286 chapman's eeport. 



almost an axiom in railway considerations, no 

 further argument appears necessary to demon- 

 strate 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 im- 

 portance presents itself on the right bank 

 of the river at Kotree ; and as a railroad 

 with its terminus here would fully satisfy 

 the requirements of a direct communication 

 with the Indus, which forms the subject of 

 this report, it appears advisable that Kotree, 

 the port of Hyderabad, should be at once con- 

 nected with KmTachee, the harbour of Sindh. 



The latter derives its consequence from be- 

 ing the head-quarters of the Civil Govern- 

 ment and military establishment of the pro- 

 vince, in being a rising seaport 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, pre- 

 sents also, in conjunction with Hyderabad, a 

 centre, to which all the great lines of traffic 



