Afghanistan, a mountainous region lying be tween lat. 30° and 36° N., and long. 60° to 68° E., with a population estimated at 4,200,000, contains within its limits three great entrepots of tmde between Europe, Persia, Turkestan, and India, —I Ierat, Kabul, and Kandahar,—where tlie silk of Bokbara and Khotan, the shawl-wool of Kirman on the south-west, and Khokand, are exchanged for the fabrics of Europe and for the indigo and the spices of the east. Passing the well-watered plains of lifurghab and the petty Uzbak states to the north-west of the Bamian hills and the Kunduz districts, in whose eastern frontier aro the ruby mines of Badakhshan, and the lapis-lazuli quarries of the valley of the Kokcba, we come to the plains of the Oxus and Jaxartes, the Amu Dariya and the Syr Dariya, into which Russia has passed, but formerly divided politically into the three Uzbak khanate states of Khiva, Bokhara, and Khokand. Of these, Khiva khanate has a population estimated at 2,500,000 ; Bokhara, one of 2,000,000 ; but Bokh ara is at once the most productive, and its capital is the great depat for the trade of Central Asia, occu pying the'position held in more ancient times by Balkh and Samarcand. Its silk is used through out the north-west of India; its cotton is exported largely to the north ; and the black lambskin wool of Karakul, one of its provinces, is a staple article of trade ; while it intporta considerable quantities of tca, fur skins, iron, and cotton goods. Caramns leave yearly for Russia via Orenberg and other frontier towns, and the trade with that country is estimated at upwards of £300,000 _per annum ; it has also a considerable trade with II esteru China via Yarkand, witlt Persia via Mashed, and with India via Kabul and Peshawur. Under Russian supremacy, Samarc,and is resuming ibt former position as the more important mercantile site.
Proceeding eat3tward to the borders of Chinese Turkestan, incluiling the provinces of Yarkand, Kashgar, and Kliotan, wo find the former the entrepot of trade between China and Bokhara, and the latter celebrated from the time of Ctcsias for its mineral products, its jade and emeralds, its shawl-wool and flax; a considerable importer of furs, broadcloth, leather, and sugar, and at one time the entrepot of a vast tmde with Hindustan. Turning south, we come to the kingdom of Ktuth inir, including its outlying province of Ladakh, the former sending its valuable shawls to all parts of the world, while the latter supplies shawl-wool in exchange for opium, the produce of the Kuln hills, otter-skins, cotton piece-goods, spices, and drug,s.
The Quetta trade goes on to Kandahar, but not much further west, as the maritime tmde front Bombay up the Persian Gulf carries articles more cheaply than they can be conveyed by any land route.
The trade into Kashmir is conducted with the districts of Hazara, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Gujerat, Sialkot, and Gurdaspur.
IVith Kabul the trade passes through Pesha wur, Kohat, Dchnt Ismail Khan, and Bannu. That through Peshawur is by the Khaibar, Tatara, Ab khana, and Gaudal routes ; that from Kohat is by the Thul and the Kurram valley ; that by the Debra Ismail Khan district goes by the Gomal pass, and Sewastau is reached by this.
Tha Bajanr trade is via Peshawur and Ifazara ; to Yarkand, via Amritsar ; and to Ladakh, through Kulu.
The route to the west from Kabul to Bokhara runs via Bamian, Saighan, Doaba, Ilihark, lIssrak Sultan, Kulm, Balkh, Kilif - ford, and Karshi. Bokhara is tbe great centre mart to which mer chants resort from Samarmnd, Tashkand, and Khokand.
Tho Chinese Tibet trade goes via the Hindustan Tibet road, the several routes converging at IVang-tu, whero the Sutlej crosses the roatL At Gartokh town, in Chinese Tibet, a commercial fair is hold twice a year, at which traders meet from Ladakh, Nepal, Ka.shmir, and Hindustan.
The routes to Tibet aro by five passes, viz- the Nilanghat, at the eastern corner of Native Garb wal (Tehri) ; the 3Iana and Niti passes in British Garhwal ; and the Johar, the Danna, and the Byans passes in Ktunaon.
The routes into Nepal aro by Kamaon, Phili bh it, Kheri, Bahraitch, Gonda, Basti, and Gomkh pur.
Nepal fl'rade Routes.—From Khatmandu two routes branch off over the central range of the Himalaya, which both ultimately come down into the valley of the Tsanpu, or great river of Tibet. In 1877-78 the registered trade with Nepal (which Ls doubtless under-estimated) amounted to a total of X1,687,000, of which more than two-thirds was conducted by Bengal. The ex ports from Nepal were valued at £1,054,000, the principal items being food-grains and oil-seeds, cattle, timber, and horns. Other articles of export are musk, borax, ehirctta, madder, car damoms, chauri or yak tails, ginger, balchar or scented grass, furs, and hawks.
British India is geographically adapted to mari time trade, and an Indian nation might have been a naval power almost as easily as the British them selves have become so. The coast of India offers a ready means of intercourse with foreign countries. The mountains on the north are a great barrier to trade with Central Asia. But to the south-east and west are countries and people with whom the natives of India have established independent relations. India possesses a long coast - line of over 2000 niiles and about 300 harbours ; but the foreign trade of the Indian empire is practically confined to Akyab, Cocanada, Chittagong, Coringa, Negapatam, Beypur, Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, Rangoon, Moulmein, Colombo, Trincomalee, Galle, Tuticorin, and Kurachee, all of which, except ing Madras, are excellently situated as central marts for the distribution of articles of commerce. To Rangoon, Moulmein, and' Bassein naturally flow by the Irawadi all the products of Upper Burma and of Pegu ; while the railway between Rangoon and Prome offers further facilities for the conveyance of merchandise. Calcutta is the most convenient point of distribution of the trade conveyed by water through Bengal, while it is also the terminus of the two main railway systems of Bengal. The river, too (formerly dangerous to navigation), is now carefully charted, while the Port Trust has provided conveniences for shipping which are probably unequalled in the whole world for the ease with which cargo is loaded and dis charged. The Northern Bengal State Railway has opened out rich tracts, producing tobacco jute, and other valuable commodities in great abundance, and rendering trade to some extent independent of the rivers in that region, which cease to be avail able highways for the conveyance of goods when the waters are low.