1 ( 88.)
2 of the Army, European and Native. It will connect the whole of
3 Line from Calcutta to these with the most salient point (Peshawur) of
4 Peshawur. the most important of the several frontiers, by
5 which the British Empire in the East is bounded. It will render the
6 whole power of the Empire capable of being rapidly concentrated and
7 brought to bear upon a spot of vital consequence to the politics of
8 Central Asia and of the countries bordering upon Europe. Further,
9 in a commercial point of view, the Punjab section will command a
10 portion of tte commerce between India and Central Asia.
11 85. But so far as the commercial and material interests of the Punjab
12 are concerned, there is a proposed line from North-
13 ‘ East to South-West, which is of greater conse-
14 quence to the country than any public york or any number of works
15 Route of the Indus.
16 _ that could be specified. A glance at the accompanying rough Sketch
17 “
18 Map will show that Northern India has two natural divisions—jirst, the
19 Provinces of the Ganges and its tributaries ; second, the Provinces of the
20 Indus and its tributaries. In the first or Hasterly division, the stream
21 of trade and wealth must ever flow down the valley of the Ganges to
22 the natural outlet of Calcutta. In the second or Westerly division, if
23 the power of Art and Science be brought to the aid of nature, the com-
24 merce could follow the direction of the Punjab rivers to the Indus,
25 then down the valley of the Indus towards the rising port of Kurrachee,
26 which is destined to be, to the North-West of India, what Calcutta is,
27 to the North-East. A line drawn North to South, some where near
28 Agra and Delhi, will form the probable boundary of the two natural
29 sub-divisions. And if the same facilities were created Westward,
30 which exist Eastward,.then all the commerce West of the line
31 would follow the Indus to Kurrachee, in the same manner as the
32 commerce on the East follows the Ganges to Calcutta. At present,
33 however, the major part of the commerce of the extreme North-
34 West travels Eastward, merely from the want of a more direct route.
35 But if the great route of the Indus were to be thoroughly opened,
36 this commerce would go straight to Kurrachee. To this port, there
37 would then come the products from the North-
38 Western India and from the Central Asian
39 countries beyond that frontier, and in exchange for these, the products of
40 European countries, In this same direction, there would also arrive the
41 Its advantages,