacks existing in the naviga-
tion of tlie tidal channels, and lower part of the river, a
railroad, removing all these obstacles, could not fail to

have the effect of turning the scale in favour of the route,
and a considerable traffic would be opened out in the con-
veyance of Government stores alone, to the no small benefit
of Government itself.

It appears unnecessary to dwell upon the advantages,
political, commercial,^ and social, which have invariably
followed the introduction of railroads in all parts of the
world, and which, I cannot but think are to be equally
claimed for India, where British enterprise would still
lead the way; nor need arguments be adduced to prove
that India is in a position, from the immense capability
which she possesses in her wide-spreading fertile plains
for the growth of surplus produce, to take a prominent
position among countries exporting raw materials and
grain, provided only the means of transporting these staple
sources of wealth to her numerous ports were adequately
provided.

Scinde in itself is a crying proof of this prevaihng
want. Here, on account of the scarcity of a coined me-
dium, a great jDortion of the Government revenue is an-
nually paid in kind ; and I have lieard upon good authority,
that it is not uncommon, in seasons more than usually
abundant, to see masses of grain, which under other cir-
cumstances might possibly have been the means of miti-
gating in a distant part the horrors of famine, lying rotting
on the ground. This necessity is further exemplified, in
the case of the province, by the great disproportion which
exists in the price of grain in the producing and consuming
districts, as seen in the weekly tariffs (vide page 108),
evincing an absence of the necessary means for regu-
lating market prices, and rendering apparent the existence
of a monopoly in tlie supply of the necessaries of life,
which cannot but act prejudicially in any place or .state
of society.

A conviction of tlie general importance of Scinde, as a
commercial acquisition, has so grown upon me during the
course of the inquiries on which I have been engaged,
that I cannot close this Eeport, especially since the exa-
mination shows that no financial objection exists to either
project (canal or rail\^'ay), without respectfully urging,
through you, upon Government, the advisability of at
once securing to the province and Upper India the mani-
fold benefits which the adoption of either scheme, prefer-
ably doubtless the latter (the railway), is unquestionably
calculated to bestow ; and I would conclude by trusting,
that the statistical information collated and embodied in
the documents now submitted will, in some measure, ex-
cuse the length to which this Report has necessarily been
extended.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

(Signed) W. CHAPMAN,

Lieutenant, Engineers,

On Special Duty, Scinde.

Kurrachee, November 1st, 1853.

From tlic Forest Ranger in Scinde, on Circuity to
Lieutenant Chapman, Engineer Department, on Spe-
cial Duty, Scinde.

(EXTRACTS.)

Sir,

The red babool of Scinde, from the density of its
fibre, and its lasting properties, is particularly suited, in my
opinion, for railway sleepers.

After it is "uell seasoned, say for nearly two years,
nothing is required to preserve the red babool from dry-
rot, or the attacks of white ants.

If used before it is perfectly seasoned, I would re-
commend the simple and cheap process of gi^^ng a coating
of tar to the babool, to protect it against the influence
of water, and that only the red wood should be used.

If your Department will be at the expense of felliiig
and removing the timber, and will lay no claim to the
cuttings or chips therefrom, removed in the dressing, but
will allow them to be disposed of by the Forest Depart-
ment, you may choose timber from the forests, taking only
the red wood for sleepers, by paying at the rate of lis. 1
for each sleeper 8 feet in length x 10" x 6" ; or, if yon
will cause the timber to be dressed by the saw, instead of
the hatchet, and allow the Forest Department to have the
disposal of the planks, you may have the sleepers at lis. 15
per score.

According to the above terms, no discou)it or de-
duction will be allowed on your bills.

You will be better able than 1 to form an estimate of
the expense of cutting and conveying the sleepers from
the forests.

The larger and older the trees from which the timber
is taken, the better properties will it possess^ and the less
wastage of sap-wood will there be.

I would recommend trees not less than 4 feet in girth,
from which 2 sleepers could be sawn.

Timbers may be sawn at the rate of Rs. 2 per hundred
square feet, and pieces 8' x 1^ ' x 1^" might be removed
to the line of railway, leaving the cuttings in the forest.

I append a list of the forests from which timber may
be had for your purpose, Avith their situation, &c.

I have the honour to be, &c.,

(Signed) R. W. BAYNE,

Forest Ranger in Scinde.
Bunnhur, Ranger s Office,
IQth May, 1853.

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Estimate of the Average Load carried by Camels and
Tattoos, and Approximate Value of each Load.

A camel load varies from seven to eight maunds ; the
merchants pay for eight maunds. It is optional with the
Jhutts to use one or more animals for this load.

The value of a camel load of goods belonging to a Km%
rachee merchant is averaged as low as Rs. 125, which is
attributable to many of the loads consisting of grocery,
cocoa-nuts, and dates, the maximum value of the loads
being Rs. 130, minimum Rs. 12 : the most valuable loads
consist of sugar-candy.

The Shikarpore merchants' loads are much more valu-
able, consisting chiefly of silks and fine cloth, the maximum
value of such being Rs. 800, minimum Rs. 300, average
value Rs. 500.

The load of a tattoo is three maunds, valued at Rs. 200
per load, and is thus highly priced, as it consists of valu-
able silks and fine cloth.

From information obtained from various individuals, it
is calculated that last year the Kurrachee merchants for-
warded Rs. 9,27,950 worth of merchandize.

The Shikarpore merchants, or their agents residing in
Kurrachee, Rs. 3,30,000 worth, the Tatta merchants Rs.
2,8G,000.

The amount of the Kojahs' has not been ascertained,
as also of one of Shikarpore, Sett Narraindoss, but the
amount of merchandize transported up country by these
parties is supposed to be about one lakh.

It is estimated that one lakh of goods is transported
away by various people who do not reside permanently in
Kurrachee, but come in to hire out their camels at the

opening of the season. The above account gives a total of
Rs. 1 7,43,950 worth of goods transported from Kurrachee
bunder. I feel pretty sure that this falls far short of the
actual amount that was transported; but from a great
dislike on the part of the merchants to disclose the amount
of their business, from a foolish dread that the inquiry is
only a forerunner of some kind of limitation, it was im-
possible to gain very accurate information on this subject.

{Signed) E. P. ARTHUR,

Officiating Captain of Police.

Kurrachee, \Oth October, 1853.

From Deputy Collector of Customs, Kurrachee, to
Lieutenant Chapman, Engineers, on Special Duty,
Scinde, Kurrachee.

(EXTEACTS.)

There can be no doubt as to the benefits which must
accrue to the province should a line of railway be carried
out between Kurrachee and any point on the river. At
present, the traffic is conducted partly by camels between
Sehwan, Kotree and Kurrachee, and in part by the river
doondas, which navigate the tidal channels at all seasons
of the year : both are most tedious, and far from inexpen-
sive, owing to the waste of time, more especially in the
case of doondas, as also to the serious losses which
occasionally occur, owing to the foundering of these
unwieldy craft. In rainy weather, laden camels are unable
to travel, so that the road line may be considered closed
should a wet season occur.

100

As my duty extends to the registry of the external
trade only, I am able to say nothing positive with regard
to the internal traffic by land. One point, however, I. am
satisfied of — that is, that the whole of the trade which now
finds its way by the direct line to Sehwan, to Kotree, and
to Tatta, and by doondas and other cargo boats by the
tidal channels, will all enter the railroad.

The external trade of Scinde has steadily increased
at the rate of 20 per cent, per annum for several years
past : this may form an index, though but a faint one, to
the future progress of the province. "We have already
commenced a direct traffic with England, and once we are
able to export produce to the mother country, Kurrachee
will command the trade of Mekran, of Eastern Arabia,
and of the Persian Gulf.

I may also add that the Indus, though nominally
open to commerce since Lord Ellenborough's proclamation
after the conquest of the country in 1843, yet was virtually
sealed up to the beginning of last year, when river dues
were finally abolished : we may therefore expect that the
raw produce of the Punjaub and the North-west Provinces
will now find its way continuously and uninterruptedly by
the line of the Indus, in exchange for the manufactures of
Europe — a trade which has already received considerable
impetus from the establishment of the regular monthly
steamer between Mooltan and Kurrachee. And here I
must not forget to mention the important fact, that the
Indus is now the highway for troops and military stores to
the Punjaub and Upper India. During the present year,
6,000 casks of ale and porter alone passed through
Kurrachee, and as much more is hourly expected. All this
is conveyed in carts from Kemaree to Ghizree, a distance
of six miles, where it is shipped in country boats, many of
•\vhich will spend the greater part of a month in the salt-

101

water creeks before they get to the Indus. The cost of
all these operations has yet to be ascertained, but were
the projected railway in existence, there cannot remain a
doubt, that not only a considerable saving would be made
in carriage, but that the article itself would have every
chance of reaching the Indus in good order and condition,
a point which, under present arrangements, must be con-
sidered doubtful.

I have, in conclusion, to regret that I am unable to
furnish you with more precise information on the various
subjects touched on by you. The tables which accompany
this are, —

l^if. The last Trade Ueport of External Commerce.*
2nd. An Abstract of Shipping for 1852-53, with re-
marks thereon.
3rd. Statement of the River Traffic for 1851-52, and
1852-53, as registered at Khettie.

I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,

(Signed) J. MACLEOD.
Deputy Collector of Customs.

Kurrachee Custom House, 19//i October, 1853.

* Vide Appendix to Lieutenant Chapman's Report, printed for
Bombay Government.

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103

From these statements, (says INIr. Macleod,) it will he
observed, that the amouut of tonnage entered inwards
in 1852-53 amounted to, sa}'', 48,000 tons, exclusive of the
provincial coasting trade ; and that the outgoing tonnage
was 45,000 tons.

It would not, however, be correct to assume these
figures as the amount or weight of our internal traffic, or
rather as the weight of the traffic passing between Kur-
rachee and the upper country by the line of the proposed
railway. To estimate this traffic, we must exclude from
the above figures, 1st, the consumption at Kurrachee,
Khettie, and the neighbouring places; 2nd, the imports
and exports across our western frontier : and 3rd, an
allowance should be made for the partial lading of vessels.
The balance may then be taken as the probable amount
of traffic which passed upwards and dov/nwards.

PORT?.

Arrivals.

Tonnnpe
of Mer-
chandize
^s regis,
tered.

Deduct
Allow.
ance as
above.

Probable
Amount
passed
upwards
by Land
et River

Departures.

fonnat;e
of Mer-
.liandizo
as regis-
tered.

Deduct
Allow-
ance as

above,
Ke-ex-

porls.

Probable
Amount
li ought
down by

Land
& River.

Bombay . . .

Concan

Cutch

Goa and Demaun

Guzerat

Malabar

Arabian & Persian Gulfs
Mekran

25,9.35

1,775

10,529

411

2,377

2,924

3,166

832

G,935
1,775
7,529

411
2,177
1,424
1,166

432

19,000

3,00*0

" 200

1,500

2,000

400

33,446

6,730

333

982

907

1,611

1,421

8,446

2,730
183
682
907
811
721

25,000

4,66o
150
300

800
700

Tons

.'47,949

21,849 26,100

45,430

14,480

30,950

As the internal traffic of the province has not been
registered, the above is the only data that can be offered
for a railway statistic. This department has not the
means of estimating the village to village traffic, nor the

104

number of passengers passing upwards and downwards,
both of wbicb form important items in railway business.

27/e commerce of the j^ort has been jjroffressi/iff during
the past few years at the rate of 20 per cent, per annum,
and there is every reason to expect a continuance of the
jjrogressive ratio. The residents in the Punjanb have shoivn
a desire to jjrocurc their supplies by the Indus, in preference
to the Vine of the Ganges, and in a few years their desire
will in all probability be gratified to the fullest extent. An
extensive Affghan trader, who has had dealings with
Calcutta for years, having tried the Bombay mai^ket during
the two past seasons, has given the latter the preference.
Others ivill follow his example. These prospects of the
Scinde trade lead me to believe, that by the time a railway
shall be laid down, and be prepared for action, our com-
merce WILL IIAA^E DOUBLED ITS PRESENT VALUE, AND
THE PASSENGER TRAFPIC BE TEN TIMES AS MUC^ AS IT IS
AT PRESENT.

{Signed) J. MACLEOD,
Deputy Collector of Customs.

Kurrachee Custom House, \Qth October, 1853.

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c I'onnur

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109

From the Superintending Engineer, Railway Depart-
ment to the Governmeut of Bombay, to H. E.
GoLDSMiD, Esq , Secretarj'- to Governmeut. Dated
Bombay, 2nd December, 1853.
(EXTEACT3.)
Sir,

In paragraph 12 of INIr. Chapman's report, he says,
" The gauge has been fixed at 4' 8|", as being that now,
by common consent, most generally adopted." Without
entering into any discussion as to the relative merits of
various widths of gauge, I may mention, that that chosen
for the lines now in progress at the three Presidencies is
a medium one of 5' 6" ; and although tliere is no absolute
necessity for keeping to the same in any line west of the
Indus, as the public could not at any future period be
inconvenienced by such break of gauge, still, if only for
uniformity's sake, it might be advisable in all Indian
railways to adhere to one gauge, should no good reasons
exist for adopting another in any particular instance. In
laying out the plans for the proposed line from Kurrachce
to Kotree, I would recommend, unless there are reasons
to the "contrary, that a gauge of 5' 6" be adopted.

As regards sleepers, a large proportion of the line,
where it may be surface line, or in cutting, would, I
presume, from the facilities of procuring the material, be
laid with stone blocks : these, certainly, do not make so
easy and smooth a road as a line laid with wooden
sleepers, but the economy would probably be great.
Sleepers for the embankments, then, would only have to
be provided for. And with reference to Avhat Major Turner
mentions respecting the ravages of white-ants, there seems
reason to suppose, from our present experience on the
Bombay and Tanna line, that the vibration of the passing
trains is sufficient to deter that insect from attacking the
wood, but longer experience is necessary to be quite
certain on thia point. I have, &c.,

{Siffned) J. II. G. CRAWFORD, Captain.

110

Pboceedings op a Public Meetixg at Kubkachee,
rya the 2Sth Auyust, 1854, for promoting Railways
in Scinde.

PcRsuANT to notice, a fleeting was Leld at the Col-
lector's Cutcherry Kurrachee, on Monday August 28th,
1854. The Meeting was numerously attended by most of
the influential Members of the commimity. Amongst
those present were ^Ir. Frere. the Commissioner in
Scinde, the General commanding the Division, the
Brigadier commanding at Kurrachee, and all the heads
of departments.

Mr. Frere having taken the chair, said that he was
sure the Meeting would be very sorry to hear that Mr.
Hardy "Wells, whom he had hoped to see there to take a
prominent part in their proceedings that evening, had
been prevented by sudden and severe illness from beiag
present. Mr. "VTells had, however, addressed a letter to
Major Preedy, from which and from other communications
which he had himself received from 'Sir. TTells, he (the
chairman) would as far as possible supply the information
which he had hoped Mr. Wells would have been able
personally to communicate to them. He would now say
a few words as to the object of the Meeting. The requi-
sition calling it was addressed to all who were interested
in the introduction of railways into the province. It
might therefore be taken for granted that aU there present
wished to see railways introduced, and that they did not
require any argument to con\"ince them of the utility of
railways in general. As to the peculiar advantages

Ill "

which railways would confer on this province, much would
doubtless be stated incidentally in the course of the
evening. He would not, therefore, detain them with any
discussion on the subject now, but briefly describe the
history of the present undertaking. They were aware
that the present scheme contemplated a line of Railway
to connect Kurrachee with the Indus. After describing
the great length of the nadgable channel of the Indus
and its tributaries, and the difficulties in the navigation
of the Delta, ]\Ir. Frere explained that the Railway was to
connect Kurrachee, the only port ou the coast near the
mouth of the river, with Jerruck, which had been selected
as being the lowest point on the stream where the channel
was fixed and invariable in consequence of the river there
flowing over a rocky bed. He then described how Mr.
Hardy Wells had, in passing over the districts between
KuiTachee and the Indus about two years ago, been
struck by the peculiar advantages it offered for the con-
struction of a railway. Mr. Wells reported the results of
his observations to parties at home who were interested
in the subject, and forwarded detailed surveys which had
been procured for him by Major (now Colonel) Tui-ner,
and statistical and other data furnished by the late
Mr. ^Macleod, Deputy Collector of Customs, Km-rachee.

In the same season 1852-53 Lieut. Chapman, employed
on a project for connecting the Indus with Kurrachee by
a canal, pointed out the superior advantages of a railway
in his published report. The project was taken up by
Government, and detailed surveys ordered, the prosecution
of which was interrupted by Lieut. Chapman's untimely
death. In the mean time, the scheme proposed by the
parties to whom Mr. Wells had reported in England was
making progress. In !Mr. Wells's unavoidable absence,
he (the chairman) had been authorized to state that the

112

reception M'liicli the scheme had met with from the home
authorities was as favourable as could be reasonably ex-
pected; and the Home Government was prepared to
consider favourably any propositions on behalf of the
Railway which might be laid before them, backed by the
recommendation of the Government of India. It was not
necessary for him (the chairman) to state that he felt
confident any scheme possessing such intrinsic merits, as
he believed this did, Avould meet with every reasonable
consideration from the Governor- General, who had orga-
nized and was now executing a vast scheme of railways for
the whole of India, and he felt equally sure of like support
from the Government of Bombay.

Among the obstacles which had delayed the scheme,
one was the want of certainty as to the character of
the port. Of course, if the port were closed for four
months of every year, it could never become better than
the minor ports on the coast of India, and no railway
terminating at such a port could be of more than local
value. Mr. Wells, in his published pamphlet, and Colonel
Turner in his report on the bar, had shown that the
natural advantages of the port were very great, and that
the difficulties which existed were all capable of removal,
provided the trade of the port were such as to justify the
requisite expense. Last monsoon. Sir H. Leeke sent up
the Queen, the first large vessel which had ever come there
in the monsoon, and the following were the results of
last season's experience, as to the possibility of entering
and leaving the harbour during the monsoon months.

1853.
June 20th, Queen, 750 tons, drawing 16 feet.
July 5th, Do.
„ 23rd, Do.

113

1853.

August 3d, Auckland, 800 tons, 15^ feet.

„ 5tli, Do.

„ 6tli, Queen.

„ 16tli, Rubico/f, 16 feet.

„ 20tli, Auckland.

„ 27t]i, Do.
Feb. 8th, Victoria, 478 tons, 15| feet.
„ 11 til, Rubicon.

But this experience of one season was of course incon-
clusive, and here is tlie result of the present season.

1854.
July 11th, Queen, 750 tons, drawing 16 feet.
„ 22nd, Sea Queen, 414 tons, 15 feet 8 inches.
August 2nd, Ann Black, 513 tons, 16 feet 3 inches.
„ 7th, 2 Dinyeys from Guadur.
„ 13th, Queen, 750 tons, 16 feet.
„ 23rd, Auckland, 800 tons, 15 1 feet.
„ 27th, Do. do. do.

Now after these results, during two monsoons, there
can hardly be said to be any further doubt, but that
even in its present state the Port of Kurrachee is not
closed to ships of any burden not drawing more than
16 or 17 feet water. After showing how much this most
satisfactory result was due to Captain Young of the II.C.S.
Queen and to Lieut. Leeds, I.N. the Port Ollicer who
had shown so much judgment and intrepidity under most
trying circumstances, the Chairman proceeded to refer
to Colonel Turner for information as to the working
surveys of the line which were still incomplete, and Avliich
must of course be executed before any steps could be
taken to commence the actual construction of the Railway,
but which he hoped would be completed before the close
of another season. But the great difficulty of all was of

1 1 1

course the capital. It had been found necessary to execute
all Indian Eaihvaj's under a Government guarantee^ and
Mr. A\ ells had assured hiui, that the promoters of the
scheme at home had every reason to hope that terms as
favourable as those guaranteed to other lines would be
obtained by them^ provided they could satisfy the Govern-
ment of India as to the intrinsic merits of their line. The
war had deranged the money-market, and there were
questions still open as to the exact terms which might be
reasonably asked for, but the promoters were sanguine
that such questions would receive a satisfactory solution.

Capitalists in England would naturally ask what was
the local opinion as to the project, and this was a question
which the Meeting might this evening answer.

The Meeting would also afford an opportunity for par-
ties so inclined to ask for information, Avhich would as far
as possible be afforded.

Colonel Turner then rose, and addressed the Meeting
as follows : —

Gentlemen, — Our Chairman has referred you to me for
information on various points, relative to the subject we
have here assembled to consider, and I will endeavour to
place that information briefly before you.

The early history of the proposed Railway has been
explained to you. My connection with it is set forth in a
letter written to the Commissioner, on the occasion of my
submitting to him the very lucid and able report, of my
lamented brother officer, the late Lieut. Chapman ; that
letter having been published by Government has I doubt
not been read by most of you, but it is desirable that you
should know what has been since done in the matter and
how far subsequent experience may have led me to modify
the opinions I therein expressed.

In that letter I stated the reasons why improved com-
munication from Kurrachee to the Indus was so urgently

115

required; subsequent experience proves more and more
the necessity of some work for the attainment of that
object; last year tlie communication from the mouth of
the main river to the tidal creeks was cut off and tlie river
steamers had to pass by a circuitous route — this year the
Hujjamree, a very useful channel last year, has been closed
to steam vessels, and the pilots on it have been withdrawn;
it has been proposed to improve these creeks, but though
possible, such improvement can neither be durable nor
certain, and will cost a ver}'' large sum of money. For the
river navigation it is generally believed, that a class of
boats larger than any now on the river, will be found the
best adapted, but the Indus, one of the vessels now on
the river, is already too large to be trusted in the tidal
creeks, and thus improvement is checked.

In my letter before referred to, I mentioned an instance,
showing very palpably, the Avant of improved means of
commmiication, from the river to Kurrachee. I also
explained how well the Americans understood these
matters : in that country it is said, that with much better
made roads than anything we can boast of in this Pro-
Adnce, the cost of conveying wheat by such roads doubles
its cost price, if carried a distance of 330 miles, while the
same result is produced by carrying cheaper grains only
160 miles, whereas both could be carried, the wheat 330
miles, and the cheaper grain IGO, by railway, for less than
10 per cent, on their cost prices.

The effect of this. Gentlemen, we all feci at Kurrachee,
we see by the prices current in the districts how cheap
grain is there, and we know to our cost how much we have
to pay to feed our horses here, are we not then individually
interested in the object, leaving public spirit wholl}^ out of
the question?

As an Engineering work, further experience confirms
me in the opinion 1 have already expressed, that there is
no difficidty of any serious consequence to be contended

110

with ; the country I consider peculiarly favourable for rail-
ways — ^the hills may easily be avoided^ and to the two prin-
cipal difficulties, crossing the " Mullear" and the "Bahran/'
rivers I attach very little importance. In my letter
before referred to, I stated my belief, that an examina-
tion of the " Baliran" would prove that it might be crossed
higher up than the direct line of road, without difficulty:
that examination has been made by Mr. Woodhouse of
the Indian Navy, and my expectation has been realized,
for he has found a point, not out of the way, with rock
on both banks, and throughout the bed of the river, at a
depth of 12 feet.

I have never been sanguine of the success of Railways
in India, as an mvestment for private capital, though I
fidly recognise the advantage they must prove to the
country both politically and commercially. I was in
Bombay when the Great Indian Peninsular Railway was
got up, and did not take shares in it, because I did not
believe it would pay as large a rate of interest as other
equally safe investments, and notwithstanding the success
of the portion of that line open, I still think it will not
pay when the extensions are completed. I do not mean
to say it never will pay, but that it will not pay the first
subscribei's to it. The principal goods' traffic expected.
Cotton, we all know is ready to be sent to a market at one
season of the year, it can all be carried to Bombay in a
few months, and for the rest of the year a traffic must
spring up ; — not so, however, in Scinde, here we have two
seasons, and the statistics before tis prove that a paying
goods^ traffic all the year round already exists — my objec-
tions therefore to invest in railways in general are not
applicable to Scinde, and I hope to become a shareholder
in the Kurrachee and Indus Railway.

The Chairman has referred to me on the question of
how the preliminary surveys are to be made ; I wish I
coidd definitely solve the difficidty; I fully anticipated

117

until very lately that an engineering staff engaged, by
the Railway Company now forming in England ^^■onld
have been here in the field early in November; in this
hope I fear M^e shall be disappointed, I know that the
Government is anxions that the sun^eys shall be set in
hand, means indeed were sanctioned, and I do not doubt
that Government would still carry on the work if only
efficient men to undertake it coidd be fomid. I have been
and still am in communication with several, but though
I have by no means given up all hope that they may yet
be forthcoming, I am sorry to say, I have not succeeded
in securing their ser\dces up to the present time.

Major-General Sir H. Somerset rose, and said that
he had been entrusted with a Resolution, which he begged
permission to read to the Meeting. It ran as foUoAvs : —

" That this Meeting ha\dng heard that a Company is
forming in England to construct a Railway between
Kurrachee and the Indus, request the Commissioner to
state to Government their sense of the incalculable com-
mercial and political advantages which such a work Avould
confer on the Province, and that he will express their
hope that the Government of India may be solicited to
assist the undertaking by the grant of the same privileges
as may be conceded to undertakings of a similar character
in other parts of India."

The Resolution was one in the tenor of which he so
fuUy concmTcd that he felt much pleasure in being per-
mitted to lay it before the highly influential and luunc-
rous Meeting assembled on this occasion. He had not
been long in the Province, but his residence had been of
sufficient duration to convince him beyond a doubt that
the Railroad noAv proposed was the measure most urgently
required, and most immediately called for, to promote the
well-being of this and the neighbouring countries. Tlie
Commissioner had suggested that he (the General) would

118

demonstrate tlie advantages to be derived from a Railroad
in a military point of new. With all deference he would
state that the first point for consideration was whether
there would be any return for the outlay. Capitalists
must ensure some return before they would venture their
capital — he need not tell them that this was an universal
law with monicd men all over the world. And what was
there to ensure this? After the perusal of Lieutenant
Chapman's careful report founded upon facts and figures
framed from statements of actual traffic, no one could
doubt as to the returns from commercial sources. They
had just heard, too, from Mr. Frere further illustrations of
Lieut. Chapman's opinion. He Avould add one important
item which had not been taken into calculation at all —
and he would beg their attention to the fact that Govern-
ment had determined to forward all troops and stores for
the Punjaub and adjacent Provinces by this route, which
even with its present difficulties is far superior to any
other. Here then was one source of emolument at once
secured. The Government stores, the ii'on and other
materials required for stupendous public works, the large
supplies of porter and ale — would form a very considerable
item ; the recruits arriving, the invalids returning to their
homes, the troops relieving and relieved, the immerous
officers taking or returning from leave — all these would
swell the passenger returns far beyond the numbers for
which calculation had been made. He had di'awn atten-
tion to these military matters only so far as the profits of
the Company would be affected, for, as he before obeerved,
it was to a return for the outlay expended that the capi-
talist would look — and if capitalists would be convmced
on this point, it would be better than any speechifying in
this or any other place. He could not, hov»ever, overlook
the advantages in a purely military point of view — the
great benefit which the Government would derive from

119

being enabled on omprgciicy to transport large l)0(lics of
troops and set them down at their destination a hundred
miles from their starting point in a few hours — or from
forwarding for aetivc serviee stores and provisions, or the
other mmiitions of war. These are sueh palpable conside-
rations, that he may be excused for only briefly touching
thereon. But he is assured that they will have no small
weight "with the authorities in according favorable terms
to any company that may contribute to the attainment
of such great political and military advantages.

Sir Henry Somerset's motion was carried by acclama-
without a dissentient voice.

In reference to Sir Henry Somerset's remarks as to the
number of troops and Government stores which would take
this route, the Chairman stated that last season 9,105
hogsheads of malt liquor were sent up from Kurrachee to
Ferozepore for the tfoops ; thc}^ had arrived in excellent
order, though they were of necessity exposed on the Indus
during the whole hot season. They occupied from twenty
days to more than a month in getting into Kotree from
Kurrachee, a distance which ])y railway would be traversed
in five or six hours. In 1852-3 only 200 tons of Govern-
ment stores were sent to the Punjaub — last season 1853-4
the quantity was 3429 tons.

Major Preedy then rose and addressed the Meeting, he
said that as the proposed Railway was to be constructed en-
tirely in his collectoratc, he considered it his duty to bear
testimony to the great commercial advantages likely to be
gained by it, in the transport of large quantities of grain of
all descriptions, Avhich are produced in such luxm'iance in
Upper and Middle Scdnde. The quantity of grain Avhich
might be exported from Kurrachee, was immense; when
Sir C. Napier was here — in the year of the Irish famine, he
offered to have ready 11,000 tons of grain at Kurrachee
for transmission, and such a quantity miglit and could have

120

been spared without interfering Avitli tlie consumption of
the country. The cost of carriage now was so great as actually
to prohibit grain as an export. Thepriceof wheat and grain
A\'as at Shikarpore and Hydrabad, just one half its price in
Kurrachee, the navigation of the Indus rendering attempts
to bring grain down as an export very hazardous. Major
Preedy instanced a case where out of seven boats laden with
grain which started from Kotree, but one arrived in Kur-
rachee, the other six being lost ; if one or two boats only
out of a batch of six or so were lost, it was generalhj con-
sidered a good tenture. He looked, therefore, upon the
grain transports alone to give a large retiuni — a retm-n far
exceeding what Lieut. Chapman had allowed towards the
profits of a railroad in Scinde. Personally unacquainted
with railways as he was, he could not speak to the natm-e
of the country as being well adapted or otherwise, but if
flat, hard and level plains were required, he was certain
there would be no better country for a railroad than that
over which the proposed line was intended to pass. He, in
conclusion, begged most cordially to support the proposi-
tion of General Somerset.

Captain Ashbukner asked whether the proposed Rail-
way was connected with any plan for the improyement of
the Harbour ? The Chairman replied that in the absence
of Mr. Hardy Wells, who could have spoken more posi-
tively on the subject, he could only state that the two
schemes would, he believed, be separately considered and
decided on by Government as perfectly distinct and inde-
pendent undertakings.

On the motion of Colonel Sinclair seconded by Sir
H. Somerset, thanks were voted to the Chaii-man for his
conduct in the chair, and the meeting separated.

121

From Lieut. -Gen. the Right Hon. Sir Henry Pottinger,
Bart., G. C, B., to the Chairman of the Scinde
Railway Company.

HovETON Hall, Norwich,

January Bth, 1855.

Sir,

I have had the honour to receive your letter of
the 15th ultimo, and beg to return you my thanks, for the
papers regarding the proposed Scinde Railway, which ac-
companied it. From my long and intimate acquaintance,
•with the province of Scinde, I most entirely and cordially
concur in all that has been advanced in support of the
proposed scheme, and I trust that early sanction will be
obtained from the East India Company, to its being
carried out, on the same terms that have been accorded to
other railways in India.

To the intended line of railway, over which I have
travelled frequently, I am not aAvare of a single objection
that can be urged, and of the Harbour of Kurrachee, I
have always had the highest opinion. I went there with
amission in 1809, in the cruiser ^'Princess of Wales,'' and
the "Maria," country ship. These vessels entered the
Harbour with perfect facility, and lay inside for above a
month, when they were sent back to Bombay, owning to its
being determined that the mission should return to India,
through Kutch. This was in the height of the south-wxst
monsoon, and demonstrated at that early period, the
capabilities of the Port. I mention this fact, as I see it is
not alluded to in the papers you have been so good as to
send to me. I had a very complete journal of all the

122

events aud circumstances attending the first mission to
Scinde in 1809, in which the dangers and difficulties of
the navigation of tlie lower Delta, of the Indus, were fully
described, and exactly tallied with what have now been
brought forward. My journal and all my notes and papers
were destroyed, on the breaking out of the war in 1818,
when the residency at Poonah was burned by the Mahratta
army.

What I now state may be so far satisfactory, perhaps,
to the Directors, as showing the views which were early
forced on me, with regard to the important question now
under discussion.

I have the lionour to be, &c.,

(Signed) HENRY POTTINGER.

W. P. Andre Av, Esq,
&c. &c.

Sir James C. Melvill, K.C.B., to the Chairman of the
Scinde Railway Company.

East India House,
\Ofh January, 1855,
Sir,

The Court of Directors of the East India Company
have had under their consideration your letter dated the
9th November, submitting a scheme for the construction of
a railway in Scinde from Kurrachee to the Indus, also your
letter of the 19th ult., stating that a Company has been
formed for the purpose, and that the necessary capital has
been subscribed for, and expressing a hope that the Court

1.23

will extend their support and encouragement to the
undertaking.

In reply^ I am commanded to acquaint you that, adverting
to the opinion expressed by the local authorities regarding
the importance of the proposed railway, the Court will be
prepared, when the Scinde Railway has been duly registered
and incorporated, to give their sanction to the undertaking
by arrangements AA'ith the Company, similar to those which
exist with the other Indian Railway Companies.

With this view, the Court will guarantee interest at the
rate of 5 per cent, per annum upon £5C0,000 of capital,
upon condition that 25 per cent, of that amount is paid into
the treasury of the East India Company, within two months'
after the Act of Incorporation has passed, 25 per cent, more
within four months after that date, and the remainder at
such times as the Court of Directors may prescribe.

The Court desire me to add, with reference to the sug-
gestion contained in your letter of the 9th November upon
the subject, that they fully concur in the expediency of the
Railway Company securing all the powers that may be
necessary for facilitating the transfer of shares in India, and
fen- establishing a registry in that country, such pro\isioiis
must be included in the Act of Incorporation, the draft of
which, the Court request that you will submit for their
perusal.

I am. Sir,

&c,, &c.,
{Siffned) JAjMES C. MELMLL.

\V. P. An DUE w, Esq.,
&c. &c.

124

From the Chairman of the Scinde Kaihvay Company to
the Secketary of the Honourable East India Company.

Scinde Railway Company^

2, MooRGATE Street, London^

Sir, 23rd January, 1855.

Ha%dng submitted to the Directors of this Company
your letter of the 10th instant, conveying the assurance of
the favourable opinion entertained by the local authorities
of the proposed Scmde Railway, and that, in consequence,
the Honoiu'able Court would be prepared, Avhcn this Com-
pany has been sufficiently established, to give their sanction
to the undertaking, by arrangements similar to those which
exist with the other Indian Railway Companies, and with
this view, guaranteeing interest at the rate of 5 per cent,
per annum, upon i'500,000 of capital, upon condition that
35 per cent, of that amount is paid vrithin two months after
the act has passed, 25 per cent, more within four months after
that date, and the remainder as the Court might direct.

2nd. In reply, I have the honour to express the gratifi-
cation my colleagues and m) self deri^ e from the assurance
of the opinion of the local authorities in India, as to the
importance of the proposed raikoad from Km-rachee to the
Indus, and in consequence, the approval and support of the
Court, on the terms and conditions prescribed by your letter
under acknowledgment.

3rd. The Roard entirely acquiesce in the conditions
imposed on them, as to raising the necessary funds, by two
payments of 25 per cent, each upon the capital, after the
Act of Incorporation has been obtained. The subsequent
payments being made as the Court may direct.

4th. Agreeably to yoiu' request, I beg to enclose a copy
of the bill for oljtuiuing an Act of Incorporation, which was

125

duly lodged in the Private Bill Office of tlie House of
Commons.

5th. The Com't having been good enough to extend their
sanction to the Scinde Railway, and to concur in several
suggestions Avhich I had ventured to make, affecting the
interests of shareholders in the Company in India, I would
respectfully beg their favourable consideration to the an-
nexed memorandum, regarding an Engineering Staff for
Scinde.

6th. It is ob\aous that it is of the vitmost importance
that as little delay as possible should take place in com-
pleting the survey of the line, with the view to its early
commencement and rapid completion, and this Company in
its present stage is unable legally to receive the money
offered to it by investors ; and pending this legal disability,
which will cease upon full registration, it would not ftiil to
have a highly beneficial effect upon the future progress of
this Company, if the Court would sanction and pay the
moderate outlay mentioned in paragraph 8 of the memo-
randum before referred to, and have Mr. Hardy Wells, now
employed in Scinde, transferred from the Canal Department
to that of the Railway, as Resident Engineer, on the
understanding that the disbursements would hereafter be
refunded by the Railway Company.

7th. If some such arrangement were approved by the
Court, little liability would be incurred, and no time would
be lost in prosecuting a most important design.

8th. I have also to express, on behalf of my colleagues
and myself, our readiness to place ourselves at once, or
whenever it may be thought desirable, under the super\ision
of any officer that may be appointed to represent the
authorities as a member of this Board, and to submit our
accounts to the inspection of the Accountants' Department
of the India House, whenever directed so to do.

12G

9. In conclusion^ I beg you will be good enough to assure
tlie Covirt that nothing shall be wanting on the part of the
gentlemen with whom I have the honour to co-operate, to
bring to a speedy and successful issue the important and
interesting undertaking confided to them.

Thanking the Honourable Court for the liberal manner
in which my propositions have been met, and for their
prompt and courteous answer to the last communication I
had the honour to address to them,

I have the honour to be,
&c., &c.,
{Signed) W. P. ANDREW.
Sh James C. Melvill, K.C.B.
&c., &c.

From the Chairman of the Scinde Railway Company, to
the Right Honourable the Gtovernor of Bombay.

Scinde Railway Company,

2, MooRGATE Street, London,
My Lord, 9/A February, 1855.

As the Chairman of the Scinde Railway Company,
I have the lionoiu' to enclose for your lordship's information
the accompanying prospectus of the Company, and on behalf
of my colleagues and myself to solicit the favour of your
countenance and support for an undertaking calculated to
benefit in no ordinary degree a large and important portion
of the Presidency imder your government.

I feel the less hesitation in addressing you on this occasion,
as I have for some time been aAvare of the great interest
which your lordship has taken in furthering the formation
of a railroad from KiuTachce to the Indus.

That portion of the capital reserved for this country has
been readily subscribed for, and facilities will be given for
the reception of subscriptions in India.

127

I have placed myself in communication with ]\Ir. Frere,
the Commissioner in Scinde, with the view to obtain the
benefit of his advice and co-operation.

The bill for procm-ing an act of parliament to incorporate
the Company is now under the consideration of Sir Charles
Wood and the Chancellor of the Exchequer^ and I hope to
be able to send you by the next mail a copy with certain
amendments, giving increased faciUties for the investment
of Indian capital in the Scinde Railway Company.

1 have the honour to be

&c., &c.,
{Signed) W. P. ANDREW.
Chairman of the Directors
Scinde Railway Company.
The Right Honourable

Lord Elphinstone, G.C.H.,

Governor of Bombay,
Bombay.

From the Right Honourable the Governor or Bombay, to

the Chairman of the Scinde Railway Company.

Bombay,

19 th March, 1855.
Sir,

I have had the honour of receiving your letter of the

9th ult., together with the Prospectus of the Scinde Rail-
way Company.

It is almost unnecessary that I should assure you that
the Company will meet with every assistance and facility
from the local Government and from the Commissioner in
Scinde, w Inch it is in their power to aftbrd,
I have the honour to be,

Yom* obedient servant,
AV. P. Andrew, Esq. {Sirpied) ELPIIINSTONE.

128

TABLE

QUANTITY AND VALUE of TROPICAL PRODUCTIONS
IMPORTED INTO ENGLAND.

Statement, made by Mr. Montgomery Martin, in the Court
of the East India proprietoi'S, as to the Quantity and Value of
Articles Imported into England, the wJiole of which may be ob-
tained from British India. — Extracted from the third edition of
Mr. Andrew's work on Indian Railways, 1848.

4,500,000
250,000
250,000

1,000,000

2,000,000
75,000

1,250,000
10,000,000

1,225,000
300,000
150,000
125,000

450,000

25,000

250,000

150,000

3,000,000

2,000,000

300,000

1.
2.
3.

9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

14.
15.
16.
17.

18.

19.

Sugar, 4,500,000 cwts., at 20s. per cwt.
Molasses, 500,000 cwts., at 10s. per cwt.
Rum, 5,000,000 gallons, at Is. per gall.
Coffee, 40,000,000 lbs., at 6d. per \h.
Tea, 40,000,000 lbs., at Is. per lb. .
Cocoa, 3,000,000 lbs., at 6d. per lb. .
Tobacco, 50,000,000 lbs., at 6d. per lb.
Cotton, 400,000,000 lbs. at 6d. per lb.
Indigo, 7,000,000 lbs., at 3s. 6d. per lb.
Saltpetre, 300,000 cwts., at 20s. per CAvt
Rice, 300,000 cwts., at 10s. per cwt. .
Pepper, 7,000,000 lbs., at 4d. per lb.
Cinnamon and Cassia, 1,500,000 lbs., at

Gs. per lb

Ginger, 25,000 cwts., at 20s. per CAvt.
Spices (general), official value .
Cocbincal, 600,000 lbs., at 5s. per lb.
Wool, 60,000,000 lbs., at Is. per lb. .
Hemp and flax, 2,000,000 cwts., at 20s

per cwt

Vegetable Oils, 6,000,000 gallons, at Is

per gallon

Carried over £27,300,000

]29

Brought forward £27,300,000

20. Hides, 400,000 cwts., at 36s. per cwt . 720,000

21. Skins, iintanned or dressed, number, —

4,000,000, at 6d. each 100,000

22. Linseed, 3,500,000 bushels, at 30s. per

quarter 600,000

23. Tallow, 1,000,000 cwts., at 20s. per cwt. 1,000,000

24. Dye-woods, &c., official value .... 500,000

25. Drugs and Gums, ditto 500,000

26. Sundries 1,000,000

Total £31,720,000

*' There is scarcely one important article of tropical pro-
duce which is consumed in this country, either as the raw
material of our manufactures or as an article of daily use,
for the production of which India is not as well, or better,
adapted than any other country ; while its dense and in-
dustrious population woidd seem to offer an illimitable de-
mand for our manufactures.

"Nor are there opposed to these natural and flattering
elements of commerce any fiscal restrictions, to counteract
their beneficial results." — The Economist, Aug. 28, 1817.

There can be no doubt but that " it is to India, that
the chief enterprise of British commerce and civilization
should be directed by an intelligent legislature."*

* Vide third edition Indian Railways and their Probable Results,
by an Old Indian Postmaster.

130

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8 27 O"

53^

53 i

22 53i,

28 27"

6
2

4
1
3

20 53 i^

6 53i

2 27

4 60

3 33 27

3 53i

100 Bundles.

67
3^

8 13i
27
27i

PRICES CURRENT IN SCINDE.
List of Articles in the Markelt ofShikarpore and FronlierDutricts, showiitg the rvtail (/uan/ifiiv and >
Rupee, during the month of September, 1H55.

Tlic weights and prices entered are in the Indian standard and currency.

Weights— 180 Grs. Troy, 1 Tola: 80 Tolas, 1 Seer; 40 Seers, 1 Maund.*

Where the cost of n single article, sold hy number, exceeded One Rupee, the fraction of the article corresponding

Id fur Oi.e Cu,npaii,j„

Fbostibe Dist.

Rice, of sorts ..

SHiHiurooB.

Fro

TiEK Disr.

MJ, 5r.. roln.

"'•■ S'- T.i»..

Md.. a,.. ™.,.

Almonds, in shell . per Rupee

4 53

10 20

Ainharee .... „

„ Flour ... „

13 67

Beef

TeelSccd

17 27

Betel Nut ...

3 27

Tcor

„ Leaf ...

Sixty-four.

„ Dall

11 11

Bhang

5 27

Wheat, of sorts

Brass ware, of sorts

46|

„ Flour . .

21 70

Cardamums ...

WulfBcansJ, of sorts „

Catlia (Catechu) .

2 13)

Gum ,.

4 CO

Chillies ....

5 27'

Gunpowder (Country) ,.

2 53.!

Chnuam, fine . . ,,

1 25 27

Hay ..... „

Cinnamon . , . ,,

Indigo .... ►,

53i

Cloves ....

1 60i

Jagrec .... „

13 53J

Cocoa nuts, whole . „

Twenty-eight.

Mace ,

shelled

4 20

Maithee Seeds . . „

22 53i

Cotton, cleaned „

3 40

Milk

26 27

Dates, of sorts . .

15 53J

Mowra, Spirit ,,

Eggs . . .

100

Eighty.

Mutton .... „

Firewood

32 27

Nutmegs

Fowls . .

Nine.

Oil Sweet, of sorts .

6 47

Gauja . .

„ Cocoa nut . . ,,

2 40

Garlic . .

„ ofTeel ...

4 27

Ghee . . .

3 12

„ Linseed (Couutrv) ,.

Ginger, green

„ Castor . . . ' .,

„ dry .

Oil Cake. ...

20 53J

Ghain—

Onions . , . ,

6 53J

Bajtec . .

35 07

Pepper ....

2 27

., Flour .

28 07

Potatoes, round . ,.

Barley (Countr)

) ■ ".,

36 13i

„ sweet

Coolly . .

Raisins, of sorts

4 CO

Gram . .

2U 43.)

Salt, common . .

33 27

„ Dall .

Soap (Country)

3 531

„ Flour .

14 27

Straw, Bajrce . . „

100 Bundles.

Jowaree .

35 13}

„ Barley . .

Maize . .

„ Rice . .

Moone

24 53i

„ Wheat . .

„ DaU .

20 53i

Sugar Candy . . „

2 07

Mussoor

26 53)

;, Soft, fine .

4 31

,. Dall

21 53J

„ „ coarse . „

8 n\

Mutt . . .

32 0'

Tamarind ... „

11 27

Ooreed . .

Tobacco ....

11 271

„ Dall .

20 27

Turmeric ... „

5 13j

Peas . . .

I 53J

for the month of October, 1859^'* rupee)

Felum Division.

MIS

)

"o
o

M| S.'C
1 2!
125
1 12:
120
120
Oj
lll8
O!

0,30

M S.C.

037

130

1119

114

1[20

0,29

Mo(

c c

Peshawur DivisiOiN.

13 4

2
17
! 4

MisTa

024|
120

01
3

I Maiinf], or 80 lb.

^s^

statement of Prices Currenl in the Chief Slatuns in the Punjaiil and Trans-Indm and Cis-SiUkj Territories, for the month of October, 1855 (ahominii the qttmliliea sold for otk Congjanl/'s rupee)

Wheal ....
Barley ....
Gram ...
Bajra ....

Dal, (do'ru
Maize ....
Molli ....
D.1I, (Moor

Rice

Glice ....
Goor ....

Sugar ....

Salt

Bhoosa, (Wliile;

Hay

Wood, (Fuel) .

(•■

(

S.|C MI.S.iC.lMi!

il'S'C. MiS.C
U'l 1.-. 1

■J I J 1 -'

M S.IC
1 4
1 2S 10

1. a\ -2

M S.|C.|.VIiS.C.lM)>

I14{ 0{

: 1 Mauiid, or 80 II

135

Rates of Passage and for Freight by the Steamers
on the River Indus.

The Right Honourable the Governor in Council is pleased
to direct the publication, for general information, of
the following Revised Regulations for the conveyance
of Passengers and Freight by the Steamers on the
river Indus : —

or PASSAGE.

1. All applications for passage at Kurrachee, Kotree,
Sukkur, and Mooltan, must be made to the Government
freight agents at those stations, and at other places to the
master commanding the vessel, who will register the names
of all persons applying. It is to be understood, that any
applicant may be rejected without cause being assigned j
but a report of the objection must be made to the captain
of the flotilla.

2. The distance between Kurrachee and Mooltan is
assumed to be eight hundred miles, and the distance be-
tween the stations, as follows . —

Kurrachee, and the Beacon at the mouth of Miles.
Keddywarree . . . . . .100

Beacon and Tatta ...... 60

Tatta and Hydrabad or Kotree ... 70
Hydrabad and Sehwan ..... 100

Sehwan and Larkhana Bunder . . . 110 "

Larkhana Bunder and Sukkur ... 60

Sukkur and Chachur or Mittenkote . .160

Chachur and Bukkree ..... 60

Bukkree and Mooltan ..... 80

Total

Miles 800

136

3. Passengers are designated first and second class.
First class mess at tlie master's table, and are accom-
modated abaft.

Second class berth forward, and are not entitled to
walk abaft the funnel.

4. First class passengers will be charged the following
sums as table money : — Per Diem.

Lady or gentleman .... Rs. 400
Children under 12 years . . . 2

Do. under 6 years, who do not come

come to the public table . . .10
Do. under 1 year .... Free.
For the above sums the passengers are provided with a
plain substantial table, not including wine, spirits, or
beer, which, if provided by the commander, are charged
at regulated prices, according to a list exhibited in the
dining cabin.

5. Second class passengers may provide their own
food ; or, if Europeans, can mess with the warrant officers
or engineers, on paying Rs. 2 per diem.

6. Christian servants, not providing their own food,
will be charged one rupee ; Mussulman servants, three
annas per diem. Hindoos provide their own food.

7. All passengers who are not unwell are expected to
take their meals at the public table.

8. In addition to the table money, first class passengers
will be charged the following sums for accommodation,
viz., — a cabin, 4 annas ; a saloon berth, 3 annas ; and a
deck berth, 2 annas per mile ; or, for the passage be-
tween Kurrachee and Mooltan : —

Up. Down (two-thirds)

Cabin . . . Rs. 200 133 5

Saloon ... 150 100

Deck ... 100 G6 11

137

Deck passengers sleep and dress on deck, but have the
use of the saloon during the day.

9. Second class passengers pay half an anna per mile ;
children not in arms, three pies.

10. The charge for passage down river is two-thirds
the upward rates.

11. A cabin is not to be appropriated to more than

Two ladies.

One gentleman.

One lady and two children.

Three children.

12. When two ladies occupy one cabin, deck passage
for one will be charged, in addition to that for the cabin.

13. Ladies, and children under six years of age, must
take a cabin passage.

14. Children, above the age of six years, taking a deck
berth, will be charged one anna per mile.

15. Each first class passenger is allowed one servant
free; all extra servants are charged as second class, viz.,
half an anna per mile.

16. Three children occupying a cabin will be allowed
one servant free.

17. First class passengers are allowed half-a-ton, or
25 cubic feet of baggage ; children, 4 cwt.

18. Second class passengers, one roll of bedding and a
box, solid contents not exceeding 5 cubic feet ; children,
one roll of bedding.

19. Cabin passengers may put all their baggage into
their cabins if they please; saloon and deck passengers
are allowed to keep one box and bag above. The rest of
their baggage will be kept in an appropriate place, to
which they will be allowed occasional access.

20. Passage money, and a deposit of Rs. 4 per day for
the estimated term of the voyage, must be paid on engag-

138

iug a passage ; and auy surplus of table money will be re-
turned, or an additional charge be made by the commander,
as the voyage may fall short of, or exceed the time, for
which the deposit was calculated. Half the passage-money
and half the table-money become forfeited, by persons who
relinquish a passage after having engaged it.

21. Cabins will be allotted to ladies and children, in
preference to gentlemen.

22. Cabins or saloon berths engaged in Kurrachee or
Mooltan, for however short a distance, will be charged
two-thirds of the rate between those two places : but if
the chance be taken of a cabin or saloon berth being
vacant, the charge will only be for the distance it is occu-
pied. Thus, a cabin or saloon berth being retained in
Kurrachee to Hydrabad in a vessel proceeding to Mooltan
will be charged for 533 miles, but if the chance be taken
of one being unengaged, the charge will only be for 230
miles, the estimated distance between Kurrachee and Hy-
drabad.

OF FREIGHT.

1. All applications for freight must be made by letter
to the Government freight agents, or, at places Avhere
there is no agent, to the officer in charge of the steamer,
describing the goods to be despatched, and the weight or
measurement, when tonnage will be assigned according
to the order in which the several applications are regis-
tered.

2. Goods intended for shipment must be sent to the
agent^s office between the hours of ten and four (Sundays,
Christmas Day, and Good Friday excepted,) accompanied
by a note stating the name of the shipper, the number
and mark of the package, to whom and where consigned,
the cubical measurement, or weight, and value of each
package.

139

3. Goods or packages will not be received on board
unless they are addressed to a resident at the station
where they are to be delivered from the steamer, and the
direction must be distinctly made on something not liable
to be destroyed by vermin, and which may not be easily
obliterated.

4. Any package with a direction written on a card, or
made with ink on a tin box, is liable to be rejected.

5. Goods not applied for by the consignee, on board
the boat during her stay at the station where consigned,
will be put into a godown, and an additional charge of two
annas per package made for rent ; and where there is no
godown, they will be carried on and charged with addi-
tional freight, unless addressed to the freight agent, in
which case they will be delivered to him.

6. It must be understood, however, that although all
persons are at liberty to consign their goods to the Go-
vernment freight agent at any station where there is one,
the Government is not responsible for such agent, nor for
the safety of the goods after delivery to the consignee, or
to his order, whether such consignee be the Government
agent or any other person.

7. Government will not be responsible for any damage
or loss which may occur from accident to the vessel, or
other cause not traceable to negligence or mismanage-
ment.

8. Parties who ship goods must do so between day-
light and sunset, and have all their goods on board by 2
p. M. the day before the vessel starts. Commanders of
steamers will on no account discharge or receive goods
after dark.

9. Freight on all packages conveyed up river (excepting
treasure) which do not exceed (29) twentj^-nine lbs. per
cubic foot, will be charged by the cubic foot at the rate

140

of (2|) two and a quarter annas per cubic foot for every
(100) hundred miles: but those exceeding (29) twenty-
nine lbs. per cubic foot will be charged for by the pound
weight, at the rate of (5) five annas per maund of (80)
eighty pounds for every (100) hundred miles

From

Kurrachee.

?r Cubic Ft.

Per

Maund of 80 lbs.

To Beacon

Rs.

2 3

Rs.

ToTatta .

3 7

To Hydrabad or Kotree

5 2

11 6

To Sehwan

7 8

To Larkhana

9 11

To Sukkm-

11 3

To Chachur or Mittenkote

14 10

To Bukkree

10 2

To Mooltan

1 2

10. Freight on goods conveyed down river is one-
fourth (quarter) of the upward rate.

11. No package, however small, will be conveyed for
a less sum than one rupee, and all charges for freight
must be paid on the delivery of the goods to the agent,
and in cases where there is no agent, to the commander
of the vessel, before they are received on board.

12.

Freight on Carriages.

On an empty carriage or barouche.

landaulet, britzka, palanquin

Carriage, or phaeton, for every

100 miles up or down river

Rs. 10

On an empty buggy

Do. palanquin

Do. tonjolin

]3. Agricultural implements, machinery planks, tim-
ber, furniture, and other weighty articles of the kind

141

carried as deck cargo only, and at the risk of the shippers
from damage or wet or other causes from being carried on
deck, two-thirds of the present rates.

14. Sheep, dogs, or goats -will be conveyed at the rate
of one rupee each for every 100 miles up or down river ;
this is exclusive of the keeper, who will be charged a
second class passage, and of food, which the shippers must
supply.

Freight on Specie, or Bullion.

15. Specie, or bullion will be conveyed up or down
river at the rate of one anna and a half per cent, for every
100 miles, and whenever the distance exceeds the even
hundred, freight will be charged for the even hundred
next following. Thus, from Kurrachee to Hydrabad is
230 miles, the charge will be made for 300 miles.

16. Freight on copper coin will be charged at the up-
river rate of weightable goods, whether conveyed up or
down river.

17. Bills of lading, in duplicate, will be granted to
shippers of specie, or bullion, Avhich will only be delivered
to the party presenting one of them ; and should no ap-
plication be made for the delivery of the treasure during
the stay of the vessel at any station, it will be carried on
and freight charged for the additional distance it may be
conveyed.

18. As it may be expected that the steam vessels will
proceed down the river quicker than the Dak, during the
period of the inundation, which will prevent bills of lading
being received in time if forwarded by post after ship-
ment of the treasure, the following plan may be adopted
for ensuring its delivery to a duly authorised person.

19. The individual intending to ship treasure may
send an order per post to his correspondent some days
pre\dous to the departure of the vessel, the order being

142

■written on half a piece of paper, the other half of which
is to be given to the commander, with an order upon it,
signed by the shipper, authorising the delivering of the
treasure to the person who shall produce the order Avritten
on the corresponding half piece which has been forwarded
by post.

20. The boats will make the following stoppage at the
different stations during daylight, in cases where there
may be parties or stores awaiting conveyance : —

At Tatta .... Three hours.
At Kotree .... Four hours.
At Sehwan .... Two hours.
At Larkhana . . . One hour.

At Sukkur . . . Four hours.

At Mittenkote . . . Two hoiu-s.
At Bukkree . . . Two hours.

21 The commanders are instructed never to wait for
passengers, either those who merely go ashore at a station,
and are proceeding further on, or those who intend to
embark there.

22. In cases where the scantiness of the water in any
of the rivers may be the means of preventing the steamers
from attaining some of the higher stations for delivery at
which packages have been received on board, it is to be
understood that all goods and packages (treasure excepted)
laden on boats so arrested in their progress are, at the
expense of Government, conveyed to the stations at which
they should have been delivered by the boat, and are
free of every additional charge to the shippers or con-
signers, who, with regard to expense of conveyance, are
placed in precisely the same situation they would have
been in had the boats been enabled to reach their desti-
nation. Should any person, having goods on board, any
of the boats so arrested in their progress, desire delivery
of such goods at any station short of that to which they

143

were to have been conveyed, they will be entitled to a
refund of such proportion of freight paid on such goods as
may be in excess of the freight that would have been
levied upon such goods, had they originally been shipped
for delivery at the station at which they may, under the
above circumstances, have been delivered.

23. Treasure laden on a boat whose progress is ar-
rested will be retained on board until the boat is enabled
to proceed to her destination, unless the consignees hold-
ing the bill of lading of such treasure may require its
delivery, giving a full acquittance for the treasure, and
receiving such diflFerence of freight as may have been paid
in excess of what Avould have been charged for convey-
ance of such treasure to the place of its delivery.

24. Except on occasions of public emergency, the
Government vessels appointed to maintain the regular
communication between Kurrachee and Mooltan shall
so far be reserved exclusively for private passengers and
merchandize, that svich private passengers and merchan-
dize shall invariably have the preference, and thereafter
any vacant tonnage which may be left shall be available
for Government stores or passengers.

25. Steamers will leave Kun-achee for Mooltan on the
24th, and the latter place for Kurrachee on the 26th of
every month.

26. Should the day fixed for the steamers to leave
Mooltan and Kurrachee fall on a Sunday, the vessel will
be despatched on the previous day.

R. Etherset, Captain I. N.
Commanding Indus Fotilla.
By order of the Right Honorable the Governor in
Council, T. M AUG HAN, Lieutenant Colonel,

Secretary to Government.
Bombay Castle, \f)th, March, 1854.

144

TRADE ON THE INDUS.

The following letter was addressed to Government by
the Commissioner in Scinde, with accompaniment, being
abstracts of the registers kept on the river Indus, showing
the number and tonnage of boats which passed certain
stations during the years 1853-54 and 1854-55 : —

My Lord,

"VYith reference to my letter of the 26th July, 1853,
I have the honour to forward abstracts of the registers
kept on the river Indus, showing the number and tonnage
of the boats which passed certain stations during the two
years, 1853-54 and 1854-55.

2. From a comparison of these returns with those
which are already before Government, it will be seen that
the river trade is steadily increasing.

The total maundage of laden boats registered as passing
was —

In 1851-52 . . . 64,24,000 Mauuds.

„ 1852-53 . . .' 78,25,000

„ 1853-54 . . . 81,23,700

„ 1854-55 . . . 84,08,600
which, divided by 5 (the number of points of registry)
gives the following as the maundage for the whole distance
from Kurrachee to Sukkur : —

In 1851-52 . . . 12,84,920 Maunds.

„ 1852-53 . . . 15,65,120

„ 1853,54 . . . 16,24,740

„ 1854-55 . . . 16,81,720
The points which were noted in the memorandum ac-

145

companying my former letter, as observable in tbe retui-ns
of 1851-52 and 1853-53, are still remarkable in the re-
turns now forwarded, viz., that the river-trade has a ten-
dency to converge at Hydrabad, where the principal lines
of east and west traffic strike the river ; that a very large
portion of the trade between Hydrabad and Kurrachee
goes overland ; that the proportion of laden to unladen
boats is increasing, indicating that the inequality between
the upward and downward trade is diminishing ; or in
other words, that boats more generally find cargoes, both
up and down, than they did formerly. There is also a
steadily-progressing increase of steamer traffic.
I have the honor to be, &c.,
(Signed) H. B. E. Frere.

Com.missio7ier in Seinde.
24^th July, 1855.

Resolution of Government : — Copies to be sent to the
Chamber of Commerce, Government of India, and Hon-
ourable Court.

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435

gned"* S. Graham, Assistant Comtnissioner.

The Lahore Chronicle, September 8, 1855.

AliSTRACT QllAIlTERLY RliGISTER OF BOATS AND CARGOES I'UOCEEDING UP AND DOWN THE INDUS, FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 18SJ-185G.

Mith>inAotr.

KlkJv^al, 1855

ARTICEES OF MERCHANDIZE.

«1

= .;

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Cotton.
Goor.

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No.

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North to . .

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437 C

14306 25

522 [

6,377

3,552 35

1,741 l'l2.190

2.815 10

5,1.50 20

690 20

122 13

82 20

0[ 30

4,637

8 0,

4 20

5,348

m [

1,100 30

271 20

South.

(

Ftom

South to

155

33,402 11

14 941 (i

118

183 (

445 C

2,C26

14 30

16 2C

20 C

12 (

1,26,825

311 36

135

238 14

202 20414

5,877

440 I(

13,695 20

4 2S

7,596 11 2

21 2C

1 24 12

400

North. J

Total . .

408

102,616 31

14,7,775 5

155 16/489 25

967 (1

9,003

3,567 30

1,757 21

12,210 0I2.82O lo|5,162 20

696 20

1.20,825

434 9

217 20

238 14

ol 30

4,719

210 .'0414

5.8S6

4 20

440 10

13,095 20 5,348

850

88 29

8,697 1 2

293

1 26 12

106

435

Maunds — Seers— Chnttacks. l_True Copy) J. Nicholson, 0^ ComniUsioner and Super intem/enf. (Signed^ S. Grauam, Asaiitoiit Commiaaioner.

The Lahore Chronicle, September 8. 185

149

From the Commissioner in Scinde to tlie Governor
OF Bombay, dated 3rd August, 1855.

My Lord,

For some years past, advantage has been taken
of police stations along frequented lines of road to keep
registers of the traffic passing. These returns are, of
course, often more or less incomplete; but the error is
almost invariably on one side, viz., that of understatement,
and is not probably greater, on the long run, in one place
than another, so that the returns are by no means unsafe
statistical records. The enclosed abstracts of them are
therefore submitted to Government, and should they be
considered of sufficient interest, similar returns shall be
transmitted annually.

The general increase of cart traffic where anything
has been done to improve the roads, and the great increase
of traffic on the roads cleared and bridged by jNIajor John
Jacob, and by the Collector of Shikarpoor and his deputies,
especially Lieutenant Ford, are noticeable and very
gratifying facts dcducible from thesereturns.

A sketch of the places mentioned in the return is
enclosed,

I have, &c.
(Signed) H. B. E. FRERE,

Commissioner in Scinde.

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155

Progresswe Increase in the Trade of the Province of
Scinde by its Sea Face, under British rale.

Years.

1847-48.

48-49.

49-50.
1850-51.

51-52.

52-53.

Sea Imports.

Sea Exports.

Total.

Rs.28,78, 720 15,47,30844,26,028

34,97,157
41,94,141
42,58,31G
48,92,202
53,56,908

10,71,339 45,68,496
11,43,783 53,37,924
19,64,618.62,22,934
24,41,228j73,33,430
37,63,376i91, 20,284

Pel

■ centage of

Ann

ual

Increase.

per

cent.

per

cent.

per

cent.

per

cent.

per

cent.

" Aggregate value of the Registered Trade crossing tlie

land frontier" of Scinde during the year 1852-53.

Imports Rs.33,59,888

Exports and re-exports 20,10,775

Being an increase as com-
pared with the previous
year, on Imports of ... . Rs. 9,77,442, or 41 per cent.

And on Exports of 2,25,357, or 13 per cent.

" General direction of the Trade and its value rehitive

to direction," viz.

Imports.

Exports.

1851-52.

1852-53,

1851-52.

1852-53.

A fFghanistan, Beloochis-

tan, and Countries

west of the Indus . .

11,88,211

17,64,575

8,80,912

11,08,837

Iihawulpore,.Jcssuhnerc,

Marvar, and other

Foreij^n States east of

the Indus

6,51,3;2

4,36,639

6,81,964

6,22,656

Pu.ijab, and adjacent

British Possessions. .

5,42,863 Il,;i8,6;-J

2,22,542

2,79,282

Total

23,82,446 33,;") <),888

17,85,418

20,10,775

156

Memorandum. — The statements exhibit the value of the
entire frontier trade of the province of Scinde, with the
exception of traffic by the river steamers, which is assumed
at eight lacs; viz. fiih' lacs iq)wards and three lacs down-
wards. This would increase the value of the entire trade
of 1852-3. Thus—

Imports Es.36,59,888

Exports and re-exports 25,10,775

Total value Es.61,70,663

And, as it affects the " Punjab and British Possessions '*
only, the following will be the result as regards that sec-
tion of the statements : —

Imports Rs. 14,58,674

Exports 7,79,282

Rs.22,37,956

The above returns are exclusive of government stores.
The increased import of wool, 90 per cent., attributed
to the establishment of " Fairs," raising considerable ex-
pectation of an unlimited supply from thus opening a Mart
at Kurrachee. To this trade the contemplated erection of
cotton screws will give facilities of the highest importance.
Imports from the Punjab are 5,70,665; from Affghanistan,
6,83,155.

Piece Goods. — Native fabrics cannot be expected to
maintain their place against increasing consumption of
British manufactures.

157

Conditions of Grants of Land for Tea Cultivation.
Revenue Department, 26th Sept., 1855.

Notification. — Grants of land for tea cultivation^ in the
Kcmaon and Gurhwal districts of the Kumaon pro^ince^
will be made on the following conditions, on application to
the Senior Assistant Commissioner of the district.

2nd. — Each grant will be of not less than 200, or more
than 2000 acres. More than one grant may be taken by-
one person or Company, on the applicant's satisfying the
local authorities, acting under the usual control in the
revenue department, of their possessing sufficient means
and capital to undertake an extended cultivation and manu-
facture of tea.

3rd. — One-fourth of the land in the grant -will be given
free from assessment, in perpetuity, on fulfilment of the
conditions below stated.

4th. — The term of first lease will be for twenty years.
For the first four years, the grant will be rent-free : in the
fifth year, one anna per acre will be charged on tlu-ee-
fourths, or the assessable portion of the grant ; two annas
per acre in the 6tli year ; three annas in the 7th year, and
so on, one more anna being added in each -year, till, in the
last year, the maximum rate is reached, of one rupee per
acre. — The full assessment, on a grant of 2000 acres, will
thus not exceed 1500 rupe(>s per annum.

5th. The following are the prescribed conditions of clear-
ance : —

158

At tlie close of the 5th year from the date of grant, a
twentieth part of the assessable area ; at the close of the
10th year, one-fifth of the assessable area; at the close of
the 15th year, half of the assessable area; and at the close
of the last year, three-fourths of the assessable area is to be
cleared, and well stocked with tea plants.

6th. In the twenty-first year, on the fulfilment of the
above conditions, the proprietary right in the grant, and the
right of engagement with Government, shall vest in the
grantee, his heirs, executors or assigns under the conditions
generally applicable to the owners of estates in Kumaon ;
and the rate of assessment on the lands in the grant, in
whatever manner cultivated, shall never exceed the average
rate on grain-crops in lands in the same locality.

7th. — On failure of payment of the prescribed assess-
ment in any year, or of any of the above conditions, (the
fact of which failure shall, after local enquiry conducted by
the Senior Assistant Commissioner, be finally determined
by the Sudder Board of Revenue,) the entire grant shall
be liable to resumption, at the discretion of the Govern-
ment, with exception to the portion of the assessable area
which may be bona fide under tea cultivation, and to a
fiu'ther portion of land, which shall be allowed in perpe-
tuity, free of assessment, to the extent of one-fourth of
such cultivated area. The portions, so exempted, vrill
remain in the possession of the grantee, subject to the
usual rates and rules of assessment in the district.

8th. — Grantees shall be bound to erect boundary pillars
at convenient points round the circuit of a grant, within
six months from its date, failing which, such piUars will
be put up by the Government ofiicers, and the cost thereof
shall be recoverable from the grantee, in the same manner
as the regulated rate of assessment.

Oth. — No claim to the right and interest in a grant o)i

159

any transfer by the original grantee will be recognised as
validj unless on registry of the transferee in the office of
the Senior Assistant Commissioner.

10th. — So long as Government establishments for the
experimental growth and manufacture of tea shall be main-
tained in the proAince, supplies of seeds and plants will be
given gratis to grantees, on application to the Superinten-
dent, Botanical Gardens, North Western Provinces, as far
as may be in his power.

By order of the Honourable the Lieutenant-Governor,
North Western Pro\dnces.

(Signed) W. MUIR,

Secy, to the Govt., N. W. P.

IGO

SoNMEEANEE : OS it wtts, anil is.

luformation of a trustwortliy character regarding Son-
meeanee appeared desirable from the statements which
were made sometime ago in the public papers as to the
success of the trade opened by the Americans in domestics
with this place, and the injurious effect that this success
was thought likely to produce on the progress of British
commerce in that part of the world. Sonmeeanee, pro-
perly Soumeeanee, in Beloochistan, is a fishing station,
with a bad harbour, on the shore of the Arabian Sea, about
50 miles to the west of Kurrachee, latitude 24° 27', longi-
tude Q>Q>° 39', It consists of about 250 huts built of mat-
ting or mud, each adorned with a turret for ventilation,
has a population of about 1,000 inhabitants, and is dig-
nified, by English gazetteers, into a small town. Son-
meeanee and the neighbouring territory rejoice in a lam,
or chief, who holds his dusty principality under the Khan
of Kelat, the right trusty friend and ally of the British.

The following notes on the port and commerce of Son-
meeanee may be relied upon as conveying the latest and
most authentic information, collected on the spot by a
late lamented and able uncovenanted civil servant of the
East India Company, and who died before their transmis-
sion to Government.

The notes which Ave transcribe convey an important
lesson as to what enterprise and energy may accomplish.

" Soumeeanee has gradually sunk in importance since
the British occupied Kurrachee. The first serious blow it
received was in the diversion of the Affghan trade in the
time of Sir Charles Napier ; this was mainly caused by

161

the exertions of Khan Mahomed Mingul, the chief of
Wudd, and the faciUties which presented themselves at
Kurrachee in accommodation, and ready freight for goods
to Bombay, decided the traders in preferring Km-rachee as
their port of export. A second blow was inflicted when
interportal duties were abolished; as goods arriving in
Bombay or any other British port from a British pos-
session were admitted duty free — though this made a
difference of but three per cent, in favour of Kurrachee over
Soumeeanee, it had its effect ; and that it was the more
felt as the Customs^ forms on dutiable goods are strictly
carried into operation in Bombay, The third and finish-
ing stroke was the abolition of frontier customs in Scinde.
Every man now who has produce takes it to Kurrachee, as
there he not only finds a good market, but he is better
able to invest his money in return goods suited to the
people of Lus. To all these must be added the difficulties
under which traders labour, where there is no settled
government. The Jam's man of business is paid rupees
ten per mensem {Luckee-sir) , he collects the revenue which
is mainly derived from the Custoi^s, and he is also the
head of the police — if such an establishment can be said to
exist. There are a few sepoys, never exceeding four in
number, who receive rations but no pay, and to their
agency is attributed all the robberies which occur and
which have of late, owing to the unsettled state of the
country, been very numerous. He has another duty, that
of supplying the Jam's sepoys and other retainers with
food during their stay in the town, whenever business in-
duces them to visit it. As they have no money and he has
no state resources, the merchants are indented on, with a
promise of reimbursement, for food for themselves and
their horses. The customs levied on imports and also
on exports at Soumeeance is three per cent, on value : the

16,2

vessels' manifest or the mercliants' advices being produced,
no other formality is thought of, and there is nothing like
an examination to test the correctness of these documents
— this is so far to the advantage of commerce.

" According to Lieutenant Pottinger, Soumeeanee was
plundered and burned to the ground by the Joasmee pirates
in 1808. It was recovering when he visited it in 1811, it then
contained 250 huts, and had, for its appearance of poverty,
a considerable trade ; it must have fluctuated considerably
since then. It is not to appearance of one-half the im-
portance it was in 1844. According to the best accounts
that can be obtained, the revenue of the town from all
sources in 1838 was between E-s.40 and 45,000, it fell to
Rs. 15,000 in 1844-45, and at the present date the receipts
for the year do not exceed Ils.4 or 5,000. The vessels
belonging to the port of Soumeeanee are

The Futtay Shaee of .... 250 Candies.
Sullamut Savoy .... 175 „

Meerapooree 250 „

Aorsee 150 „

Putton . .• 60

Wachera 40 „

Looto 50 „

Sullamut Savoy (2nd) . . 175 „

Ashrafee 175 „

Do. (2nd) 60

" All these vessels are sailed under the British flag and
possess British registers. There is not much employment
for them just now : the ports with which a traffic is kept
up are Bombay, Muskat, Mandavie, and Kurrachee. The
first seven boats belong to Hemraj, a Hindoo merchant,
who has been ruined through his transactions with the
Jam, and is now at Kurrachee where he will in all pro-
bability settle. The next belongs to Sett Katin, a Kojaha

163

merchant, the next following to Rungoo, a Banian ; the
next to Versee, and the last Dingee to Khemchund
Bubhoo.

"SouMEEANEE FisHERY. — There are Rachuns of the
largest size and ten or twelve Buttels. The Koolee popu-
lation amount to about one hundred men and boys of
sufficient age to enable their taking a place in the boats —
the mode of fishery is precisely that under adoption in
Kurrachee. The fins of the sharks are sent to Bombay for
the China market as are also the maws (as they are called)
of the seal. The rawus which afford the maws on the
coast of Scinde and Kutch, are not found here. The flesh
of the shark is salted for the Bombay market, and the
smaller fish is consumed in the town, or carried off in a
salted state by the inhabitants of the surrounding coun-
tries. The fishermen pay the Government ten fish in the
every hundred they catch — they have no other direct tax-
ation, and have but one cause of complaint which is that
they cannot find sale for all they catch, for which they
believe themselves to be far worse off than their brothers
of Kurrachee.

"There are now of inhabited houses, and which are here
considered permanent — that is,

Built of mud 145

Of Jopras or mat houses 107

252

"Which, at four persons to a house, will give the number
of inhabitants 1,008. There are 100 of uninhabited
houses in the town, the owners of which have emigrated,
and 106 ruins of tenements, the destruction of which must
be attributable to the same cause. All, or nearly all, these
people who once inhabited these houses have taken up

164

their residence in Kiu'rachee. The present population of

Soumeeanee is computed as follows : —

Kojalias 250

Banians 342

Koolees 250

Labourers, dyers, and artificers . . 200

1,042

"The Jam at times \dsits the place when his attention is
devoted to the Avives of his Hindoo subjects, and to the
extraction of money from the Banians and other mer-
chants. Since the late disturbance he has drawn in ready
money; first a sum of Rs.500 then Rs.300, and but a few
days back he sent an order on his kardar for Rs. 1,000.
This sum the people declined to give, but made a contri-
bution to the extent of between Rs.300 and 400, Avhich
has not yet been dispatched, for this he has promised a
remission of taxes, and will perhaps grant it.

"Under such circumstances it is not a matter of surprise
that the town should be in a ruinous condition, that the
revenue should so seriously diminish. Soumeeanee w^ill
fall yet lower in condition as Kurrachee gathers strength,
the traffic now carried on with Bombay will be superseded
by one with Kurrachee and that by land in lieu of by
water.'^

105

Proceedings of a Public Meeting at Kurachee, on
the 4:1 h September, 1855, for promoting Direct Steam
Communication between Kurrachee and Suez.

Pursuant to notice, a Meeting of tlie residents of Kur-
rachee was held at the Collector's, Kutcherry, on Tuesday,
the 4th September, at 4 o'clock, p.m., to consider the sub-
ject of "Direct Steam Communication between Kurrachee
and Suez." Among the company assembled were, H. B. E.
Frere, Esq. Commissioner ; Brigadier Parr ; Colonels Tur-
ner, Creagh and.Hobson; J. Gibbs, Esq., Assistant Com-
missioner; M. J. M. Stewart, Assistant Commissioner;
Majors Steuart, Grimes and Hogg ; Captains Gibbard,
Pirie, Marston, Dansey, Ashburner, Dunsterville, Moylc,
Tennant, Muter, Evans, Leeds, I.N., Merewether, Pelly,
]\Iacdonnell and Gayer ; Drs. Rooke, Cameron and Costell ;
Messrs. Dalzell, Cole, Elander, Mahcr, Vary, Ingle, Wells,
Newnham, Barnett, Woodhouse, Amos, Mclver, ]\Icikle-
john, McClumpha, Hewett, INI.P. Tuback, Pegler, Nicker,
&c., &c., &c.

The Commissioner liaving been called to tlie chair, stated
that he would preface their proceedings by a l)rief account
of the progress of tlie question, the consideration of which
had brought them together that day.

The idea of a direct communication between Kurrachee
and Suez was no new one, it had been mooted by the late
Sir C. Napier, very shortly after the conquest of the i)ro-
vince, and it would in fact suggest itself to almost any one
who considered the physical configuration of this part of
the continent of Asia ; a glance at the outline map hung
up in the room (which was taken from a Parliamentary

]66

Blue Book very recently published), ^vould show the Meet-
ing that from Aden to Bombay the direct distance was 1640
miles, while from Aden to Km'rachee the distance was but
1435 miles, making a saving of 205 miles, but this was
during the fair weather; in the south-west monsoon the
distance to be run from Bombay to Aden was 2170 miles,
which would make a difference in favoiu' of the passage from
Kurrachee to Aden of 745 miles, whenever the passage
coidd be made direct; there appeared reason to suppose
that the cases would be very rare in which the dii'ect pas-
sage along the Arabian coast would be impracticable, and
even if a vessel from Kurrachee were obliged to de\iate
from the straight course, the difference would still be many
hundred miles in her favour, as compared vdth a vessel
going from Bombay. The advantages of Bombay as re-
garded geographical position, were well known, and there-
fore a knowledge of these facts was sufficient to show the
superior geographical position of Kurrachee as the port of
communication with Suez, and for all parts of India which
were as near, or nearer to Kurrachee than they were to
Bombay.

But there were several serious obstacles which had
hitherto rendered it impossible to take advantage of this
excellent geographical position.

Jst. There was the want, or supposed want of a good
port at Kurrachee ; many now in this room can recollect
that when little more than three years ago Mr. Hardy
Wells published a pamphlet, to point out that even in its
present state the harbour of Kurrachee was an excellent one
for ships of considerable burthen, and that it was manifestly
capable of very great improvement, his remarks met with
almost universal ridicule ; this, however, did not deter
Mr. Wells from stating what he believed was the truth., and
the result has proved he was right. The next step towards

167

establishing this fact was taken by Colonel Turner ; it would
be remembered that the bar of Kurrachee Harbour was for
a long time supposed to be composed of rock, and numerous
plans were demised for removing it by blasting. Colonel
Turner instituted a series of very careful experiments by
boring, and showed most conclusively that there was not a
particle of rock any where on the bar, that the whole was
composed to a considerable depth of soft sand ; the estab-
lishment of this fact of course removed one principal ground
of the fear which mariners before had of approaching or
touching on the bar.

But the principal share of the credit of practically proving
the absence of any danger in entering the port, was due to
Lieut. Leeds, the Port Officer, who with great skill and
judgment, and on his OAvn responsibility, piloted in ships of
considerable burthen, and had practically shown that this
might be safely done, even without any aid from steamers.
The result was that during the monsoon just closed, four
large steamers from Bombay and Aden, and eight sailing
vessels of from 300 to 878 tons had come in, and gone out,
and with one exception, it had never been found necessary
to wait even a single day for any particular tide ; and it
must be fm-ther remembered, that each of these eight sailing
vessels was towed in and towed out of tlie harbour by a
steamer (the " Victoria,") which no later than last year
was employed in conveying passengers at the most crowded
season between Bombay and Suez.

" Facts like these prove beyond a possibility of dovibt
that there was no difficulty whatever in getting vessels,
even of considerable size, into and out of Kurraeliee hai'bour,
during the south-west monsoon, the most unfavom-ablc
period of the year.

" 2nd, A second very serious obstacle was the want of
charts of a large portion of the Aral)ian coast. This coast

168

had ]3ecu surveyed by Lieutenant Grieves, I.N,, wlio has
had a large share in the surveys of all the coast from the
Gulf of Cambay round to Cape Gardafui; but the charts
had not been published, and the want of any chart of course
added greatly to the hazard of a voyage along the Arabian
coast. This want has now been supplied, the charts have
been published, and have lately been sent out by the Court
of Directors. The consequences of the removal of this
obstacle were almost immediately apparent, the want of
them had for many years delayed a trial of what is called
the north-western passage from Bombay dm-ing the south-
west monsoon. It had been long ago suggested by Captain
Haines, and subsequently by the late Captain James Yomig
and Lieutenant Fergusson, of the Indian Navy, and others,
that instead of a long detour to the south, steamers from
Bombay should stand to the nortli-Avest towards the Arabian
coast, and thus make a much shorter passage to Aden.
But without charts of the Arabian coast it was dangerous
to attempt this passage. No sooner, however, were the
charts published than the passage was tried, and has been
twice successfully performed, dm-ing the late monsoon, by
the steamers of the P. and O. Company.

" 3rd. A third very serious obstacle was the want of a
good communication with the Punjaub. We were charged
in Scinde with a tendency to over-estimate the importance
of om- province ; but we must remember that Scinde forms,
as it were, but the spout of the fimnel, of Avhich the vast
province of the Punjaub forms the larger, and by far the
more important portion. That Kiu'rachee is in fact the
port of the Punjaub, and that unless we have a good com-
munication with the Punjaub, the best possible port at
Km-rachec would be of but comparatively small value. The
province of Scinde contains somewhere under two millions
of inhabitants, Avliile the late census showed that the

169

Punjaub territories contained a population of more than
thirteen millions. This number, though it may not appear
great by the side of the hundred millions of India, will
appear more important if we reflect that it is more than
half what the population of the United States was in 1850,
and nearly half the population of the United Kingdom in
the same year. For all these fifteen millions living, culti-
vating and trading on the banks of the Indus and its tribu-
taries, Kurrachee is the natural port, and it is through
Kurrachee that they would naturally communicate with all
places beyond sea. Evidently, then, good communication
with the Punjaub is of the utmost importance to Km^rachee
as a port, and matters seem now in a fair way to make this
communication aU that could be desired. In tlie first place
good postal communication has l)een secured, thanks to the
exertions of Mr. Coffey and of Mr. Nicker, and those who
have assisted them in the work, the postal communication
between Kurrachee and Mooltan has been greatly improved.
A speed of nine and ten miles in the hour, and sometimes
more, including stoppages, has been steadily maintained
for the last two years along the whole Une of 612 miles, and
both in speed and regularity it is now equal to any in India.
The improvement in steamer transit on tlic Indus has
also been as rapid and as great. It is little more than
three years since Captain Ethersey, to whom this improve-
ment is mainly due, obtained leave to try the experiment
of sending one boat in each month to Mooltan and back,
with passengers and mcrcliandizc. The experiment made,
under every disadvantage, has been most successful. I firul
that the net receipts of this one steamer, per month, were in —

Rs.

1852-53 13,291

1853-54 49,277

1854-55 00,554

170

Tlie quantity of merchandise ofTered for shipment is often
two or three times as much as the steamers can carry, and
I am happy to be able to state that tlie Court of Directors,
in compHance with a sugj^estion of Captain Ethersey^s,
have ordered out four steamers and four flats for this
particular service. '

But the greatest improvement in the communication
with the Punjaub will be the railway. Mr. Hardy Wells,
Avho projected it, has now got some of his staff of civil
engineers among us actually at work. The Bill for incor-
]ioi'atiug the Company has passed the Imperial Parhamcnt,
the capital has been subscriljed, and the undertaking may
therefore be safely regarded as having passed its embryo
stage, and there is now no room for reasonable doubt that
we may shortly see the work actually in progress, and
before many seasons arc over be able to travel from Kurrachee
to the Indus, ^l^hich has always been one of the worst
portions of the whole line of communication between
Kurrachee and the Punjaub.

Nor is it any chimerical hope that we may, ere long, see
this Railway yet further extended. There is one portion in
particular, between Umritsir and Mooltan, wliich would be
of the greatest value. There are, I believe, no engineering
difficulties whatever on the line ; and, starting from Umrit-
sir, with its 130,000 inhabitants, and passing Lahore, wdth
its 80,000, to Mooltan, with its 22,000, it would prove a
most important portion of the whole line of communication.

These three great obstacles, the supposed want of a good
port at Kurrachee, the want of good charts of the Arabian
coast, and the deficiency in good means of communication
with the Punjaub, having been removed, or being in course
of removal, the time seems noAV come for taking advantage
of the excellent geographical position of Kurrachee, as a
port for direct communication with Suez.

171

I will now briefly state the circumstances which have
led to a proposition for establishing such a communication,
wdiich will form the more particular subject of consideration
for this meeting.

About two years ago, a Mr. Coffey, the Post Master in
Scinde, proposed that, in lieu of the present postal contract
with the Bombay Steam Navigation Company, to run a
steamer three times a month to Bombay ; contracts should
be invited to run a steamer twice a month, to meet the
English mail at Aden. This proposition having been laid
before Mr. Riddell, the Director General of post offices, he
stated his opinion, that " there can be no question that the
opening of a direct steam communication between Egypt,
Scinde, and the Punjaub, would greatly benefit, and it would
do much to hasten the investment of foreign capital in
the two latter countries." He doubted, however, whether
under existing circumstances, it would be worth while to
open a communication merely so far as Aden, where pas-
sengers w'ould only have a chance of a berth in an over-
crowded steamer, with the risk of detention at a bad and
expensive hotel, and the certainty of very high charges for
very inferior accommodation, from Aden to Suez. lie con-
sidered, however, that if the Bombay Steam Navigation
Company would undertake to send a steamer, four or five
times in the season, the whole distance from KiuTachee to
Suez, " they would perform a very important ser\'icc to the
European residents in Scinde, the Punjaub, and the upper
portion of the north-west provinces, and might fau'ly claim
such a bonus from Government as would ensure a moderate
return for the capital expended."

Mr. Riddell estimated that, at the \cry kuist, 250 pas-
sengers might be expected from the Punjaub and north-
west provinces, and an equal number from England aud
Europe; and that other sources of im^omc, sucli as native

172

pilgrims, and freight for overland ])arcels and packets,
might be looked for.

Government forwarded Mr. RiddelFs letter, with instruc-
tions that I should obtain data on which to form an opinion,
whether the periodical despatch from Bombay of a packet
steamer for Suez, calling at Kurrachee for mails, passengers
and parcels from Scinde and the north-west provinces, would
be remunerative to a private company, or such an advantage
to the public, that Government could reasonably undertake
the expense.

Upon the receipt of this letter, a series of questions was
addressed to the various government authorities; and, by
the aid of the governments of the Punjaub and north-west
provinces, a great mass of information was collected from
those provinces, and from Scinde.

The replies to the queries were then forwarded to a com-
mittee, composed of Lieut. Leeds, I.N., the port officer
(who was well acquainted with the peculiarities of the port,
which he had been one of the first to open to square-rigged
vessels, and who had been for many years employed on the
southern coast of Arabia), Mr. Dalzell, the Deputy Collector
of Customs, and Mr. Mclver, a mercantile gentleman, esta-
blished for some years at Kurrachee, who, from their re-
spective positions, were well able to form a judgment of the
bearings of the question.

They have drawn up a very able Report, which I purpose
requesting Mr. Dalzell to read to the meeting. My reasons
for doing so, before submitting it to Government, are, that
I feel sm'c Government would wish to know the opinion
of the public on the subject, as well as the views of the able
government officers who have been consulted; but more
especially because I consider it peculiarly desirable that the
statements made should be discussed and sifted. Such dis-
cussions always lead to a subject being better understood ;

173

and if there are any incorrect or over-drawn statements, no
persons are better able to detect and correct them than the
present meeting, composed of gentlemen who are intimately
acquainted with all the local bearings of the case. The
Em-opean inhabitants of Scinde are, for the most part.
Government servants, and are very wisely debarred, by the
orders of Government, from taking any part, except as
shareholders, in a commercial company. Hence, we must
depend on capitalists in other quarters, for all the agency
required to get up and work such a company ; and to such
parties at a distance your assistance, but above all, your
criticism, on the facts and opinions laid before you, may be
most valuable ; and I trust therefore, that any discussions
which may arise on this Ecport, will be as full and unre-
strained, and above all, as critical as possible. I have only
to add, that there is nothing in any of the projects alluded
to, which can be construed into an attempt at rivalry with
any other part of India. The provinces on the Indus and
its tributaries are cut off from India by the Great Desert,
and cannot naturally communicate with the sea by any
other route than this. Of course, goods do find their w^ay
to the Punjaub, through Calcutta and Bombay; but they
have to follow round-about and unnatm-al routes. And if
they can be supplied through the direct and natural chan-
nel, the benefit to the provinces so supplied will be felt even
at Calcutta and Bombay, far more than the loss of any
traffic which may leave those ports, to pursue a more direct
and cheaper route. It is said, that for every house 1)uilt in
Liverpool, Glasgow, and Bristol, you have one built in Lon-
don ; and I have no doubt that, for every ship we may have
in Kiirrachce, you Avdl find one additional in the harl)om's
of Bombay and Calcutta. Of the local efiects of improved
communication with Suez, it would be quite supcriluous to
speak. Independent of its eft'ect upon commerce, it comes

174

home to the feelings of every one of us ; for there is no one
who does not hope at some time to ^isit England^ and who
is not interested in the speedy transmission of the overland
mails. But the question is, I think, one of national im-
portance. If we look to Europe, we find a large army of
40,000 men fed, and supplied in an enemy's country, at a
distance of many thousand miles from their home; and
hetter fed, better clothed, and better supplied than any such
army ever was in England itself. And how is it that this
army is able to hold its position in the Crimea ? Why, in
the first instance, it is owing to the indomitable courage of
our soldiers and sailors ; but in the second, and in no small
degree, to the vast and unequalled resources of our Engbsh
mercantile steam navy. And I firmly believe that every
additional steamer we have in India, is an additional secu-
rity for the stability of our empire, and for the many bless-
ings which I believe that empu'e secm'es to India.

Mr. Dalzell then read the Report of the Steam Com-
mittee as follows : —

REPORT

Fro7n the Steam Committee, composed of the Port
Officer, the Deputy Collector of Customs, and
Dan.M'Iver, Esq.

Kurrachee.

To H. B. E. Frere, Esq., Commissioner in Scinde.

Sir, — We have the honour to acknowledge vour letter, No.
2164, dated 28th ultimo, forwarding a file of correspondence on
the subject of a proposal emanating from the Director-General of
Post Ofl&ces, to run a Government Steamer once a month, as an
experiment from Bombay to Suez, touching at Kurrachee and
Aden en route ; and appointing us a Committee to sift, condense,

175

and wliere necessary, add to the information whirh has been
collected, with a view, in the tirst place, to furnish Government
and the Director-General with data on which to judge of the prac-
ticability of the scheme.

In forming an estimate of the probable success of such a com-
munication, the chief question for consideration that presents it-
self is, have the internal communications of the country arrived at
such a stage of improvement a^ to justify the expectation that the
proposed enterprise would meet with that measure of encourage-
ment necessary to its existence ; or, are we still so far behiiid
Calcutta, iu respect of our communications, that the facilities and
conveniences which that route affords more than counterbalance
the advantages, in point of distance, offered by the Indus route ;
which, as it is the most direct, is naturally the channel of outlet,
as well for commerce as for the homeward bound from the Pun-
jaub and north-west provinces ; and from Umballa as a centre,
even by the circuitous route of Lahore and Mooltan, the distance
is 50 miles nearer to Kurrachee than to Calcutta; and by the route
of the Sutlej, navigable for steamers of light draft throughout
the year from Ferozepore, distant from Umballa 125 miles;
Kurrachee is 150 miles nearer Umballa than Umballa is to
Calcutta.

Nothwithstanding these natural advantages, it is clear from the
correspondence submitted to us, that improved facilities in our
internal communications are indispensable, if we would desire to
render Kurrachee the point of embarkation to Europe for all pas-
sengers from the Punjaub and north- west provinces, who, in
choosing a route homeward, were not influenced by personal mo-
tives, altogether independent of either the route, the mode of
conveyance, of expense, or of time.

We are, nevertheless, of opinion, from the data before us, that,
even under existing circum-^tances, sufficient encouragement would
follow the proposed undertaking, to justify Government in at once
experimentally incurring the expense.

The opening up of such a communication could hardly fail to
prove of the utmost advantage to the interests of the Punjaub,
north-west provinces, and Scinde, by encouraging the introduction
of foreign capital, so essential to the better development of their
resources; and to i-endcr Ivm'rachee the omporinm of hw own

176

commerce, by removing one of the greatest impediments to her
progress, — the necessity of resorting to a market 500 miles
distant. This can only be effected by British agency and capital ;
and nothing, we think, would tend more to facilitate their intro-
duction, than the proposed steam communication with Suez.

We are especially sanguine that, when it shall become known
throughout the Punjaub and north-west provinces, that passengers
can embark at Kurrachee for Suez, without the necessity of
changing steamers at Aden, many would adopt the route, as well
for the saving of time that would be gained, as the expense and
inconvenience that would be saved.

From Calcutta to Suez the charge for passage by the P. and 0.
Company's steamers is Rupees 900, whilst the charge from Bom-
bay to Suez, which should be also the charge from KuiTachee to
Suez, is only Ptupees 650. By adopting the Kurrachee route then,
a saving of £25 would be effected, besides a proportionate saving
for children and servants, and the sea voyage lessened by eight
or nine days; both material considerations, which we think
would go far to outweigh the greater facilities of the Calcutta land
route.

If, under present circumstances, we find that from 60 to 80
travellers annually leave the Punjaub and north-west provinces to
proceed homewards via Bombay ; involving expense of passage
thither ; hotel charges at both places, and change of steamers at
Aden, and possible detention there ; it is surely not unreasonable
to expect that, with the removal of these disadvantages by a
steamer running direct from Kurrachee to Suez, that number
would be considerably increased, even in the existing state of our
inland communications ; and when these shall have been improved
by the completion of the Piailvvay about to be constructed between
Kurrachee and Hydrabad, — a greater number and better descrip-
tion of steamers on the Indus— two we believe are now on the
way from England — the road from Mooltan to Lahore metalled,
which is, we believe, about to be undertaken, and a steamer on
the Sutlej to Ferozepore, long in contemplation, we cannot see
Avliy any other than the Indus route should be adopted by all
travellers from Peshawur to the gates of Delhi.

From the returns of the authorities in the Punjaub and north-
west provinces, which are not quite complete, we find, that the

177

probable number of passengers who would avail themselves of the
proposed route to Europe, would be monthly as follows : —
1st Class Passengers from 12 to 13
2nd ditto ditto 8 to 10

Children 10 to 12

European Servants . . 2 to 3
Native ditto . . 7 to 8

and that, with improved communications, these numbers might
probably be doubled.

With these results before us, we are of opinion that the pro-
posed undertaking would be successful ; and, as many of the im-
provements and facilities which have been suggested, as the sure
means of enlarging these results, are, some in com'se of progress,
and others in contemplation, we coincide with the generally ex-
pressed opinion of the aforesaid authorities that, when these shall
have been carried out, Kurrachee will become the point of em-
barkation to Egypt, not only for all passengers from the Punjaub,
north-west provinces and Scinde ; but, were the route to be
rendered the shortest practically as it is physically, for mails and
parcels also.

We have deemed it desirable to make a few extracts from the
correspondence of the authorities in the Punjaub, the north-west
provinces and Scinde. These will be found in the Appendix (A)
to this letter, — they express the sentiments generally of all to
whom the question of the proposed steam communication had
been submitted.

We are not aware upon what data their estimate of passengers
has been formed ; but we think it v\ill be interesting and useful
to enquire, — what are the resources of the Punjaub, north-west
provinces and Scinde, which, under the improved facilities of com-
munication suggested, are calculated to feed and maintain inde-
pendent steam communication between Kurrachee and Suez ?

The military force of these provinces, going no further east
than Umballa, numbers upwards of 70,000 men, more than
15,000 of which are Europeans. This is independent of officers,
which, allowing for absentees, cannot fall short of 2000. Sup-
posing every fourth officer to be a married man, and two the ave-
rage number of children to each; we should then have 2500
adults and 1000 children ; add to these the covenanted and un-

178

covenanted civil list, strictly Europeans, say 400 ; and an equal
number of private residents, out of a mixed European and Anglo-
Indian population of about 1000, scattered throughout the pro-
vinces, who may be supposed to be bound to England by the ties
of home and country, and that these also are married men, and
have children in the proportion given above ; the total European
population who, it may be conceded, would at some period or
other revisit their native land, probably all as first class passengers,
would be 3,500 adults, and 1,400 children. This is independent
of second class passengers, who might probably number 500 more.
Assuming that each adult, on an average, revisited Europe
once in every eight years (and we believe this will be found an
under-estimate), and that every child were to be sent home on
attaining the age of five years ; the number of passengers who
might be expected monthly, to take the route to Europe rid Kur-
rachee, under improved communications, would stand thus : — •
1st Class Passengers .... 36
2nd ditto . . .5

Children 23

European Servants .... 4 probably
Native ditto .... 10 do.

The monthly receipts from these sources, according to the
Bombay rate of passage money, deducting five children as of under
age, and consequently free, would amount to rupees 33,900.

Were even half this sum to be realized monthly from passengers,
we think it would hold out sufficient encouragement to any com-
pany to undertake the proposed line. The Austrian Lloyd's
Company might, with advantage, connect it with their Mediter-
ranean line of steamers ; and that it would eventually become
more than remunerative, we hardly entertain a doubt.

The large supplies of overland goods which the large force we
have alluded to must annually consume, would, doubtless, form a
considerable item in the receipts of the proposed undertaking.
We have no means of forming an estimate of the probable con-
sumption of such goods ; but some idea of their extent may be
formed from a statement of Major Jacob, the Political Superin-
tendent of the Upper Scinde frontier, and Commandant of the
Scinde Irregular Horse ; that about fifty camel loads, or 24,000 lbs. ,
is about the average annual supply of Europe goods required by the

179

regiments he commands ; and which, were tho pro]3osed steam
communication estabUslied, conM be forwarded to him by tliat
opportunity.

If then, this be the annual consumption of overland-borne goods
of two native regiments, 1 ,600 strong ; what must be the consump-
tion of an army of 70,000, of which above 15,000 are Europeans ?

Hitherto, overland goods for the Punjaub and north-west pro-
vinces have, for the most part, taken the Calcutta route, owing in
a great measure to the suspension, during the monsoon, of steam
communication between Bombay and Kurrachee, as well as to the
inadequacy of the river steamers on the Indus, set aside by Govern-
ment for the public convenience to supply the increasing demand
for freight. For, notwithstanding the many drawbacks with which
our commerce is surrounded, the trade of the province has, within
the last five years, increased seventy-three per cent ; from which
goods for up-country despatch have frequently lain in the agents'
hands for two, and even three, months after freight had been paid,
waiting an opportunity to ship them.

But the chief of these impediments to our progress would cease
with the introduction of the proposed steam communication with
Suez, which would assuredly divert to the more legitimate chaii-
nel of the Indus a large portion of the overland traffic, which now
finds its way into the Punjaub and north-west provinces by the
circuitous route of Calcutta.

On the above, and kindred subjects, we have a lettei* before us
from a respectable Jiouse of agency in Bombay, which will be
found in Appendix (B)

We might, of our own personal knowledge, multiply instances
of delay and disappointment such as ai-e therein represented ; but
those detailed in the letter referred to will suffice to show much
we stand in need of improvement in our river communications ;
and how absolutely necessary it is for the interests of commerce
and the public, that the communication between Bombay and
Kurrachee should be uninterrupted throughout the year.

In discussing the advantages of the proposed steam communi-
cation, we would not overlook the fact of Kurrachee being more
than 200 miles nearer Suez than Bombay is to Suez ; and that,
whilst the Bombay steamers have to contend witli the difTiculty
of the monsoon, the Kurrachee steamer, as slie would be able to

180

run for a considerable distance out of its influence, would have
comparatively less monsoon to struggle against ; so that, inde-
pendent of the shorter distance, she could make the passage to
Suez, during the monsoon season, in less time than the Bombay
steamer could, and with undeniably greater comfort to passengers.
On this subject, an interesting memoi'anda will be found in Ap-
pendix (C).

Neither should we omit to notice a source of considerable profit
that would pi'obably arise from the conveyance of Mahomedan
pilgrims to and from the holy shrines in the Red Sea.

We know that thousands of pilgi'ims annually resort thither
from the Persian Gulf ; some travelling across Arabia, others in
native craft to Bombay, and thence by boat and steamers to Aden
and Suez.

Were a company to take up the Kurrachee and Suez line, it
might be so arranged, either that the Suez steamers should touch
at Muscat and embark pilgrims thence, which would not perhaps
entail more than a day's delay ; or a branch steamer might ply
between the Persian Gulf and Kurrachee, as a feeder of the Suez
steamer ; and there is a considerable traffic in merchandize carried
on between the ports in the Persian Gulf, Muscat, and Kurrachee.
This steamer could also carry the Persian Gulf mail; and, viewing
the present aspect of the political horizon, woult it not be a matter
of the highest importance to have a regular communication with
the Gulf, upon which we could always depend '?

To be the nearest point from Europe of all our Indian posses-
sions, is important in many points of view. And when the elec-
tric wire shall have connected Kurrachee with the Punjaub (as
sooner or later it must do), and the proposed communication esta-
blished, the satisfaction will be ours, of being the first to dissemi-
nate the political and commercial intelligence of Europe to the
most distant parts of our Indian possessions.

Before opening the proposed communication we would suggest^
that three months' notice be given to the public in the most pro-
minent possible manner. That a day be fixed, and adhered to,
when the steamer will leave Bombay and Kurrachee ; and, to
avoid the change of steamers at Aden, some Bombay passengers
would probably prefer taking the Kurrachee route. That the
nature and extent of accommodation and amount of passage money.

181

which should be the same as the charge from Bombay to Suez, be
also publicly amiounced ; that the commuuicatiou on the Indus
be twice a month up and doAvn ; and if a steamer were available
once a month to and from Ferezopore, so arranged as to meet the
Mooltan steamer at Sukkur, we have no doubt it would be greatly
availed of by passengers, as well as for merchandize.

We have the honor to be &c., &c.,

(Signed) Rowley W. Leeds, Lt. I.N.,

Port Ojjicer.
P. M. Dalzell,

Depif, Collector Customs.
Dan. McIver.

Kurrachee, 3rd Aricjust. 1855.

APPENDIX A.

The Chief Commissioner of the Punjaub is of opinion that the
proposed scheme would prove successful.

Gr. C. Barnes, Esq., Commissioner, Cis-Sutlej, states : —
Before Kurrachee can compete with the Calcutta route, there
must be a good metalled road to Mooltan. There must be better
steamers from Mooltan to Kurrachee, and there should be a rail-
road or good metalled road between Tatta and Kurrachee. The
Bungalows must be increased in number and in convcniencies,
and the hotel at Kurrachee must provide superior accommodation.
So soon as these impediments on the route are removed, the
stream of passengers and traffic will naturally follow the direct
route ; and so long as the improvement is delayed, Calcutta will
be preferred. At present, the Calcutta route is so much easier,
that only a few passengers venture down the Indus from the Cis-
Sutlej States : whereas, if the facilities of communication were
placed on a level with the route to Calcutta, all passengers and
letters from Peshawur to Kurnal would travel down by Muoltan
to Kuri'achee.

The Indus is one of the noblest streams of Ilindostan. A

182

steamei' might come up as far as Ferozepore on the Sutlej. The
land route, via Mooltan, might be made as good as the trnnk road.
There is no doubt that, if a proper fleet of steamers were kept on
the river (Indus), and the road between Lahore and Mooltau
metalled, all the passengers from the Punjaub would gladly go to
Kurrachee and take their passage in the Bombay steamer that is
to go direct to Suez.

M. P. Edgeworth, Esq., Commissioner^ Trans-Sutlej,

says : —

The most importantquery is, regarding the improvements in the
communication with Kurrachee. This subject divides itself into
two parts : that between the upper stations and IMooltan, and from
Mooltan to Kuri'achee.

At present, the only communication is by an unme tailed road,
branching from near Googaira to Ferozepore and Lahore respect-
ively ; and the only means of travelling on it are — 1st, marching
readily accomplished by the aid of travellers' rooms in the Serais,
without tents — 2nd, by mail or express cart, a mode of conveyance
well suited for strong persons but quite inapplicable to invalids
— 3rd, Palki Garri, lately established, involving great cruelty to
the horses on the heavy roads — 4th, Palki dak, almost imprac-
ticable, as there are no regular bearers along the road.

To improve existing modes of conveyance, some simple im-
provements, capable of immediate adoption, may be proposed,
light-covered two-w4ieeled cars, or a Hansom cab, might be very
advantageously introduced, high wheels being the main point to
be insisted on for the unmetalled road. A conveyance of this
kind would be possible for a lady to travel in.

The post office has lately established a bullock train on the
road ; but to render it efficient, it will be necessary to metal the
heaviest portions of the road.

The several rivers afford a commodious way of travelling to
Mooltan during the flood season, from May to October ; and the
long talked of introduction of steamers up the Jhelum is an indis-
pensable part of the improvement to communication.

But the main and only permanent improvement will be, the
formation of a railway from either Uraritsir or Lahore to JMooltan.

With regard to the communication below Mooltan, the main

183

point is, increased acconiniodation for travellers and greater com-
fort iu the boats, which are at present peculiarly ill-suited for the
purpose.

The proposed Scinde Railway will do almost all that is required
for the lower communication.

For the conveyance of goods, the present steam accommodation
is utterly insufl&cient.

In fine, I may express my fervent hope, that the proposed
measure may be carried out, as I am convinced it will be one of
veiy great importance to the improvement of these pi-ovinccs.

Ed. Thornton, Esq., Commissioner, Jhelum Division,
states : —

Of the several questions put by Mr. Frere, the only one I am
able to reply to is the second. Upon this point, my opinion is,
that a railroad from Kurrachee to the Punjaub, and steamers from
Mooltan upwards, are required, and should be provided as soon as
possible.

Major J. E. Hollings, Deputy Commissioner, Sliahpore,
says : —

Everyone who writes regularly to Europe would take advantage
of the shortest route, which that by Kurrachee would certainly be,
when the dak arrangements and roads in the Punjaub and Scinde
become, as they soon will be, as good as any in India.

I am convinced that, in less than six months after the first
steamer has gone from Kurrachee to Aden, it will be found that
the passengers and freight will be more than sufficient to justify
a direct communication from Kurrachee, which will make Scinde
and the Punjaub indej^endent of Jiombay.

G. Patan, Esq., Post Master General, north-west pro-
vinces, states : —

It appears to me, that the post masters have rather under esti-
mated the number of passengers who would proceed by the steamer
from Kurrachee.

A truck and carriage dak, as well as a bullock train, being now
established between Lahore and jNIooltan, I see little reason for
travellers, to and from the Punjaub and Europe, taking any other
route tlian that via Kurrachee.

181.

So soon as the road from Umballa to Lahore is metalled, and a
carriage dak is established, travellers from Simla and adjacent hill
stations, including Umballa, Loodianah, and Ferozepore, may be
expected to prefer the route to Europe via Kurrachee, to that via
Calcutta.

It seems advisable, and I have already recommended, that the
Scinde Camel train should be amalgamated with the bullock train
between Mooltan and Lahore, so that the transmission of light
packages may be facilitated to and from the Punjaub.

The Post Master of Mooltan, if appointed steam agent there,
and also agent for the Scinde camel train, would tend to induce
the public of the Punjaub to have all light goods to and from
Europe conveyed via Kurrachee.

The Chief Commissioner of Lahore, in reply to tlie
question of what additional means and appliances appear
desirable to facilitate the commmiication between Lahore
and Kurrachee, states : —

A railroad to Mooltan, and if the difficvilties which attend the
navigation between that city and Kurrachee be insuperable, a
good metalled road along the course of the Indus is wanted.

If these facilities existed, an immense increase of traffic and
travelling would result from the Punjaub to Bombay, via Mooltan
and Kurrachee.

K. McIvER, Esq., merchant, of Mooltan, states, in reply
to the question above : —

Additional steamers to keep up the communication three or
four times, and with more suitable accommodation for passengers
than those running at present afford.

As to the number and class, I cannot speak with any degree of
certainty, but I have little doubt that the number would greatly
increase ; as not only expense, but so much time and distance
would be saved, especially to residents in the north-west provinces
and the Punjaub, who would take this route in preference to that
via Calcutta and Bombay.

Lieut. F. W. Hopkins, I.N., freight agent, Mooltan^
states also in answer to the questions above : —

That the steamer conveying passengers be fitted up with at

185

least six cabins, and larger than in the steamers Chenauh or
Jhelum, now on the Mooltan line ; to be higlier between decks
than the two vessels mentioned, and to have 80 horse power ; not
to tow or flat a cargo boat ; the steamer to leave Mooltan in time
to allow of passengers being at Kurrachee three or four daj-s
previous to the date of the steamer leaving for Suez, which would
enable sick officers to appear before the medical board, that they
might be allowed to proceed on at once.

The Deputy Commissioner of Jliung —

Would suggest a railway to Mooltan. Thinks the traffic in
goods would be indefinitely increased ; but does not think that it
would affect passengers from his division more than 5 per cent.

Major John Jacob^ Political Superintendent, Upper
Seinde frontier, states : —

That the completion of the great road through Seinde, from
the frontier to the sea, would facilitate the communication.

All supplies wliatever for the Seinde Irregular Horse from Eng-
land could be conveyed by the proposed communication, if the
steamers would bi'ing them. These supplies are considerable^
amounting to about fifty camel loads per annum.

APPENDIX B.

The importance of a regular steam communication between
Bombay and Kurrachee during the monsoon season, and the se-
curing thereby an uninterrupted transit for goods to all parts of
Upper Seinde and the Punjaub, cannot, in a business point of
view, to ourselves and our constituents in those parts, be easily
overrated.

At present, the entire suspension of steam communication, in
as far as regards the traffic for goods from the end of May till
September, owing to the vessels of the Jiombay Steam Navigation
Company ceasing to ply during this period, virtually closes Seinde
as a route to the Punjaub for these important months of the
year.

The consequence of this is, that we have packages for Seinde

i8G

und tbe Punjaub, many of which contain gootls received from
London overland, to direct order, in our possession for nearly
three months, before au opportunity offers for their transmission.
Such delay, of course, neutralizes in a great measure all the
advantages which constituents should derive from the overland
route, to avail of which they incur great expense; for, when a
package, in tlie circumstances above mentioned, takes five months
in the transit from London to ]\Iooltan, when, with certain and
regular steam communication between Bombay and Kurrachee,
less than half that time would suffice, it is- very obvious in such
cases, that constituents incur all this extra cost of the overland
without reaping any of its benefits.

Our correspondents, Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., of London,
who send a large number of packages for the Punjaub by each
overland steamer, during the months of May, June, and July,
despatch the greater portion of these direct to Calcutta, that there
may be no delay with the packages while en route to their ultimate
destination. The whole of these packages would, in other circum-
stances, be received at Bombay, for despatch via Kurrachee, as
the most direct and least expensive route to the Puujaub, were
the communication regular and certain all the year round.

During the monsoon season of the last two years, steamers
were occasionally despatched by Government to Kurrachee, which
to a certain extent were, no doubt, a public benefit, especially in
this respect, in having demonstrated that there was no real diffi-
culty in keeping the communication open during the monsoon,
more than at any other season, with suitable steamers. In other
respects, the advantages that might have been deiived from these
trips were not realized for two reasons. First, the uncertainty as
to their despatch at all ; and Secondly, their not receiving cargo
for transmission on payment of a stipulated rate of freight, or on
any condition whatever. When Government steamers are de-
spatched to Kurrachee, the only means of sending packages by
them, is througli the medium of the post office, Bhangy — a
method of communication only available for small packages, and
quite inadequate to the public requirements ; while otherwise,
practically, it becomes almost prohibitory, from enormous cost of
transit,

On the announcement of the despatch of a Government steamer.

187

we are necessitated to avail of the post office steam Bhangj-, for
the transmission of such packages as can be forwarded according
to the post office regulations, in many instances opening large
packages, and having them repacked in such a manner as will
pennit of their being forwarded by this, the only means of trans-
mission open to us.

Tlie cost, however, of sending packages of any size in this
manner beyond Kurrachee is so great, that constituents, with much
reason, complain of it. The following is an extract from a letter
just received from a constituejit in Upper Scinde, to whom we
have occasion to make numerous despatches " Send me no
more packages by Bhangy Dak, the chai'ges being about tenfold
the articles so transmitted." And this is only a specimen of many
complaints of a similar character.

There is, however, one most serious drawback to the many
advantages of Scinde as a highway to the Punjaub ; and until it is
remedied, or put on a vastly improved footing to what pertains at
pi'esent, must preclude this route from possessing that value and
importance to residents in the Punjaub, and being of that benefit
to the province itself which its natural advantages seem to indi-
cate ; — we refer to the very great delay that so commonly occurs
in the transmission of packages by the river steamers from Kur-
rachee to Mooltan.

This is a matter that has been long a source of no little vexa-
tion and annoyance to ourselves and our constituents. Complaints
pour in with most unpleasant frequency upon us, from correspond-
ents at the various stations in the Punjaub, with reference to these
delays ; and it is not a little provoking, that representations of
this kind should come before us so often, while we are so utterly
unable to find any remedy for them. We may cite one or two
instances which will serve as illustration of the delays that cause
so much dissatisfaction.

On the IGth January last, we despatched to Kurrachee, for
further transmission, a case, to the address of ]\Jajor Nicholson,
Deputy Commissioner, Bunnoo, and another to the same address
by the first steamer hence in February.

Instructions were given to our agent at Kurrachee, on each
occasion, that the packages should be forwarded by the first
opportunity, and we of course duly advised ^Jajor Is'icholsun to

188

this effect. To our astonishment and regret, we received a letter
a short time since from the Major, dated 1st ult., in which he
informs us, that at the date he wrote, neither of these packages
had come to hand ; and on referring to our agent, at Kurrachee,
for explanation, we learn that they w-ere not despatched from that
place till the end of April.

A large package, containing a piano, was forwarded by us in
October last, by steamer to Kurrachee, for transmission to an
officer at Sealkote, who incurring the expense of having the
package sent from Bombay, by steamer, to insure, if possible, its
receipt by Christmas. Yet it was not despatched from Kurrachee
till the 24th February, having thus lain there for a longer period
than it took to bring it from London to Bombay, by a long sea
voyage round the Cape.

The explanation given by our agent, in reference to the above
and similar cases, is invariably to the effect that the packages
are detained in the Godowns of the agent of the river steamers,
after freight has been paid upon them, where they remain for
weeks and months, before they are despatched to Mooltan, in
consequence of the means of transit being inadequate for the
traffic which offers for the steamers.

The packages of a small size, which we have been in the habit
of forwarding under cover to the Postmaster Kurrachee, for
further transmission by the camel train, have been uniformly
despatched witli promptitude and I'egularity.

We have evidence before us almost daily in the usual course of
business, of a rapidly increasing connection between this part of
India and the Punjaub, notwithstanding all existing drawbacks,
and in our humble opinion little else is required, besides a regular
steam communication between Bombay and Kurrachee, and an
improved means of transit in Scinde to make this the principal
route for every description of traffic between Europe and the
Punjaub. As regards these requirements, and with reference
to Scinde, with a camel train for goods already established, and a
railway in progress, there seems only a better management of
the river steamers wanting to make it in a very short time all
that can be desired ; and with respect to a regular steam com-
munication between Bombay and Kurrachee throughout the year^
w'jen the subject comes before the Government for its earnest

189

consideration, tlie eviJence of its necessity and desirableness,
must, we humbly think, become so apparent, that we may confi-
dently hope the present monsoon will be the last in which the
existing arrangements shall be permitted to remain.

APPENDIX C.

1. — The distance a steamer has to travel from Bombay to
Aden, in the south-west monsoon, is 1950 miles. This is what
is called making the southern passage, going down to about 8o N.
which is short as steamers have as yet been able to cut it.

2. — The direct distance from Bombay to Aden is 16-10 miles
S., 77 W.

Do. do. from Kurrachee to Aden 1435 miles S., 60 W.

Do. do. from Point de Galle to Aden, 2121 miles N., 79 W.

3. — The distance a steamer would have to go out of her course,
if she had to call at Muscat, when running from Kurrachee to
Aden, would be 240 miles.

4. — The currents set on the Arabian coast with the wind
generally. There are exceptions now and then, but the rule is
that in the S.W. monsoon the currents are strong to the N.E.,
and in the N.E. monsoon to the S.W.

5. — Kegarding steamers running from this to Aden in the
south-west monsoon, I do not think that they could go direct.
There would be times when they might do so, but it could not be
reckoned on. The coast of Arabia, from Ras-el-Had for 700
miles in the direction of Aden, would be a dangerous part for a
steamer passing. The wind and sea comes a good deal from the
southward, and so sets nearly into the coast. Therefore, were an
accident to happen to the machinery on this boisterous part, it
would be doubtful if she could clear the land, and the water is so
deep close in that a vessel cannot anchor. The way to make the
south-west passage from here to Aden would be to staiul on direct
as long as you could make good way, and then go down south on
the starboard tack until you get into S" N. latitude ; then go
about, and you would be making a far better passage than the
steamers from Bombay do, because you would avoid 180 iiiiles of

190

the monsoon, and when it becomes necessary to stand to the
southward, you would most probably be 500 miles to windward
(or to the westward) of Bombay. This passage would always be
certain, and would be accomplished in eleven days on the
average, with the steamers that the^H. E. I. Company possess at
present.

(Signed) R. W. Leeds, Lieut. I.N., Port Officer.
True Copies.
(Signed) R. W. Leeds, Port Officer.

P. M. Dalzell, Deputy Collector of Customs.
D. McIvER.

Brigadier Parr, Commanding at Kurracliee (in the
absence of Brigadier General Wilson, K.H., Commanding
the Scinde Division of the Army, who was prevented
attending through illness), then rose to move the 1st reso-
lution : —

He stated that the excellent report they had just heard read,
joined with the Chairman's opening address, had left him but
little to say on the subject, He might, however, be allowed, as
a military man, to look at the question principally in a military
point of view, and in so doing he could not but be struck by the
fact, that if the facilities for rapid communication with Suez and
Mooltan, which were glanced at in the report, and which the
statements they had heard showed to be strictly within the limits
of what was possible, and he hoped practical, at no distant date
it would positively take less time to move a brigade from South-
ampton to the Punjaub than it would at present take to move the
Kurracliee Brigade from this camp to Mooltan. In other words
you might have Southampton, instead of Kurracliee, the base of
your operations for any campaigns in the Punjaub or any countries
beyond it. This facility appeared to him, as a military man,
to afford advantages so enormous, that he was sure the meeting
would excuse his dilating on the other aspects of the scheme, and
he would content himself with reading the resolution placed in
his hands.

" That this meeting having heard the report just read, and
recognising the truth of such facts therein stated as the public

191

here has the means of knowing, generally concurs in the conclu-
sions at 'which the Committee have arrived." [Carried unani-
mously.]

This resolution was seconded by Major Stewart, Acting
Collector and Magistrate of Kurrachee.

Lieutenant- Colonel Turner, Superintending Engineer,
Scinde Division, in rising to move the second resolution —

Stated that he participated with his friend, Brigadier Parr, in
the feeling that it was difl&cult to add any thing of importance to
the very complete and detailed statements they had already lis-
tened to. It appeared to him that the success of any endeavours
to carry out any scheme of steam communication between Kur-
rachee and Suez, must depend upon two considerations.

1st. — Does any physical difficulty exist?

2nd. — Is the scheme one which will be commercially profitable ?

With regard to the first he considered it had been conclusively
proved that there was no physical difficulty whatever to prevent
steamers running regulai'ly between this and Suez. The opinion
of Lieutenant Leeds on this point appeared to him conclusive.
It has been practically shown that the Victoria, which had but
just been taken off the Suez and Bombay line, had been stationed
at Kurrachee during the whole monsoon, and had never on any
day found the slighest difficulty in entering or leaving the
harbour, and for the rest of the voyage it was clear no physical
difficulty existed.

With regard to the second point, whether the scheme woidd
be commercially profitable or not, he would state his opinion that
the case contained in the report was far more favourable than he
had imagined could be made out. When he first read the report
a few days ago, very carefully, he examined it well, and came to
the conclusion that it was not only a very ftivourable but a very
fair and reasonable statement. It is clear, however, that to
ensure the success of such a scheme, it is very requisite that we
should have between Kurrachee and Mooltan — 1st, an improve-
ment of the communication between Kurrachee and the river.
This would be effected by the railway, which we hope soon to see
in progress. Qndly, we must have an improvement of the com-

192

munioation on the river, and 3rdly, we must have an improve-
ment of the communication between Mooltan and Lahore. These
seemed to him the only requisites to insure the success of such a
scheme as had been proposed ; and he thought it would be right
in recommending the scheme to Government, that these points
should be brought prominently to their notice.

Colonel Turner concluded by moving the second reso-
lution, viz. : —

" That the Chairman be requested to convey to Government
a respectful expression of the hope entertained by this Meeting,
that any well-devised scheme for establishing direct communica-
tion with Suez will receive the favourable consideration and active
support of Government." [Carried unanimously.]

This resolution was seconded by Captain Dunsterville,
Judicial Deputy Magistrate.

Mr. GiBBS, Assistant Commissioner, in moving tbe tliird
resolution, viz. : —

" That it is the opinion of this Meeting that the interruption
of steam communication between this port and Bombay, during
the south-west monsoon, is a very serious obstruction to the
increasing traffic between Bombay, Scinde and the Punjaub, and
that the absence of any physical difficulty having been con-
clusively shown by the experience of two seasons, this meeting
trusts that Government will, in any renewal of the present postal
contract, provide for keeping open the communication at least
twice in the month, during the south-west monsoon," spoke as
follows : —

When I came into the room, I intended merely to lay before
this meeting some plans of steamers suited to the proposed line,
and give a few observations on the expense of working them,
founded on some information kindly furnished me by a gentleman
well known in Western India for his energy, and the successful
result of every speculation he has been engaged on.

When the subject of direct steam communication between this
port and Aden or Suez was first proposed, I wrote to the gentle-
man I just now alluded to, and asked him for any information he
might be able to give me on the subject, and he after a little

193

delay most kindly furnished me with the plans I now produce,
together with the memorandum, the abstract of which I will
now give. The plan of the steamer is that of the second of three
descriptions, considered by the well-known firm of Messrs. Scott
Russell, the orginators of the wave-line theory, to be well suited
for the i)roposed work.

The three descriptions are of screw- vessels.

No. 1 — of 700 tons, 160 horse-power, consuming 10 to 15 cwt.
of coal per hour, with a rate in fair weather of 10 knots ; length,
190 feet; beam, 28 feet; depth, 18 feet; cost, £23,100.

No, 2 — of 800 tons, 200 horse-power, consuming 15 to 20 cwt.
coal, with a speed of 1 1 to 12 knots ; 22 feet longer than No. I ;
cost £28,000.

No. 3 — of 900 tons, 200 horse-power, consumption the same
as No. 2, with a speed of 12 to 13 knots; 13 feet longer than
No. 2, cost £32,400

From a sketch estimate, imperfect I dare say, it would appear
that the working of the second of the above vessels would cost,
including coal, when at an average 25 rupees per ton, about
30;000 rupees for two. months, during which period three
voyages might be accomplished, that is, either between Kurrachee
and Suez and one return trip, or vice versa, one trip to Sv;ez and
two I'etums, making three voyages there and back in four months,
at the cost of 60,000 rupees. The length of time which the
voyage to Suez would take would be fourteen days, including one
day's detention at Aden. The vessels would carry coal sufficient
to prevent coaling at Suez being necessary. The depots, there,
fore, would be at this port and Aden only.

The fittings up of the vessel are, I believe, of the best descrip-
tion ; and the plans have been prepared, after mature considera-
tion as to the requirements of the climate, &c. The accommo'
dation shown is for 50 first-class and 10 second-class passengers.
The prices include everything but plate, linen, &c. Two vessels
could be delivered in eiglit months ready for sea, and the engines
of Messrs. Scott Russell are constructed so as to be as economical
as possible in their consumption of coal. With these observa-
tions I will lay the plans, &c., on the table, and move the resolu-
tion entrusted to my charge.

194.

Mr. H. Wells, Resident Engineer to the Scincle Rail-
way Company^ in seconding the above resolution, said : —

Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen. — I rise to second the resolu-
tion proposed by Mr. Gibbs. It is my lionest behef that the
first great pubhc work that should be constructed in this province
is a railway right through it. Of the necessity for this there can
be no doubt, when you remember the words of the able report
you have heard read ; and let me refer to some of the opinions
therein expressed, not opinions by persons like myself interested
in the Scinde railway and its future extension, but the opinions
of the officers of the Government. I find Mr. Thornton, Com-
missioner, Jhelum Di\dsion, says : —

" Upon this point my opinion is, that a railroad from Kurrachee
to the Punjaub should be provided as soon as possible."

I find the Commissioner of Lahore recommending, in reply to
a question as to what additional means and appliances appear
desirable to facilitate the communication between Lahore and
Kiu*rachee : —

" A railroad from Kurrachee to Mooltan."

The Deputy Commissioner of Jhung " would suggest a railroad
to Mooltan."

But that is not sufficient, we must go beyond Mooltan. And
here is my authority for saying so. I find Mr. Edgeworth, Com-
missioner Trans-Sutlej, stathig: —

" But the main cvid only ])ernianent improveme^it will be the
formation of a railroad from either Umritsir or Lahore to
Mooltan^

It is within my knowledge that a petition has been presented
to the Commissioner, praying the Court of Directors to extend
the line of railway to the important city of Hyderabad. This
petition, I believe, was signed by every European in that place,
and most of the principal natives. I believe, on still more
important public grounds, the Government will support the
extension of the Scinde Railway. We have been addressed to-
day by the gallant Brigadier commanding at this station, and he
has told us of the value of quick locomotion for carrying on
military operations. Sir, every one present knows when we have
an opinion from that distinguished officer, we have the opinion

195

of a practical soldier. (Loud cheers.) The Govenimeiit of
India above all pride themselves upon the perfection of their
military arrangements, and it is owing to the belief that there is
a disposition on the part of those in authority to press forward
works likely to lead to great results, that I have come here to-day
to ask you to have confidence in the great public company I have
the honour to represent.

I now come to another subject, one most intimately connected
with direct steam communication between this port and Suez. I
mean the improvement of the Harbour of Kurrachee. There are
very few parts of the world I have not visited, and I have observed
that at all ports where improvements had been carried out, that
they have led to the natural and gradual increase of the trade of
those ports, and I will adduce an instance to bear out what I say.
There is Batavia, the capital of Java, the result of continued
impi'ovements has been that, while in 1820, the value of exjiorts
was 11,000,000 florins, in 1836 it was 38,000,000, and m 1840
it was 53,000,000.

Having given many other illustrations^ Mr. Wells
continued : —

I now proceed to the resolution I have seconded, and I think
it incumbent on us to represent the advantages which will follow
uninterrupted steam communication between this port and
Bombay, the stoppage of which is so seriously complained of by
mercantile men in the Presidency. One firm writes : —

" At present the entire suspension of steam commiuiication in
as far as regards the traffic for goods from the end of May till
September, owing to the vessels of the Bombay Steam Company
ceasing to ply during this period, virtually closes Scinde as a
route to the Punjaub for these impo]tant mouths of the year."

This is beyond a doubt a great drawback to trade, and so long
as it is our fate to be dependant for our su['plies upon the
capitalists of Bombay, we keep open the communication through-
out the year. I cannot help, upon an occasion like this, asking
you to remem'ber the state in which we received our mails during
this monsoon. We never get thoroughly angry in Scinde, but
our patience was certainly tried, and we have some reason I think
to complain, when we luiow that the steamer that might have

190

been employed was cither laying idle in Bombay, or being used as
a pleasure yacht to dodge in and out of the Bombay harbour.
There is another matter that I should certainly like to mention,
and I know some present will sympathize with my remarks. I
allude to the benefit the plying steamers will be to persons
suffering from illness, and this does materially concern the
Government. We may have direct steam communication between
this place and Suez (and I will speak on that subject presently),
but officers are suddenly ordered to Bombay and Poona, and to
such steamers will be a convenience ; and I do hope the Govern-
ment will confer on us this boon, considering that we are trying
to do something for ourselves.

Gentlemen, I now come to the principal object of this meeting,
that of promoting, as much as we can, direct steam communica-
tion between this port and Suez. I heartily concur in that
proposition, and I am happy to be able to inform you, that those
whose confidence I highly value know that 1 have in my posses-
sion facts connected with it, which enables me to tell you that the
prospect of our getting direct steamers between Kurrachee and
Suez looms brightly in the distance. I believe, gentlemen, this
agitation will have another effect, it will attract attention to
another route — I mean up the Persian Gulf. We all remember
the aide articles contained in the Times, in reference to direct
communication between London and Calcutta, and I find the
subject again brought forward by the Morniru/ Chronicle, in the
following article : —

" The Indian government contributes .£70,000 a }'ear towards
the charges of an extended communication with India and China,
and the intercourse with England, by way of Egypt, is now
regular and rapid. The prejudices, and even the Imperial con-
siderations, which favoured the old circuitous communication by
way of the Cape of Good Hope, have given way before the irresis-
tible desire for rapid locomotion and intercourse with all parts of
the world. This induence is still exerting itself with full force. As
soon as the war with Russia is over, and Turkey becomes settled
down into a state of peace, and is gradually brought within the
range of European enterprise, improvements and civilisation, we
are satisfied that the desire to secure the shortest route to India
will l>o I'cvived in full force, and that eventually we shall penetrate

197

through Asia Mmor to the Persian Gulf," "and make that mighty
river, the Euphi'ates, once more, as in ancient times, a highway to
the commerce of the East. If any one had predicted, three
years ago, that an Enghsh railway ■would be constructed from
Balaklava to Sebastopol, the notion would have been quite
derided. It is, indeed, far more probable that this generation
will not pass away before a railway is perfected, so as to unite the
Euphrates at some accessible point with the Mediterranean, and
thereby shorten and render still more easy the overland com-
munication with the East through the Persian Gulf."

I believe the Persian Gulf is destined to become the highway
from Kurrachee to London, and that at no very distant date."

Sir, I have now brought to a conclusion the observations I
have considered it my duty to make. I have endeavoured to
show that the Scinde railway should be extended without delay ;
I have shown the advantage of improving the harbour of KuiTa-
chee ; I have seconded a resolution to keep up uninterruptedly
our communication with Bombay, and I have told you that I am
working for the accomplishment of the object of this meeting.
Gentlemen, there is one other great public work that P must not
omit to mention, it is that which is to give a shock to supersti-
tion, that which is to overthrow barbarism, and that which seems
destined to link the whole world together as one united family
— the electric telegraph. (Loud cheers.)

Mr. W. Meiklejohn, as representative for the mercan-
tile firm of Messrs. Treacher & Co., in supporting this
resolution —

Made some exceedingly practical observations on the inconveni-
ence and loss which the merchants and community suffered from
the suspension of communication between KuiTachee and Bombay
during the monsoon. He showed, that large supplies of goods for
the Scinde market usually arrived at the presidency at the
beginning of the wet season ; and, from the want of transit to this
port, they were detained during the monsoon in Bombay, and
deteriorated very much in value, if not wholly desti'oyed, from the
damp climate of that place in those months. The consequence of
this was, that these goods had to be sent to anotlier marjvct, and

198

the public in Scinde suffered, by having to pay an enhanced
price for many articles which they were necessitated to purchase,
often an inferior quality.

He believed that the trading community of this place would
warmly support any movement that might be made for increasing
the means of coumunication ; and he was clearly of opinion, from
his lengthened experience of this province, that the project which
had been laid before the meeting would realize the most sanguine
expectations that had been entertained regarding it.

Mr. McIvER then, rose and proposed the 4th Resolution,
viz. : —

That this meeting learns with great satisfaction, that measures
are being taken to increase the number of steamers on the river
Indus, and would express the conviction of the meeting that such
increase in the means of communication by I'iver steamers is es-
sentially necessary to the full development of commerce with the
Punjaub. [Carried unanimously]

Mr. M. J. M. Stewart^ Assistant Commissioner^ in
seconding the above resolution, offered the following obser-
vations : —

Gentlemen, — The resolution which I have been asked to
second expresses the satisfaction of the meeting, that measures
are being taken to increase the number of steamers on the Indus,
and the conviction in which I hope all present unite, that such
increase is necessary for the full development of the river traffic.
No doubt the railway from Kurrachee to Mooltan will answer for
troops, passengers, and light goods ; but for the conveyance of
heavy goods, the Indus must always be the great highway. Per-
mit me here to read a passage in the Friend of India, received
this morning, which needs no fui'ther comment. " The same
journal [Hurkarii] reports, that so great is now the demand for
steam freight to the upper provinces, that the river navigation
companies have not the means of satisfying it. Their warehouses
are glutted, and shippers offer two and four annas a foot additional
for space. The Indian General Steam Navigation Company in-
tends to put two new steamers on the river, and its rival, two
new cargo boats. Both companies are pi'ospering, and there

199

seems little doubt that the internal navigation has at last become
a profitable speculation in private hands. The returns, which tho
chairman has read, of the net receipts to Government for the last
three years from the Mooltan steamei's, show what a field is open
for a private company, worked with the energy and economy
which are unattainable by a government. That the river traffic
is increasing to a great extent, notwithstanding the establishment
of the camel train and improvement of roads, is shown by the
following abstracts of the returns of boats passing up and down
river. These retui'ns were kept at Sukkur, Hydrabad and Tatta,
and the average of the three places shows the aggregate tonnage
of the boats passing both ways —

mds. mds.

In 1851 52 laden . . 12,65,000 Unladen . . 8,29,300
1854-55 „ . . 10,18,600 „ . . 6,08,600

Showing an increase in three years of 3,43,600 maunds, or about
25 per cent; and while in 1851-52 the proportion of laden boats
to unladen was as three to two, it is now nearly three to one, from
which it is evident, that boats find cargoes now with great facility,
and that the traffic is falling into regular and recognised channels.
I consider that the improvement and extension of the river
steam flotilla is one among the most important measures, to en-
sure the development of the commerce of northern India.

A vote of thanks having been tendered to the Chairman,
the meeting was dissolved.

200

Memoir on the Euphrates Valley Route to India.
By W. P. Andrew.

The proposition is to connect the Mediterranean and
the Persian Gulf by a railway from the ancient port of
Seleucia by Antioch and Aleppo, to Ja'ber Castle on the
Euphrates, of eighty miles in length, and afterwards from
thence by Hit, and other towns, to Bagdad, and on
to Kurnah, at the confluence of the Euphrates and
Tigris, or Bussorah, at the head of the Persian Gulf.
Thence by steamers; communication will be established
with all parts of India.

The country through w^hich it is proposed to carry the
railway, was by command of his majesty William IV.
examined and surveyed, with the view to the introduction
of improved means of transit by that distinguished officer,
Major-General Chesney, R.A., F.R.S., who reports that
there are no serious difficulties to contend with ; and
subsequent scientific investigations under Captain Lynch,
C.B., and Commander Campbell, both of the Indian Navy,
have confirmed the accuracy of General Chesney's opinion.
The talented and lamented Dr. James Bowen Thompson
was so strongly impressed with the greatness of the objects
contemplated by General Chesney's mission, that he spent
many years in the East collecting data to prove the
practicability and importance of the Euphrates Valley
Route to India.

Dr. Thompson having obtained for the project the
favourable consideration of her Majesty's government, the
Sublime Porte and the British Ambassador at Constan-
tinople, died lately at that capital while pressing its claims
upon the attention of the British and Turkish cabinets.
It is only proposed at present to execute the first

201

section, about eighty miles of railroad, from the ancient
port of Selcucia in the Mediterranean, to Ja'ber Castle
on the Euphrates; below which point, the navigation of
the river is permanently open for steamers of light draught
and the boats of the country for 715 miles to Bussorah, at
the head of the Persian Gulf.

Mr. Laird has undertaken to furnish steamers to navi-
gate the Euphrates, capable of carrying a large amount
of merchandize and passengers, at a speed of twelve knots
an hour when loaded, and with a draft of two feet.

A steam route being thus established between the
Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf, the shortest and
most rapid means of communication between the capitals
and emporia of the West and East would be at once open
for political and commercial purposes. It being intended
to co-operate with the river and make it available for
commerce, by removing natural obstructions, and intro-
ducing steamers of improved construction, and to super-
sede it by the railway only when circumstances appear to
demand it, the future sections of the Line Avill be gradually
carried down the valley of the Euphrates, from the right
bank opposite Ja'ber Castle to Phumsah, the ancient Tha-
pascus. Crossing into Mesopotomia at this suitable place,
the railway will be carried along the valley by Anah and
Hit to the environs of Bagdad; and thence by Babylon
and Hillah to the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris
at Kurnah, where there is sufficient depth of water for the
largest steamers; or to Bussorah, thirty-seven miles nearer
tlie head of the Persian Gulf, where an extensive trade is
already established, and where there is ample accommoda-
tion for square-rigged ships of large burden.

The grand impediment to the improvement of the
Sultan's dominions is the want of the means of inter-
communication, and no line wouhl promote more effec-

20^

tually tlieii" good government, and prosperity than that
which would lay open to the energy and capital of the
emigrant and merchant of the West the expansive and
fertile plains of the Tigris and the Euphrates.

To England, the possession of an alternative short route
to India is of inestimable value, and more especially when
the actual lineal distance will be reduced by about a
thousand miles, and where rich fields are offered to the
genius of her statesmen, and the enterprise of her mer-
chants, by giving back to commerce, through the civilizing
influence of steam, " countries, the cradle of the human
race, and the theatre of the most important events in the
Jewish, Pagan and early Christian histories." *

The traffic by the existing route of the Red Sea must
always be confined to steam navigation, being impeded by
rocky islands, coral reefs and the nature of the prevailing
winds, whereas in the Persian Gulf, there are no physical
obstructions whatever to its free navigation.

'•' The substitution of land carriage for water carriage,
or rather, the substitution of overland cuts for long sea
circuits," is, as The Times stated in a leading article some
little time ago, " the one simple principle of the present
undertaking."

The importance of the Euphrates as a second and more
expeditious route to our Indian possessions is daily forcing
itself upon the public mind, and as the whole of Northern
India and Central Asia, from the banks of the Oxus to the
gates of Delhi, will shortly have an outlet to the sea by
the Scinde Railway from Kurrachee to Hydrabad, and
along the valley of the Indus, such a route would seem to
become imperative.

"The sea stages of the present route to India," according

* Expedition to the Euphrates and Tigris, by Major-General Chesney,
R A., D.C.L., F.R.S., F.R.G S.

203

to The Times, in the leading article before referred to,
" exelusive of tlie trip across tlie Channel^ are two : one
from Marseilles or Trieste to Alexandria ; and the other
from Suez to (Kun-achee) Bombay, or Calcutta. These
stages constitute by far the longest part of the journey,
being 5,075 miles performed by steamers ; fi-om which an
average speed of some ten miles an hour is all that can be
expected. The longer again of these two stages is that
from Suez to Hindostan, as it includes a circuit round two
sides of the triangular tenitory of Arabia, The first
object, therefore, is to get rid of the detour by Aden ; and
this is to be done by carrying the passengers to the
mouths of the Orontes, instead of the mouths of the Nile,
and forwarding them across the Tui'kish temtory to
Bussorah, at the head of the Persian Gulf. The railroad
required for this purpose would run along the Euphrates
Valley, and its length would not exceed 900 miles;*
whereas, its completion would reduce the distance from
London to Calcutta by more than one-half, — by twenty
days, in fact, out of thirty-nine ! This project, it is
conceived, could be accomplished in five years' time ; and
the route would then lie through Ostend, Trieste, by the
Mediterranean Sea, to the Orontes, thence to Bussorah,
and by the Persian Gulf to Bombay (or rather to Kur-
rachee), where it would meet the Indian railroads now
actually commenced, and by that time completed to Cal-
cutta (and north-west Provinces). We have thus got rid
of the Red Sea circuit, and substituted a land route for
900 miles of the distance. There remains now the
straight run from Bussorah to Bombay (or Kurrachee),
and the circuitous reach from Trieste to the Orontes,
to be commuted for the facilities of direct railway transit
by land."

* From sea to sea by railway, according to Gen. Chesney, 6G0 miles.

204

^ith reference to the above, a letter from Pesth, in a
recent number of the Auysburg Gazette, says: — "A com-
pany of rich landowners of Hungary proposes to prolong
the railway from Vienna to Raab as far as Belgrade, in
Servia, and has already made the necessary applications on
the subject to the authorities. An Anglo-French com-
pany has undertaken, on the other hand, to construct a
line from Constantinople to Belgrade, and has engaged
for it 120 French workmen, who, Avith their families, are
to take up their residence in Roumelia. This double line
will place the capital of the Ottoman Empire in dii'ect
communication with Austria, Germany, and all Europe.
The works are to be commenced simultaneously at the two
extremities, Raab and Constantinople.

By the arrangements now proposed, India would be
reached in fifteen days, or about half the time now occupied,
viz. —

Miles. Days. Hours.
London to Trieste by rail, and from

thence by steamer to Seleucia

Seleucia to Jabber Castle by railway

Ja'ber Castle to Bussorah by steamer

Bussorah to Kurrachee by steamer .

The advantages of the port of Seleucia were placed
before Government by Captain, now Major General
Chesncy, in 1832, (see pp. 63 and 64 of Euphrates Re-
ports), and were subsequently advocated by that competent
authority. Captain Allen, E..N. According to the latter
officer it is capable of being made one of the finest harbours
in the world. Both these officers considered that fr'om
£20,000 to £30,000 would be sufficient to clear out the
greater pai't of the ancient basin, and repair the massive

935

910

205

works of the Romans, many portions of which require
merely to be relieved from the mud deposited upon them.
The importance of Seleucia will become apparent, when it
is borne in mind, that there is no other port for commerce
along the whole coast of Syria better than the open road-
stead of Beyrout, or the pestilental harbour of Alexandretta.
Seleucia is not only capable of being made a most efficient
port, but, by a small additional outlay, the existing great
Mole might be extended so as to form a harbour of refuge,
large enough to protect at one time the entire mercantile
naAy of England.

Antioch is eighteen miles from Seleucia, and stands in
the Valley of the Orontes, which here forms a fertile plain.
From the beauty of the scenery, the abundance and the
cheapness of the necessaries of life, and the salubrity of the
climate, arrangements are in contemplation for Sanataria
and other establishments, for the benefit of invalids, espe-
cially Indian officers and their families.

Aleppo is forty-two miles from Antioch, contains a
population of about 90,000, is one of the most opulent and
best built cities in Syria, and the chief emporium for the
trade of the country.

Jabber Castle, thirty-nine* miles distant from Aleppo, is
on the Euphrates, and offers every facility for the construc-
tion of docks.

" The Euphrates gives a water communication with
Syria, Asia Minor, and Asia Major, (tlicir central parts,)
also the South of Persia and Kurdistan."

" The Pachalic of Bagdad produces (and the greater part
along the Euphrates), wheat, barley, Indian corn, rice,
millet, honey, dates in great quantity, and other fruits,
wine (from Kerkook and the banks of the Tigris,) cotton,
some silk, tobacco, gall-nuts, and wool in great quantity,

* By railway, the entire distance from Seleucia to Ja'ber Castle is
estimated at SO miles.

206

from the different Arab tribes, each of which has extensive
flocks ; also ambergris, sal ammoniac, leather, buffalo
hides, oil of naphtha, bitumen, salt petre, salt, borax, and
glass, made at Bagdad; where are manufactured coarse
coloured cottons, and fine handkerchiefs of silk and cotton
for the Arabs.

" Bagdad was the centre of a considerable caravan com-
merce previous to the late disturbances, when it sent
annually even as far as Erzeroum, 2,000 mule loads of
pearls, silk, cotton, stuffs, shawls, coffee, gall-nuts, indigo,
&c., and still more to Mosul, Diarbekir, Orfa, &c., and to
Aleppo even at this moment, from 3 to 6,000 animals
yearly; but 80 years ago, this number was said to be
50,000.

" Bagdad from its matchless situation, would, with the
slightest fostering care, become a grand centre of English,
Arab, Persian and Eastern commerce; and nothing is
wanting to distribute it widely, and increase it greatly but
the establishment of steam.

"The imports to Bagdad are from the Persian Gulf :
pearls and fish.

"From Persia, Silk, woollens (coarse), saffron, sulphur,
nitre, dried fruits, shawls of Cashmere, Kerman and Yesd:
stuffs, cotton, gum-rahabat, fur skins, tobacco and pipe
sticks.

" From India: Muslins, porcelain, indigo from Bengal,
Guzerat, and Lahore ; cottons, pepper, spices, cinnamon,
nutmegs, Java and other sugars; musk, cardamoms,
cotton and silk from the coast of Coromandel, aloes,
camphor, &c.

" From Turkey : Soap, cotton, linen, silks, embroidered
stuffs, opium, and copper, about 450 tons annually.

" From Arabia : Incense, myrrh, galbanum, resins,
gums and other precious drugs, also Mocha coffee, in

207

quantity across the Peninsula, to go on to Constantinople
and elsewhere.

" From Europe, Egypt, &c. : (A part across the Desert
from Damascus, but chiefly by way of Aleppo.) Bagdad
receives cotton twist, grey cloths, and prints, grey-calicos,
long-cloths, Greek-stripes, power loom sheetings, jaconets,
cotton handkerchiefs, (all English,) fine French or German
cloths; cutlery, lead, tin, and St. Domingo coffee, also indigo
and cochineal, velvets, satins, taffetas, mercury and drugs.

" The chief outlets from Bagdad as a depot are to Con-
stantinople : — Cashmere shawls, aloes, ambergris, musk,
pearls, coffee, tobacco, spices, pipe sticks, and Indian mus-
lins.

"To Syria and Anatolia : Are forwarded silk, tobacco,
shawls, gall nuts, coffee, stuffs, and drugs.

" To Persia : Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls,
European stuffs, brought over the desert from Aleppo and
Damascus : also Aleppo cloths, coral, paper, jewellery,
cochineal and indigo.

"To Arabia and India: Silver, gold, copper, dates,
horses, and oil of naphtha for painting.

" Thus it appears that imports continue to a considera-
ble extent notwithstanding all the difficulties and distance
by which they are transported with caravans, and as there
are pretty ample returns, it is evident that if ever the noble
stream should be used instead of a caravan transport, there
will be an increase and cousumption proportionate to the
comparative cheapness of the supplies, and the great
facilities offered for placing depots, by water, at every
convenient spot : this done, a few years will most likely
see the Arab's wants increased to something like those of
other people ; and in making larger purchases, they will
discover how to reimburse the expense, l)y cultivating
cotton, grain,wool,&c.,more extensively than they now do."

208

" It is wortliy of the consideration of government,
•svhctlier the proposed attempt should not be made, not only
■with a view to Mesopotamia chiefly, but the trade of Persia,
now carried from Bushire to Erzeroura, more than 2,000
miles; whereas by attending to Erzeroum as one great
centre, dependent on Trebizond and the inlets of the
Euphrates and Karoon, we shall increase it prodigiously ;
and command the profits, which if neglected will flow into
the coff"ers at Tiflis : where they are building extensive
manufactories expressly to force goods into Persia, and
attract its trade towards Russia."

" With this Power and her persevering endeavours to
grasp at commerce, we can also compete, as regards Persia,
by another line, viz., that of the Indus." *

The official returns of the existing commerce of Meso-
potamia demonstrate that there is a prodigious and most
promising field for investment. In the statistics of the
ancient and modern commerce of these countries, contained
in the second volume of General Chesney^s work on the
Eupkrates Expedition, will be found ample materials for
the satisfaction of our merchants, as to a certain, rapid
and extensive increase of trade.f

The trade of Turkey-in-Europe, Asia Minor, Mesopo-
tamia, and all along the proposed line to Bussorah, is of
great importance, and only requires a ready means of
transit for its rapid development. The success of the
English and Austrian Steam Companies on the line be-
tween Constantinople, Smyrna, and the coast of Syria
and Egypt, is a strong proof that the resources of these
countries merely require an outlet. The Mahommedans

* Report of Captain Chesney in 1832, addressed to Sir Stratford
Canning, G.C.B., Ambassador at Constantinople.

t Pp. 674 — 636 Vol. II. of the Expedition to Euphrates and Tigris
by General Chesney.

209

are now quite alive to the importance of rapid locomotion
— be it by railway or steamers. The tedious mode of
transit by caravan is nearly at an end, wlienever a quick
mode of transport is available. *

It is computed that 100;,000 pilgrims pass yearly along
the route of the Euplu'atcs or Tigris to visit Bagdad and
other Holy Cities.

The comparison of the imports and exports of the
ancient trade, with these countries, is very striking, and
the more modern statistics of our trading with the East
during, and subsequent to, the existence of the Levant
Company, arc equally important, and should be sufficient
to satisfy us as to the value of the great field open to our
commercial enterprise.

These countries are rich in minerals, but have as yet
been only partially explored with a view to their develop-
ment.

The importance of this line will be still more apparent,
when it is estimated in conjunction with the commercial
advantages to be derived from the four great rivers of
Western Asia. " The elevated plateau which extends from
the base of Mount Ararat into Northern Armenia, Khur-
distan and part of Asia Minor, contains the sources of four
noble rivers, having their estuaries in three different seas ;
and thus from Armenia as from the centre of a great con-
tinent, giving an easy communication to the nations of
Europe and Asia." A reference to General Chesney's
map will show, " that by following the Kizil Irmak through
Asia Minor, we reach the Black Sea, from whence there
are inlets to Russia, Austria, Turkey, &c. In the same
wa}'^, the Aras, by terminating in the Caspian, opens
several routes towards Great Tartary, as well as towards
the rest of Central Asia and China : while the Tigris and

* M.S. Notes of Lectures delivered Ijefore the Imperial Academy of
Vienna, by Dr. J. B. Thompson.

210

Euphrates, vvitli their luiincrous ramifications, afford abutul-
ant means of communicating with Persia, India, Arabia
and the Continent of Africa," * and offer channels for a
very extended consumption of British manufactures.

This enterpi'ise possesses in the opinion of those person-
ally acquainted with the country and its resources all the
elements of a highly remunerative character.

1st. — From the country presenting great facilities for
the construction of a railway, being a succession of exten-
sive plains traversed by low hills, between Antioch and
Aleppo, and from Aleppo to Jabber Castle, a distance of 39
miles, a perfect level.

2nd. — From the neighbouring mines of Marasli, having
supplied iron in abundance to the Euphrates expedition,
they would provide all required for the railway ; an inex-
haustible supply of timber of the finest quality for building
purposes, sleepers, &c., being obtainable from the forests
near the old Port (Seleucia) and Scanderoon : and from
there being also large quarries of stone on different parts
of the line, with an abundant supply of bitumen, timber,
and coal for fuel.

3rd. — From the first section of the line being of
moderate length, and complete in itself, having a port in
the Mediterranean at one end, and a terminus on the
Euphrates at the other, below which the navigation is per-
manently open.

4th. — From the line from Seleucia to Jabber Castle,
forming of necessity the most important portion of any
system of improved transit, which shall follow the course
of the valley of the Euphrates, or the plains of the Tigris.

5th. — From the clearly proved statistical returns of the
former trade and commerce of the country, its vast natural
resoi;rces and manufactures, and the extensive transit

* \o\. I. of Expedition to the Euphrates and 'I'igris.

211

trade which was formerly carried on between China, India,
Persia, Armenia, and Arabia with Europe, and especially
with Great Britain, which has been greatly diminished by
the policy of Russia, but which would speedily be rc^dved>
and from the conviction that the commerce of Great
Britain with Central Asia, China, &c., instead of seeking,
as at present, a costly and circuitous route by the Volga
and the Caspian, would return to its natiu-al and most
ancient channel.

From the paramount and acknowledged importance of
this route to the good government and prosperity of the
Sultanas Asiatic dominions, those more immediately in-
terested have every hope, from the negotiations noAV
pending, of obtaining from the Sublime Porte such terms
as will enable them to raise the necessary capital; and,
from the obvious political and commercial importance of
this, the most direct route to our Indian possessions,
they have reason to believe that they will receive from
Her Majesty's Government that countenance and co-
operation, which is essential to the canying out, ^^ith
success, a means of communication which would diminish,
by many hundred miles, the distance between this country
and its empire in the East.

NoTF.— A great gap in the Austrian railroad system is about to be filled up. On the 8th
inst. the Austrian emperor granted to Ernest Merk, his consul at Hamburg, and to H. D.
Linheim, merchant, a privilege to construct a railroad from Vienna to Linz, and thence to
the Bavarian frontier near Salzburg, on the one side, and to the I'avarian frontier near
Passau on the other. The railroad, which is as important for Bavaria and Souihern Ger-
many as it is for Austria, will bear the name of " the Empress Elizabeth Railroad " The
length of the railroad, from Vienna to Salzburg, is 43 German miles (about 212 English),
and from Linz to Passau 12 German miles (59 English). The period granted for the con-
struction of the wh(jle railroad is five years. The plans for the line from Vienna to Salzburg
are almost completed. The State, which makes the grant for '.0 years, guarantees 5 2-10
per cent, for interest and amortization of the shares. The grantees intend to form a
joint stork company with a capital of 65,(100,000 florins; and it is probable that the Austrian
Credit Bank will be concerned in the undertaking. 'I'ho Vienna Salzburg Kailroad vtill,
of course, be continued to Munich, and an uninterrupted railway communication will be
opened between the Atlantic and the Adriatic, and travellers will hardly be more than 36
hours on the road between Vienna and Paris. The new railroad will, however, bo of inti-
niiely more importance to the mercantile than to the travelling worlfl, and this is why far
more attention is paid by foreigners to this than to any other Austrian railroad. It is
foreseen that l/m great mercantile road betwetn Paris ami Vienna must soun extend to the
coasts of t/ic Black Sea and to the capital of th» eatt (Constantinople!. A most careful
calculation shows that there is a movement o/ 2,li00.0()0 travellers and I6.0O(!,0llO cti'i. of
goods in the valley of the Danube i7i the course of the i/eur, and a total receipt aj' 8,f 00,000
flnrins. This revenue alone would give a clear dividend of S'f /er cent, on the capital,
after all expenses had been deducted.

213

[Since the preceding Memoir was in type, tlie following interesting letter,
regarding the existing traffic between the Mediterranean and Euphrates, has been
leceived.]

From John Kennedy, Esq , Aleppo to W. P.
Andrew, Esq.

Aleppo, 12th February, 1856.

Dear Sir,

I have tlie pleasure to acknowledge tlie receipt
of your esteemed letter of the 10th ult., to hand on the
5th inst., the contents of which I duly note.

I have not yet quite finished the account of the trade
and navigation of the North of Syria, as I am obliged to
collect the information from my correspondents in different
places, there being no regular accounts kept by the Custom
House or any other Government authority. I have now,
hoM^ever, managed to collect nearly all the necessary
details, which I am now engaged in arranging. And as I
expect to leave this for England in ten or twelve days
hence, I will have much pleasure in handing you over all
the papers on my arrival in London, which I expect will
be about the end of March.

I feel the greatest interest in the success of the scheme
for opening up the Euphrates Valley, which will be of
immense importance to this country, and cannot fail to be
remunerative, as the trade of the North of Syria is
increasing rapidly; and what it may amount to with
regular and cheap communication with the coast is hardly
possible to be calculated, as the Railway will pass through
a large extent of country with as rich a soil as is to be
found in any part of the globe, and now lying utterly
waste for want of any means of disposing of the produce.

213

The enclosed paper Avill show you au approximate
calculation of the trade of Alexandretta during the past
year, and enable you to form some idea of what might be
the amount of business done^ were the resources of the
country properly' drawn out by means of easy communi-
cation. At present there are no roads adapted to wheel
carriages whatever in this country, and the only means
of transporting goods is by camels.

Expecting the pleasure of seeing you soon in London,

I remain,

&c., &c.,

(Signed) John Kennedy.

Note of goods imported into Alexandretta from tJie United
Kingdom during the year 1855, iii 55 vessels.

20,480 Bales, Manufactures, per bale, £20 0=£409,600

878 Barrels, Sugar, per barrel, 5 0= 4,390

534 Bags, Coifce, per bag, 4 10= 2,403

325 „ PepperandPimento, perbag, 3 10= 1,137 10

97 Cases, Cochineal, per case, 30 0= 2,910

48 „ Indigo, per case, 100 0= 4,800

1,231 Barrels, Drysalteries, per barrel, 3 0= 3,693

5,252 Packages, Sundries, 3 0= 15,756

£444,689 10

The above is a correct list of imports from the United
Kingdom. I have no means of ascertaining the French,
Italian, and coasting trade, but calculate from the best
information I can get, that the trade with England, in
imports, is fully one-third of the whole. This will make
the value of imports last year to exceed one and a quarter
million pounds sterling.

214

Approxiniatue note of goods exported from Akxandretta

in 1855.

120,000 Quarters, Wheat, £2 0= £240,000

50,000 „ Barley, 1 5= 62,500

25,000 „ Millet, 1 5= 31,250

5,000 Tons, Sesame Seed, 12 0= 60,000

750 „ Galls, 70 0= 52,500

1,000 „ Cotton, 30 0= 30,000

2,000 „ Wool, 40 0= 80,000

Flour, 150,000

Allow for Madder Root, Scammony, Yellow

Berries, Gums, Boxwood, &c 100,000

£806,250

Allow for Coasting Trade 233,750

£1,040,000

Say, total value of exports, one million pounds sterling,
perhaps rather more, as I have calculated some items
perhaps less than actually exported.

Large amounts of specie are also exported in groups,
and no allowance is made above for cocoons, reeled silk,
and olive oil, which are exported largely.

There are still some of the articles named on the
previous page about which I have not yet procured reliable
information. These rough notes may give some idea of
the trade ; and tables as correct as possible will be made
out for the years 1852, 53, 54, and 55.

(Signed) John Kennedy.

PS. — Mr. Kennedy states in another letter of recent
date that : — " I bought some two or three months ago, a
quantity of wheat in a district two or three days' journey
to the interior of Aleppo for which I paid equal to 9s. a
quarter, and carriage to the coast alone cost me upwards
of 17s. 6d a quarter. This item of expense being nearly
double the first cost."

215

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LONDON to'KURACHEE,

T K A L I A 1 J

,,.....,4'

ji^,.-_

il'Al.rrTTA TO Al'K'rK ALIA

THE

MEDITERRANEAN & INDIAN

ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY.

ESTABLISHED IN 1853.

Jbr completing an Electric Telegraph communication from England to India,
via France, Sardinia, and the Mediterranean {crossing the Isthmus of Suez), tvith
a Branch from Malta to the Ionian Islands and Constantinople, under the support
and encouragement of the Allied Poioers.

CAPITAL of the Lines Completed, £300,000,

IN 30,000 SHARES OF £10 EACH, PAYABLE TO BEARER.

CONCESSIONS, WITH EXCLUSIVE PRIVILEGES, FOR FIFTY YEARS.

A Minimum Interest, at the rate ofh per cent, per Annum, guaranteed
for the same period hy the French and Sardinian Governments.

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE, K.G.
HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF HAMILTON AND BRANDON, KG.
HIS EXCELLENCY THE COUNT F. DE PERSIGNY, Ambassador

France.
HIS EXCELLENCY THE MARQUIS D'AZEGLIO, Envoy Extraordinary

and Minister Plenipotentiary of Sardinia.

■ConorartJ Directors in J^rancc.
HIS IMPERIAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE NAPOLEON BUONAPARTE.
HIS EXCELLENCY THE COUNT DE MORNY, Prisident of the Corps

Legislatif.
HIS EXCELLENCY THE COUNT COLONNA WALEWSKI, Minister of

Foreign Affairs.
HIS EXCELLENCY THE RIGHT HONORABLE LORD CO^YLEy,

Ambassador of Great Britain.
HIS EXCELLENCY M. DROUYN DE LHUYS, late Minister of Foreign

Affairs.

■Bonorart) Birrctors in SafUtnia.

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF CARIGNAN.

HIS EXCELLENCY COUNT C. DE CAVOUR, President of the Council

of Ministers, &c., &c.
HIS EXCELLENCY COMM. P. PALEOCAPA, Minister of Public Works.
HIS EXCELLENCY GENERAL DA BORMIDA, late Minister of Foreign

Affairs.
HIS EXCELLENCY THE DUKE DE GRAMMONT, Envoy E.xtraordinary

and Minister Plenipotentiarv from the liniperor of the French.
HIS EXCELLENCY SIR JAMES'HUDSON, K.C.B., Envoy Extraordinary

and Minister Plenipotentiarv of Great Britain.
HIS EXCELLENCY THE MARQUIS MASSIMO D'AZEGLIO.
Gr rant— JOHN W. BRETT.

©fficcs : In London — 117, Bishopsgate Strkkt Within.
In Paris —83, Rue Richelieu.
J. W. DE LA MORE, Secretary. JAMES POWER, Sf^cretary.

In Turin— Bank of Messrs. Pavia, Travi, & Co. (J. PAVIA)

218

The telegraph lines completed extend nearly 800 miles
across the Mediterranean, opening at present via France,
about 1800 miles of the direct line of communication
between England and India.

The extension to India from this point, via Malta and
Alexandria (passing the Isthmus of Suez) and the Red Sea
to India, it is calculated might be completed within two
years; and the branch, via Malta, to Corfu, to unite the
line with Constantinople, now being established in this
du'cction, under the auspices of the French Government,)
may be completed in a few months from this date.

REPORT

To the Shareholders of the Mediterranean Company.

Gentlemen,

It is with the liveliest satisfaction that I do myself
the honour to inform you, that the French Government has,
in the most liberal manner, given us an additional grant of
£1800 per annum, thereby raising the minimum guaranteed
interest of the whole capital (£300,000) to 5 per cent.

It is unnecessary for me to say that so important a boon,
which has no precedent, has not been obtained without
exertion on my part. But these exertions have been cheer-
fully given, in return for the confidence wliich you have
been pleased to repose in me.

I have also much pleasure in laying before you the
present position of our works. Our lines have been in
active and successful operation to Cagliari, above 600 miles
across the Mediterranean since the 15th April last, and
the messages transmitted have abeady far exceeded the
number originally anticipated. The remaining portion
of our present lines will be completed within a few weeks.

219

as the third cable, 162 miles in length, is now on board the
" Result/' at Greenwich, and will leave tliis country in a
few days.

This important complement of our line will unite the
southernmost point of Sardinia with Algiers, when the
guarantee of 5 per cent, interest from the French Govern-
ment will come into force, as is already the case Avith the
Sardinian 5 per cent.

It is well known, that when this line Avas originally
projected, it was announced as the commencement of a
continuous line of telegraphic communication from London
{via Malta and Alexandria) to India and Australia, and
there is no doubt, that the grandeur of the objects then
contemplated, and their public utility, maiidy acquired for
it the support which has ensured its success.

The Mediterranean cable is the largest and strongest
which has yet been laid down. It consists of six electric
wires tliroughout, weighing eight tons per mile, or over
2,000 tons. The land lines also contain six distinct wires
throughout the islands ; two wires will secure to the
French and Sardinian Governments a telegraphic commu-
nication with their respective dependencies, and the
remaining wires will be ample for all the telegraphic com-
munication of the English Government, the East India
Company, and the public.

It is most gratifying to me to be able to state, that I
have been recently assured in the strongest manner by the
French and Sardinian Governments, that they are ready
to unite with the English Government in affording us
every assistance and support in realising to the full extent,
the important enterprise originally contemplated, and from
which profits far exceeding the joint Government gua-
rantee may be reasonably expected.

But when we bear in mind the gracious and continuous

220

patronage wc liavc received from H. M. the Emperor of
the French^ from the first commencement of the suhmarine
telcgi-aph, and the liberality of the French and Sardinian
Governments, it is surely not presumptuous or unreason-
able to ask for similar terms from the Government of this
great empire, and from the Honorable East India Com-
pany, in order that this country may have the benefit of
telegrapliic communication with India, and eventually with
the important and distant colony of Australia.

The completion already of 3,000 miles of telegraph
tlu'oughout the Continent of India ready to unite in com-
munication with our line, and the unparalleled expansion
of trade in Australia consequent upon the discovery of the
gold fields, seem to furnish irresistible arguments on com-
mercial gromids for completing the intermediate portions
of tlie chain, and as a question of first rate political interest,
it is enough to remark, that if the EngHsh Government
had possessed last year a submarine telegraph to Malta,
more money would have been saved to tliis country than it
would cost to construct the whole of the proposed lines.

WTiilst engaged in the construction of the jMediterranean
Electric Telegraph, I have repeatedly ofiered to the British
Government to carry out this line to Malta on equitable
terms, but although I have invariably received from the dif-
ferent ministers, to whom such proposals were submitted,
the most kind and courteous consideration, the financial
assistance so essential to a project of such manifest public
utility, has not yet been granted.

Having been the first in the field, with a similar ofier to
the late lamented Sir Robert Peel, so far back as the year
1845, and having now completed a very important section
of the East Indian Line, I believe it will be generally
allowed that I am entitled to a preference from the English
Government, and East India Company, and it will be my

221

endeavour to carry out the project in a substantial and per-
manent manner which cannot fail to add largely to the
profits of the Mediterranean Telegraph Company, and be
satisfactory to the several Governments.

Owing to the exclusive privileges which we already
possess for a period of fifty years, no other line to INIalta,
the Ionian Islands, Egypt and India, can be constructed,
which ofters the same advantages and security to this coun-
try as the Mediterranean line. The development of this
line will be exclusively under the protection and on the ter-
ritories of the Western Powers, and totally independent of
Austria, Naples, and the Austro-Italian Duchies.

The intimate Alliance subsisting between England, France
and Sardinia, will give great facilities for all traffic over
those portions of the chain which belong to the respective
nations, and by skilful arrangements, for which I have
paved the way, an unbroken Telegraphic communication
may be secured from London to Calcutta.

Having now obtained a vantage ground, which naturally
forms the basis of extended operations interesting and
valuable to the whole commercial world, the time has come
for proposing to you the conversion of our " Societe en
commandite,^' either into a " Societe anonymc," or a Com-
pany imder the new Act of Parliament, with the new of
enlarging and perfecting the constitution of our Company,

Advantage can be taken of this operation to define the
mode of issuing stock for the construction of the extension
lines upon such terms, and with such privileges, as may
result fi'om the negociations now pending. Express provi-
sion will of course ])e made that no existing right or privi-
lege now possessed by the Shareholders shall be compromised
in the slightest degree by any participation which may, from
time to time, be oficred to them in any new advantages or
concessions which I mav be able to obtain.

222

At the approaching General Meeting to be held iu Paiis,,
formal resolutions for this purpose will be submitted to
you, and in carr^-ing out the ai'rangements, I have the
satisfaction of knowing that I shall receive the enlightened
counsel and assistance of the " Conseil de Surveillance."

In conclusion, Gentlemen, I will only remai'k, that when
you subscribed your Capital of £300,000 you were assm'ed
of interest at the rate of 4 fr. 40 ct. per cent, per annimi.
The expense of laying down the cable has been much in-
creased by the derangement in trade, manufactm'C and
shippiag; consequent upon the war, but your Capital re-
mains fixed at the original sum, whilst your guaranteed
interest has been raised to 5 per cent, per annum.

In the interval, many circumstances have occurred to
render more imperative, and to hasten on the communica-
tion with the Eastern ATorld, and this, once accomphshed,
by om' united efibrts, it is obvious that the dividends upon
your stock will rise to a much higher figure.

I have the honom' to remain,
Gextlemex,
Yom' obedient Servant,

JOHN ^Y. BEETT,

Gtrant.
26th Julij, 1855.

THE SCINDE RAILWAY

COMPANY.

m : freskin |ouse, (01i) Iroair street, €\ii

BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

Ci^atrman.
W. P. ANDREW, Esq. (26, Montague Square.)

SIR HERBERT MADDOCK, M.P., late Deputy. Governor, Bengal.
J. EDMUND ANDERDON, Esq., Du-ector of the Bank of London.
FRANCIS HORSLEY ROBINSON, Esq., late Senior Member, Board of

Revenue, North-west Provinces.
THOMAS WILLIAMS, Esq., Grove End Road, Regent's Park.

^utoitors.
» ALEXANDER MACKENZIE,Esq. | HARRY BORRADAILE, Esq.,
Director of the Oi-iental Bank j Late Bombay Civil Service.

Corporation. j

lEngincer.
T. A. YARROW, Esq.

33anfefrs. Solicitors.

Messrs. SMITH, PAYNE, and j Messrs. MARTEN, THOMAS and

SMITHS. I HOLLAMS.

Sccrctanj.
THOMAS BURNELL, Esq.

225

Report of the Directors of the Scinde Railway
Company to the Proprietors, submitted at tlie First
Annual General Meeting, held on the 18th day of
February, 1856, at the Offices of the Company,
Gresham House, Old Broad Street, City.

The Directors have much satisfaction in meeting their
shareholders for the first time, and congratulate them
upon the position the Company has attained in so short a
period after its formation.

In the early part of last year, the capital was promptly
subscribed for, and in June, a provisional agreement was
entered into with the Honourable East India Company,
by which 5 per cent, was to be guaranteed on £500,000
of capital, on condition that 25 per cent, of that amount was
paid into the treasmy of the East India Company, within
two months after the passing of the Bill for Incorporating
the Company, and another payment of a similar amount
within two months after the first payment.

The Directors feel highly gratified in being able to
report to the proprietors, that the whole of the preliminary
expenses, including parliamentary charges, for obtaining
the Act of Parliament for the Incorporation of the Com-
pany and all law expenses, including the deed of settle-
ment, up to 31st December last, amount to the sum of
J3,244 Os. 5d.

The charges for the establishment in India have not yet
been received, and consequently are not included in the
financial statement, but the Directors hope to be able to

22G

bring tliem before the proprietors at the next half-yearly
meeting.

On the 2nd July, the Bill for Incorporating the Com-
pany, received the royal assent.

On the 31st of May, the sum of £128,945 10s. was paid
into the treasury of the East India Company, on the 30th
June £46,234 1 6s., and on the 31st July £72,058 4s.,
amounting to £247,238 10s., being nearly 50 per cent, of
the guaranteed capital, and £122,238 10s. in excess of the
first instalment.

Subsequently £18,376 was paid into the treasury of the
East India Company, making the total amount to the
credit of the Company to this date £265,614 10s., upon
which 5 per cent, accrues, and warrants have been issued
for the interest due December 1855.

The contract was duh'- executed between the East India
Company and this Company on the 4th January last,
under the terms of which, interest at the rate of 5 per
cent, per annum on the capital, is payable half yearly in
the months of January and July.

The Directors have secured the services of gentlemen of
experience and ability, to fill the important offices in India,
of agent and resident engineer ; both gentlemen are now
in Scinde, and they are aided by a competent staff of
engineers and other assistants.

The line from Kurrachee to Hydrabad having been
surveyed and reported upon by order of the Bombay
Government, by the late Lieutenant Chapman, an able
engineer officer, and approved of by Lieutenant-Colonel
Turner, the Superintending Engineer of the Province and
other authorities, the Directors expect shortly to hear that
the exact course of the line has been finally settled. From
the unusually favourable nature of the country to be
traversed, it being a series of firm, hard, and level plains,

227

little exposed to inundation, the Directors anticipate a
rapid progress and early completion of this the most im-
portant portion of the line of communication along the
Valley of the Indus.

Materials for permanent way for thirty miles of railway
have been contracted for, a large portion of which is now
in course of shipment.

As the success of the railway would be greatly affected
by the capability of the Port of Kurrachee at its lower
extremity, and by the existence of an efficient agency on
the Indus for the conveyance of passengers and goods to
and from the railway, these two points may be briefly
glanced at.

Mr, M'Leod the late Deputy Collector of Customs at
Kurrachee in October, 1853, stated " that the commerce of
the port has been progressing during the past few years at
the rate of 30 per cent, per annum, and there is every
reason to expect a continuance of the progressive ratio."'
" These prospects of the Scinde trade, lead me to believe
that by the time a railway shall be laid down and be pre-
pared for action, our commerce will have doubled its pre-
sent value, and the passenger traffic be ten times as much
as it is at present," — and it is satisfactory to add that the
existing state of the trade of Kurrachee is in accordance
with these statements and views.

That distinguished gentleman Mr. Frere, now at the
head of the Government of Scinde, remarked (while pre-
siding at a public meeting at Kurrachee in September last,
for promoting direct steam communication between Km'-
rachee and Suez,) that "Colonel Turner (the Superintend-
ing Engineer of the Province,) instituted a series of very
careful experiments by boring, and showed most conclusively
that there was not a particle of rock anywhere on tlic bai",
that the whole was composed to a considerable depth of

228

soft sand ; the establisliment of this fact of course remoA'ed
one principal gi'ound of the fear which mariners before had
of approaching or touching on the bar.

" But the principal share of the credit of practically
proving the absence of any danger in entering the port, was
due to Lieutenant Leeds the port officer, who with great
skill and judgment, and on his own responsibility, piloted
in ships of considerable bm'dcn, and had practically shown
that this might be safely done even without any aid from
steamers. The result was, that during the monsoon just
closed, four large steamers from Bombay and Aden, and
eight sailing vessels of from 300 to 878 tons had come in
and gone out, and Avith one exception, it had never been
found necessary to wait even a single day for any particular
tide.

" Facts like these prove beyond a possibility of doubt that
there loas no difficulty tvhatever in getting vessels even of
considerable size into and out of Kurrachee Harbour, during
the south-west monsoon, the most unfavourable period of the
year."

For the last three years there has been a regular com-
munication established between Kurrachee and Mooltan, a
distance of 800 miles, by government steamers : and to
meet in some degree the increasing traffic, four boats, with
accommodation flats, are being constructed in this coimtry,
by order of the East India Company to be added to the
existing steam flotilla on the Lidus.

The importance of the route by the Indus is becoming
more and more apparent for the conveyance of passengers,
troops, goods produce, and government stores.

The militaiy supplies for the Punjaub, which were for-
merly sent from Calcutta by the valley of the Ganges, are
now sent from Bombay by the valley of the Indus. This
year L5,000 hogsheads of porter and ale for the troops iu

229

the Punjaulj and neighbouring territory are being sent by
the government to Kurraehee for transmission by the Indus.

Appended to this report is a statement of accounts fiom
the formation of the Company to the 31st December last,
which, along with the books of the Company, have been
duly submitted for audit to the auditors of the Company,
and have been also examined by the Accountants' Depart-
ment of the East India Company.

In accordance with the provisions of the deed of settle-
ment, the following Directors retire from office at this
meeting.

W. P. ANDREW, Esq., and
THOMAS WILLIAMS, Esq.

These gentlemen being eligible for re-election, offer
themselves accordingly.

W. P. ANDREW, Chairman.. '

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231

Proceedings of the First Annual General Meeting
OF THE Shareholders^ held February 18tli, 1856.

The first annual general meeting of the Scincle Railway
Company was held on Monday, the 18th of February, at
their offices, Gresham House, Old Broad -street, in the City
of London; W. P. Andrew, Esq., Chairman of the Board
of Directors, presiding.

Mr. BuRNELL (the secretary), having read the advertise-
ment convening the meeting, the seal of the companj'',
was affixed by the chairman to the register of shareholders.

The report of the directors, which had already been cir-
culated amongst the proprietors, was taken as read.

The Chairman then said — I will, if you will allow me,
make a few remarks; and, in the first place, I beg
leave to observe, in reference to the expenditure which has
been incurred in the prosecution of our undertaking,
that although our actual expenditure has been small, yet
that all our liabilities are not included in the amount.
I think it just to state this, because Ave have a large staff
in India, and of course, we are not able to include cur-
rent liabilities. I should also state, that the law charges
are not included in the balance-sheet, but the total
amount to the 31st December is ascertained. I have
scarcely ever seen a lawyer's bill without a feeling of
indignation; but I cannot say we have any reason to
complain in this particular instance, inasmuch as the
wbole of the account, including nil the fees, the Act
of Incorporation, the Deed of Settlement, and other

232

charges, does not exceed £1,200 [hear, hear.] I con-
sider this so honourable to your legal advisers, that I
should be disposed to say something more on this subject,
but that I am anxious to spare the blushes of a learned
gentleman who is present at this meeting [liear, hear.]
But though our expenditure has been limited, yet at the
same time, I beg to assure you that we have been far
from idle, and, consequently, that your liabilities have
increased in proportion to our activity. At the present
moment we have, in course of shipment, a large quantity
of permanent way material, all of w^hich we have been
enabled to contract for at very fair and reasonable piices.

The Directors have alluded in their report to the capa-
bilities of the port and harbour of Kurrachee, but as
the port does not form a part of the undertaking in which
we are engaged the paragraph regarding it in the report
was a short one. But the fact is, that the successful prose-
cution of the railway, and the prospects of its future useful-
ness to the coT\ntry and profit to the shareholders, are so inti-
mately dependent upon the development of the capabilities of
the port, that I think it highly desu'able that some additional
information should be laid before you, I should apologise
for these remarks, but the subject is one so interesting tons,
and upon which it is so desirable that the mercantile interest
should be fidly informed, that 1 am sure you will excuse
me for laying before you some facts connected with the
port [hear, hear] . During the most mifavourable period
of the south-western monsoons — I have now before me a
statement of Mr. Bartle Frere, the distinguished Commis-
sioner of the province, which shows that — during the
months of June, July, and August, 1853, and in the fol-
lowing year, many vessels, some of them of 800 tons
burthen, and drawing 16|- feet of vrater, entered and left
the port without any accident or impediment whatever

233

[liear^ hear]. Another objection which has been raised
against the port was, that there is a bar at the entrance
of the harbour. I don't know whether those who make
the objection are acquainted with the fact, that Lieutenant-
Colonel Turner, the Superintending Engineer of Scindc,
has made a report upon the bar, that it consists of soft
sand, and that the action of the water, caused by the
increasing traffic of the harbour, is gradually effecting a
diminution of the obstruction. At the same time it ought
to be publicly known, that the East India Company lias
sent out two steam dredging machines for the purpose of
cleansing and improving the harbour, and no doubt is
entertained by professional men, that twenty feet of Avater
will be permanently secured [hear, hear] . I should also
draw attention to the fact, that the harbour is what is
called land-locked, and is well marked and defined at one
extremity by a bold headland, known as Munora Point.
As I before remarked, 1 think these facts are of so much
interest, that they ought to be generally known amongst
the merchants of this country [hear, hear] .

Having said so much about the port of Kurrachee, I
will proceed, Avith your permission, to make a few obser-
vations in reference to the railway undertaking which we
have in hand. The credit of this design is due to jNIr.
H. B. E. Ercre, the Commissioner of Scinde, whose zeal
on this and all other subjects connected with the improve-
ment of the province under his government is well known.
The preliminary survey of the line was made by order of the
Bombay Government by the late Lieutenant W. Chapman,
a very able officer of the Bomliay Engineers, Avho, having
collected much valuable information contained in the report
I hold in my hand, had his promising career cut sliort while
engaged in prosecuting this design, and I was invited by
the authorities to carry it out. It was taken up hy my col-

234

leagues and myself euergetieally, and as an undertaking- to
the success of which we attached the utmost importance.

We look upon the construction of the present line, not
simply as a line from Kurrachee to Hydrabad, but as the
first link in the chain idtimately destined to open up the
Puujaub and Central Asia, by relie\dng commerce of the
dangerous intricacies of the Delta, and otherwise extending
gi'adually improved means of communication. At the present
time, I have returns sho>ving that such is the danger attend-
ing the navigation, that in descending the river, one or two
boats are lost out of seven. But it is not the naAigation
of the Delta alone which is detrimental to commerce, as
the class of boats which are useful for one part of the
navigation, are totally unfit for another. Thus, those boats
wdiich are fitted for the navigation of the Upper Indus are
totally useless to thread the narrow windings of the Delta,
and these again are entirely unsuited for sea navigation,
being miable to face the ocean swell from want of depth.
The idea which we entertain of the best means of giving
facilities of improved transit to the districts of the Punjaub
and Upper India is, to provide steam navigation where the
river is economically available, and to complete the com-
munication by the laying down of lines of railway. The
Scinde Railway is the first link in the great chain of
communication between the only harbour on the north-
western coast of India and the Punjaub and neighbouring
territories. We now propose to carry our line to Hydra-
bad, Avhich is near the point on the Indus at which deep
water na\'igation may be said to commence, and when the
navigation again becomes defective, we may use the railway
again.

I desire, in short, to bring practically into operation the
system of railway communication in India, which I advo-
cated in 18 16, in reference to -the construction of railways

235

iu anotherpart of thelndianErapire, — the Bengal presidency
— namely, to make use of the navigation of rivers where
practicable, and as it were, to supplement, where water
transit becomes defective, the grand natural highways Avhich
Providence has made for the use of man by the assistance
of the railway [hear] . Great objections have been raised
in this country to this mode, inasmuch as according to the
ideas of those accustomed to our rapid mode of travelling
in Europe, it appears a waste of time and labour, in a
journey of something like 1,000 miles, to subject goods to
so many operations of transhipment. But it should be
borne in mind that in England we are accustomed to travel
at the rate of 300 and 400 miles a day, whereas, in India,
we think ourselves fortunate if we can accomplish ten or
twelve miles, either by land or water conveyance. In
fact, the argument based on the value of labour and time,
as we estimate them in this country, falls to the ground.
When the natives of India begin to appreciate the value
of time and labour, as we do, then, no doubt there will be
demand for the laying down of trunk lines, and the
question of capital outlay will not enter so largely into the
calculation as it does at present Qiear, hear] .

I have alluded to the undertaking in hand, more parti-
cularly in reference to India. I Avill now direct your atten-
tion to the position of the port of Kurrachee, as a Euro-
pean port. It is the nearest port to Aden by 200 miles,
and dui'ing the south-western monsoon it is really 700
miles nearer than Bombay is to Aden.

This position will confer upon it an incalculable value
when the short route to India shall be accomplished by
the valley of the Euphrates, and so by the valley of the
Indus, the distance between Europe, the Punjaub and
Upper India will be shortened by more than 1,000 miles
[hear, hear]. And in the ultimate accomplishment of
this, the dream of the statesman and the philosopher, no

236

doubt can be entertained, for the obstacles which oppose
it are not physical, but the result of political causes.

It will be satisfactory to the meeting to learn that the
East India Company have put on two steamers between
Kurrachee and Aden and Suez, with a view of ascertaining,
in some measure, the public demand for the opening up
of that route, and in the results of the experiment, I need
scai'cely say that the greatest interest is felt by this
company. I have to apologise for detaining you at such
length, and have now the honour to move the adoption
of the report and accounts.

Sir Herbert Maddock seconded the resolution, and
in doing so expressed his confidence that the preliminaries
having been overcome, there was every reason to anticipate
an early completion of their line [hear, hear]. As the
chairman had stated, the Scinde Railway was but a short
link in the chain of communication between the coast and
Upper India. It was but a railway 110 miles in length,
and it might appear to those unacquainted with the sub-
ject, that this was but a small contribution to the accom-
plishment of the through communication, but he would
remind, them, that, at the distance of 110 miles, they
arrived at a noble river, as capable of navigation as the
rivers of America ; and they would observe, that the coiu-se
of that river opened up a communication with a population
of thirty-two millions in the Punjaub and Central Asia.

Eut^ not only at the remote end of their line had they
a population larger than that of the United Kingdom, but
throughout their whole course there was an established
traffic, of inestimable value, which must be highly remune-
rative to a trunk line of 110 miles in length.

Their Chairman had alluded to the possible carrying
out of a system of railway communication throughout;
and he, for his own part, would confess that he should not
be surprised at the speedy accoinplishment by the Scinde

237

Railway Company of a railway projected from Lahore and
Umritsir to Hydrahad [hear, hear] .

As to the capabilities of the port of Km-raclice, he would
take that opportunity of confirming the remarks of the
Chairman. It had been proved that, during the monsoons,
there was plenty of water for vessels of from 700 to 800
tons burthen. The bar of soft sand would be cut away by
the operations which were being conducted by the East
India Company ; and he had no hesitation in stating his
convictions, that, with the improvements in progress, the
port of Kurrachee would become even more accessible than
the port at Calcutta [hear, hear] .

In answer to questions.

The Chairman stated that the strictest regularity had
been observed in all the transactions of the Company, that
the two instalments constituting the required 50 per cent,
of the guaranteed capital had been paid into the treasiu-y of
the East India House before they were due, and the con-
tract with the Honourable East India Company, was on the
table, open to the inspection of the proprietors.

A Proprietor wished to know, in how short a time it
was likely that the line would be completed ?

The Chairman said, he thought about a couple of years;
but, as Mr. Yarrow, the Engineer of the Company was
present, he should prefer that an explanation should be
given by that gentleman.

Mr. Yarroav said, the line might be completed to Hy-
drabad within three years from the actual commencement
of operations. He would take the opportunity of stating,
for the information of the proprietors that the details con-
nected with the rolling stock of this and all the Indian
railways had been settled in a conference between Mr.
Stephenson, INIr. Rendcl, Colonel Kennedy and himself,
and thus perfect uniformity would be cnsiu'cd.

238

A Proprietor said, he would venture to suggest that it
would be very desirable for the Directors to keep in view
the closing of the capital account. He mentioned this,
since an extension had been spoken of.

The Chairman said, he should be very glad indeed to
close the capital account. It would, no doubt, be a very
profitable operation [a laugh] . That was a matter which
must be submitted to the proprietors before any step could
be taken.

Another Provrietor wished to know if an option would
be given to proprietors desirous of paying up their calls in
advance.

The Chairman said, so soon as there was any prospect
of the Company wanting more money, arrangements would
be made to meet the convenience of the general body of
shareholders. It was scarcely possible to state precisely
when another call would be required.

A Proprietor said, he should be glad to hear the views
of the Directors on the subject of fuel for locomotives;
whether they proposed to use coal or coke.

The Chairman said, he believed at present it was in
contemplation to use wood ; but his friend on his left. Sir
Herbert Maddock, had assured them that before the line
would be ready for working there would be an ample means
of supply of coal from Bengal.

Sir Herbert Maddock said, he was interested in some
collieries in the Presidency of Bengal which produced
excellent coal for cokeing. There was, as of course was
well known, an excellent variety of coal in that Presidency,
but not all producing good coke. Experiments were now,
however, in active progress, and he had no doubt whatever,
from the reports which he had received, that a supply
would be obtained of a very superior quality. The colliery
to which he referred was in the Baneegunge district.

239

The Chairman then put the resolution for the adoption
of the report and accounts, which was carried unanimously.

The Chairman submitted a resolution for reducing the
Directors of the Company from ten to five. In the Act
authorising the incorporation of the Company, the number
of Directors was ten, but in obedience to a suggestion in
which they concurred, it was proposed that the number
should be reduced to five, of which three should form a
quorum- He said the suggestion came from an authority
to which they must all bow (a laugh) ; and, in short, he
believed they had very little choice in the matter.

Sir Herbert Maddock seconded the resolution.

The resolution was then put and carried.

Sir Herbert Maddock then proposed the re-election,
as Directors, of the Chairman and of Mr. Williams. In
doing so, he took occasion to observe that Mr. Andrew
might be regarded as the father of the present system of
railways now established in India (hear, hear). By his
contributions to the public press in this coimtry, as well
as by the pamphlets which he had published, in connection
with the subject, he had enforced the adoption of a judi-
cious and comprehensive plan of railways in India. It
was well known, that he was the original promoter of the
proposed line fi'om Allahabad to Delhi ; and in the pam-
phlets which he published in connection with that under-
taking, he elucidated the grand principles which had
subsequently been adopted, according to his recommen-
dation, in carrying the East India Railway to Rajhmahal.
The idea of Mr. Andrew was, that the two sections of line
should be carried from C'alcutta to Rajhmahal, and from
Allahabad to Delhi, with steamers of improved construction
between Rajhmahal and Allahabad. His great services
were fully appreciated beyond the limits of his own pro-
l)rietary, and to them he was quite sure that the admirable

240

manner in wliicli their affairs had been brought up to their
present position, the raising of their capital at a eritical
time, together with the general judicious management of
their affairs, were facts too well appreciated by the proprie-
tors to render it necessary for him to say more, in intro-
ducing the name of Mr. Andrew for re-election (hear, hear) .
Mr. Williams was also well kno-^ai as a director of the
Great Western Railway Company, and as an able and
honourable gentleman ; and he had much pleasure in pro-
posing his name in company with that of his friend Mr.
Andrew.

The motion was seconded by Mr. Francis Horsley
Robinson (who conemTcd entirely in the observations of
Sir Herbert Maddock) and carried unanimously.

The Chairman returned thanks on behalf of Mr. Wil-
liams and himself for the confidence thus expressed by the
proprietors and for the handsome terms in which his ser-
vices were alluded to.

Messrs. Mackenzie and Borradaile were then elected
auditors, the chairman observing that the character and
position of both these gentlemen rendered any observation
unnecessary.

Upon the motion of Mr. T. W. Ramsay, a vote of thanks
was carried by acclamation to the Chairman and Directors,
for the energy and economy they have evinced, and their
general attention to the interests of the proprietors, and a
further special vote to Mr. Andrew, for his coiu'teous and
able conduct in the chair.

Mr. Andrew acknowledged the compliment.

Mr. Nicholson said, before the proprietors separated,
he was anxious to make a few observations, in reference to
a subject which had been brought before their notice that
day, in coimection with the imdertaking they had in hand.
He should not have obtruded upon the business of the meet-

241

ing; but that ha^^ng been disposed of, he desired to say a
few words — in the first place, because he was a sharehohler ;
and, in the second place, as a proprietor, having the very
greatest confidence in the future success of the undertaking.
He believed there was the prospect of very considerable
profit — second, of course, only to one [a laugh.] No doubt,
the traffic of the Indus, Avith the population of thii'ty-two
millions — whilst we had but thirty millions in the United
Kingdom — was a large source from which the traffic of a
terminal line, of only 110 miles in length, could be derived.
Therefore the undertaking was likely to pay. But he
thought the question of fuel for their engines was a subject
of no inconsiderable importance. No doubt, at Bombay,
the supply of wood now was cheaper than of coal or coke.
And he believed that experiments had been successfully
tried upon a mixed fuel of coal, wood, and coke. He
was glad to hear that the coal in the Damooda Valley had
been satisfactorily tested; but all coal was not good for
cokeing, and perhaps when the experiments have been
sufficiently carried out, they might find, at a greater depth,
a good cokeing coal ; that is to say, a good coke for loco-
motive pm'poscs. He (Mr. Nicholson) had also obtained
a good coal from the neighbourhood of the Nerbudda
river, to which they were aware it was the intention of
the Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company to extend
their operations as soon as practicable ; and, from the expe-
riments which had been made upon the coal, his opinion
was, that the fuel for the locomotives of the Scinde Railway
would probably be furnished by the collieries of tlic Ner-
budda at an earlier period than from the mineral district
of the Raneegunge.

The business of the meeting being completed, the ])yo-
prietors separated.

REMARKS OF THE PRESS

WORKS ON INDIAN RAILWAYS.

W. P. ANDREW, Esq.

Indian Railways, and their pro-
bable Results. By an Old Indian
Postmaster. (Second Edition,
1846.) Third Edition. T. C.
Newby : Pelham Richardson,
Cornhill. 1848.

From " Allen's Indian Mail,"
Auffust 13th, 1846.

" In regard to the great line to
connect the seat of government with
the extreme north-west, the author's
opinions arc pccuhar,

"Hewould construct the northern
part of the line before the southern,
arguing that the Ganges, as far as it
is navigable, supplies the means of
commmiication ; and that it is where
this accommodation ceases, that a
railroad is more especially wanted."

From " The Times," C% Article,
22nd October, 1846.

" It (Indian Railways) contains a
great quantity of information."

From " The Times," Citi/ Article,
19th November, 1851.

" The line (in Bengal) seems to
have been adopted, which was origi-
nally recommended by Mr. W. P.
Andrew."

From the " Moenino Herald,"
Leading Article, November IWi,
1846.

" We have little doubt that tlic pre-
ference given to the Mirzaporc Line
by the Railway Commissioners, will
be confirmed by the Supreme Govern-
ment and the Court of Directors ;
for we can scarcely imagine that
those bodies will participate in tlio
' Old Postmaster's ' weakness in
favour of the intermediate river trip
from Rnjmahal to Allahabad, on tlie

way from the Presidency to the
north-west frontier."

From the " MoENlNa Heeald,"
September IMh, 1852, Citi/ Article.

" Mr. Andrew is well known as
the author of a valuable work pub-
lished some years since by Mr. Pel-
ham Richardson, under the nom de
guerre of an ' Old Indian Post-
master,' by which pubHe and ofEcial
notice was mainly, if not first, di-
rected to the great subject of railway
communications in India, and its
immense import, not alone to the
accelerated development of the pro-
digious resources of that vast empire,
but to its safety and conservation."

From "The Economist," 2Qth
February^ 1848,

" Our author is for trusting the
formation of the roads with some ju-
dicious guidance, to private specula-
tion. He makes the following state-
ment, illustrating the folly of govern-
ment undertaking such examples, by
the case of Philadelphia : —

PEITATE OR PUBLIC MANAaEMBNT.

" ' Three propositions suggest
themselves as to the policy to be
adopted, and agencies tobeemployed,
in the formation of railways in a new
country.

" ' Ist. That they be, with certam
restrictions and provisions, left to

unfettered and unaided private en-
terprise, as has been hitherto the
case in this country.

" '2nd. That the government itself
should project and define a great and
comprehensive system, as well as
execute and work the lines most
appai'ently conducive to the common
weal, as in Belgium.

" ' 3rd. That the government
should grant concessions or leases of
various sections, or particular pro-
jects, to private companies, on such
terms as might be mutually advanta-
geous ; the latter to have the execu-
tion of the works, and the manage-
ment of the traffic of the lines, under
the direct supervision and control
of officers appointed by the govern-
ment, as has been practised in
France, and more recently in Bel-
gium.

" ' Judging from the confusion
which has arisen in this country, by
giving the reins to speculative en-
terprise, the crude and angular man-
ner in which railways were com-
menced in France, and the harmo-
nious and beneficent manner in which
the Belgium system has resulted,
there appears to be little doubt but
that it is the most efiective and rapid
mode of introducing railways into a
countiy.

" 'We would, however, from finan-
cial considerations, deviate so far
from this example, as to give, after
defining the line, the concession to
a private Company; for Belgium had
to borrow money at five per cent,
to make railroads, which did not.

till very lately, yield more thau two
and a-half per cent. And Pennsyl-
vania, which in 182A was bitten with
the improvement mania, 'believed,
and truly, that a system of inland
communication by means of canals
and railroads, would tend to increase
her prosperity. She believed that
the annual income of these public
works would not only pay the inte-
rest on the first cost, but would
leave a liberal overplus for public
purposes. What was the result ?

" ' The state, after having spent
millions, wisely gave away the works
in an unfinished condition to com-
panies of private individuals, on con-
dition that tliey would finish them.
In addition to this the favouritism
and peculation inseparable from Go-
vernment patronage and expenditure
served to swell the costs of these
works to a most disastrous extent.
The consequence was, that m 1841
or 1842 the state was forty millions
in debt.

" 'State lines canneitherbe worked
with the same economy, nor can
they have imparted to them that
impulse which the spirit of private
enterprise alone can give.

"To follow our author through all
his calculations, would be to tran-
scribe a large part of his book j and
we shall only say, that he is of opi-
nion that by eschewing the orna-
mental, and improving on the Ame-
rican system, we might effect an
extensive railway devclopement in
India, at a much less cost, and bet-
ter adapted to the rough work it

would be subjected to, than of
transporting a ' Birmingham,' or a
' Great Western,' with all its gran-
deur and complicated arrangement,
into Hindostan. In that there is
much wisdom.

" In his book altogether, there is
much information, and whoever is
interested in the subject of railways
in India should consult it."

From " The Economist," Decem-
ber \^th, 1851.

"We see with some satisfaction,
that the views propounded as to
forming railways in India, by Mr.
W. P. Andrew, under the cognomen
of an ' Old Indian Postmaster,' and
which were long ago recommended
in our journal, find favour in India,
and are hkely to be adopted."

From the " Obseetee," February
\Wi, 1848.

" The third edition of a work on
Railways is a fact in literature, al-
most unprecedented, and one which
speaks trumpet-tongued for the value
of the publication.

" The Old Indian Postmaster has
added an immense mass of informa-
tion to this edition of his book ;
which, now that it may be said to
be as complete as human hands can
make it, is of inestimable account,
in reference to the great subject of
Indian Railways. The author de-
votes some s])ace at the conmicncc-
ment of the work to defend his
opinions ; but that they needed no

defi'iicc, is proved by the exhaustion
of two editions of his work.

"Their trutli is the best defence
they can have ; and that is so ob-
vious that ' those who ruu may
read.' In fact there has not been
such a valuable contribution to the
civilization of India, as this work on
Indian Railways, since the era of its
absor])tion into the dominions of
her Majesty. Every one interested
in Indian railways will, of course,
possess it ; whde every general reader
should, as a matter of information,
make himself master of its contents."

From the " Obseevee," November
2^rd, 1851. Indian Railways.

" It is not a little remarkable, on
reviewing the past and present posi-
tion of Indian railways, to perceive
that the views of a private individual
have prevailed against, and finally
overthrown, the plans of the Indian
Railway Commission, (composed of
a civil engineer, sent at a great ex-
pense from this counti-y, aided by
two talented oiTiccrs of the Hon.
East India Company's engineers,)
approved of by the governor-general,
the India House, and Cannon-row
authorities, and applauded by the
press. When we had occasion to
review Mr. W. P. Andrew's various
publications on Indian railways, as
they issued from the press, we were
amongst the first to call public at-
tention to the originality and sound-
ness of the views communicated,
and it now appears that the result
will prove a signal vindication of the
correctness of those impressions.

"Indeed, the Railway Companies
in Bengal and Bombay that have
obtained concessions are carrying
out the views of 'the Old Indian
Postmaster' to the letter, so far as
the limited capital at tlicir disposal
will allow them ; and it may be pre-
dicted that whenever a concession
is given for a railway in Madras, it
will be for the line that writer so
strongly advocated, viz., to Arcot,
the ojilv short line in India which,

in his opinion, woidd prove com-
mercially remunerative."

" Of the Railway Commission,
Mr. Andrew in 1846, wrote thus : —
' It might have been hoped that the
Railway Commissioners would have
cleared the way to a satisfactory de-
cision on this subject (the introduc-
tionof the railway system into India),
with an authority derivable from the
soundness of the views enunciated,
the variety of new and interesting
data, the prestige of office, and ac-
knowledged ability. But their re-
port, beyond giving an official sanc-
tion to railroads in general, sheds no
new light on the question at issue.
Instructed to suggest some feasible
hne of moderate compass, the prin-
cipal portion of their report is de-
voted to recommending the adop-
tion of a railroad of four hundred
and fifty miles in length, through
the most difficult, most unproduc-
tive, and most desolate portion of a
country, elsewhere easy, fertile, and
densely peopled.

" ' That j)lan of commencing im-
proved transit, which would only
supersede the river navigation where
it was most defective, and co-operate
with it where it was always available,
i.e., a railroad from Calcutta to. deep
water in the Ganges at Rajmahal
is clearly the one that should be
adopted ; from tliis point river steam-
ers to Allahabad, at the confluence
of the Jumna and Ganges, where
deep water ceases, and a railroad
from Allahabad to Delhi and the
Sutlej.'

" The arrival of the last mail from
India brought the following infor-
mation on the subject: — 'The How-
rah terminus indicated by Mr. An-
drew, to save bridging the Hooghly,
had been adopted, and a section of
the line as far as Pandooah is either
in progress or under contract. The
Railway Company have advertised
for contracts for a further section,
viz., from Pandooah to Raneegunge.

" There cannot now be a reason-
able doubt that the line will be
carried ultimately to Rajmahal.

"Had the plans of the Railway

CommisBioners been adliered to, the
East India Railway Company would
now be bridging the Hooghly, with
its banks ever trembling or in loco-
motion, or building a bridge over
the Soane as great in aU its duncn-
sions as the Blackwall Railway, after
searching diligently for its founda-
tions 'below an unknown depth of
sand.

" The Government and people of
India are therefore indebted to the
•Old Indian Postmaster,' who has
thus saved them from prosecuting
a design that coidd only have led to
disastrous and humiliating results,
which would have been felt both in
India and this country."

From the "Indian News," Felruary
22nd, 1848.

" The best testimony of the sound-
ness of the 'Old Postmaster's' views
is, that, in the settlement of Indian
Railways, as far as it has recently
taken place, not a few of his opinions
have been followed by those in au-
thority. We know of no work on
the subject which can be compared
with it whether as regards the local
knowledge possessed by the vrriter —
the judicious application of that
knowledge, or as an exposition of the
advantages which must result from
improved modes of transit u\ the
East, both to native industry and the
requirements of British commerce."

From the "Indian News," 22nd
May, 1850.

"The sum guaranteed, viz.,
£1,000,000 is not sufficient for the
construction of a line that will yield
any return. The Une from Calcutta
to Mirzapore, the proposed termi-
nus of the East Indian Une is 450
miles, the estimated cost of which
is £16,000 per mile, i.e., 7,000,000.

"Besides, it is a fact which can-
not be refuted, that a line com-
mencing at Calcutta must debouclie
on the Ganges, before any benefit
can accrue, either to the Govern-

ment, the commerce of India, or to
the people.

" These facts, as clear as they are
indisputable, were promulgated four
years ago, in a work on Indian
Railways, by Mr. Andrew, and re-
iterated in a letter adcb-essed by
him to Sir J, Law Lushington, in
1848. Subsequent experience proves
their correctness."

From the " Mobning Chronicle,"
May 2\st, 1850.

" The opinion in Calcutta appears
to be, that it is useless to attempt
any experiment unless a capital of
£2,000,000 is subscribed, as no rail-
way in Lower India can possiblv be
made to pay that does not debouche
on the Ganges. The rail must be
carried, in the first place, to Raj-
mahal, which is 200 miles from Cal-
cutta. This was clearly explained
by Mr. W. P. Andrew five years
ago in his work on Indian railways;
and the opinions of the old post-
master appear now to be fully con-
firmed by the experience of those on
the spot."

From the " Morning Chronicle,"
November 20th, 1851.

" Indian railways. — Wehave more
than once predicted that the views
propounded, several years ago, by
Mr. W. P. Andrew, would be those
that the Indian authorities would
finally adopt, in preference to the
plan recommended by the Indian
Railway Commission. Mr. Andrew's
project was to connect Calcutta (or,
rather, Howrah) on the opposite
bank of the Iloogliley, with the main
Ganges at Rajmahal, the lowest
practical point.

" This railway would be about 200
miles in length, and would save, for
eiglit months in the year, 530 miles
of dangerous and difiicidl navigation
through the Soonderbunds.

" Tlie plan of the Railway Com-
mission was to connect Calcutta
with Mirzapore, on the main Ganges.

Tliis would be 450 miles of railway
tlirougii ;i (lilliciilt country, aud dc-
Loiicliing on the Ganges at a point
where the commerce was neither so
great nor so impeded as lower down.
By recent accounts from India, we
observe that the Ilowrah terminus,
indicated by Mr. Andrew to save
bridging the Hooghly, had been
adopted, and that section of the line
as far as Padooah, was cither in pro-
gress, or under contract ; and by the
last mad, we observe that the rail-
way company have advertized for
contracts for a fm-ther section, viz.,
from Paudooah to Raneegunge.
There cannot now be a reasonable
doubt but that the line wUl be car-
ried ultimately to Eajmahal."

From the "Beitannia," December
IZth, 1851.

"It is annovmced, we see, by the
' Friend of India,' received by the
last mail, 'That the Court of Direc-
tors had decided for the adoption of
the line proposed by Ma.jor Kennedy
from the collieries to Kajmahal, and
thence up the valley of the Ganges,'
which is exactly the scheme origi-
nally propounded and advocated by
the ' old Indian postmaster,' Mr. W.
P. Andrew) in 1846, some two or
three years before Major Kennedy
went to India, and to whom exclu-
sively the merit is due of having
pointed out the erroneous views of
the East Indian Eadway Company,
and adopted by the India Govern-
ment Eadway Commission. Had the
authorities acted upon Mr. Andrew's
views, a large and useless expendi-
ture of time and money would have
been saved ; and it is admitted on
all hands, that this gentleman ' has
saved railway enterprise in India
from a great and lamentable failure,'
which would have reduced India to
a state of more hopeless apathy and
irretrievable desolation than ever ;
famine and pestilence would have
resumed their periodic reign, the
happiness and prosperity of the
people w^ould have been retarded for
ages, and England's independence of

America for the supply of raw mate-
rial for the greatest of her staple
manufactm-es, been more remote
than ever."

Is India to have Railways ? Or,
Fallacies of an East Indian Mer-
chant Exposed in a Letter to
Lieut.-General Sir J. L. Lush-
INGTON, G.C B., Chairman of
the Hon East India Company,
by An East India Officer.
W. H. Allen and Co., Leaden-
hall Street, 1S48.

From the " Obseetee," November
17th, 1848.

"This is a bold and able expo-
sure of the system of Indian Rail-
ways, as proposed to the public in
this country, and an unanswerable
vindication of the good faith of the
India House authorities.

" The writer is a man evidently
well versed on his subject, which he
treats in a manner that exhausts the
whole question, and leaves nothing
to be desired.

" The India Company owe him
much as a volunteer champion in a
matter wherein their integrity was
more than suspected : he has cer-
tainly carried them through trium-
phantly. This pamphlet will be
perused with deep interest.

From "Allen's Indian Mail,"
January hth, 1849.

" This pamphlet, which is a most
unmerciful exposure of the proceed-
ings of the Directors of the East
India Eadway Company, inflicts a
lacerating castigation upon their
advocate, 'An East India Merchant,'
whose ' Letter to Lord John Russell,'
noticed in the ' Mail ' of Nov. 2nd,
the ' East India OfKcer ' considers
as * the semi-official manifesto ' of
the East Indian Railway Company,

on behalf of the Directors and em-
ployes.

" It is lamentable to find that an
undertaking, which, under proper
management, might have been made
one of the pioneers of great local
improvement in India, has been so
misconducted ; and the public owe
thanks to the " East India Officer "
who has exposed the real causes of
80 miserable a failure."

Railways in Bengal: being the
Substance of a Report addressed
to Sir A. Galloway, K.C.B ,
by W. P. Andrew, Esq.

JFrom the " Colo.vial and Asiatic
Review," Julj/ 1852.

" The following paper (Railways
in Bengal,) giving, in a condensed

form, the published opinions of the
writer, was, at the request of the late
Sir A. Galloway, K.C.B., submitted
to him when Chairman of the East
India Company in 1819, and for-
warded by him to the Board of Con-
trol, who considered it sufficiently
important to retain posssesion of the
original. The East India Railway
Company being about to apply for
additional capital, to enable it to
carry out the view-s contained in this
report, in place of those propounded
by its own promoters and founders,
and recommended by the Indian
• Railway Commissioners, the docu-
ment comes before the public at this
moment invested with additional in-
terest and authority."

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