1 PREFACE. XXUl
2 the Himalaya, and this purpose prompted the
3 second journey, which terminated fatally for his
4 project and himself.
5 Coupled with the conviction that the native!
6 cavalry horse of India could be ameliorated only \
7 by an infusion of the bone and blood of the Turk-
8 man steed, was an equally strong belief in Mr. j
9 Moorcroft's mind of the possibility of establishing |
10 a conunercial intercourse with the Trans-Hima- ) \
11 layan districts, which should be highly advantage- i |
12 ous to Great Britain. In some respects the belief \
13 was founded on sufficient premises. To the anti-
14 cipation of an extensive demand for British fabrics,
15 both of hardware and of woollen cloth, from the
16 known absence of all manufacturing skill in the
17 countries of Central Asia, and the necessity of
18 warm clothing imposed by the climate, was added
19 acquaintance with the fact that these very articles, /
20 some of continental, and some of British manufac- I
21 tare found their way from Russia across the whole i
22 of the intervening regions, even to Afghanistan and |
23 the Panjab. To secure a part, if not the whole ^
24 of this commerce, was an object which Mr. Moor- \
25 croft entertained with the ardour and tenacity of :
26 his character, for, as he observes of himself, " his j
27 obstinacy was almost equal to his enthusiasm," in ;
28 which, however, for obstinacy his friends would !
29 substitute perseverance. Accordingly, having
30 wrung from the government of India a reluctant
31 Digitized by
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