THE NUSHKI-SISTAN TRADE-ROUTE. 339 



Tabriz, and Ispahan. Last, but not least, a trade-route 

 has been opened up from India across the dividing gulf 

 of Baluchistan, though this, it must be admitted, has 

 political and strategic aspects in excess of its commercial 

 possibilities, and is worthy, therefore, of a few remarks. 



I have given a detailed description of the Nushki- 

 Sistan route, which I travelled over in November 1900, 

 in another volume.^ Its possibilities as an avenue of 

 trade appeared at one time to be considerable, and, 

 despite the recent Persian tariff, are still no doubt 

 not to be despised. But it cannot be denied that, 

 apart from its political and strategic importance, the 

 Nushki caravan - route never was and never will be 

 a particularly inspiring undertaking. This opinion is 

 corroborated by Mr H. W. Maclean, the commissioner 

 appointed by the Commercial Intelligence Committee 

 of the Board of Trade to visit Persia and inquire into 

 the openings for British trade in that country. " The 

 opinion generally expressed to me by Meshed traders 

 who have tried both routes was," writes Mr Maclean, 

 "that the additional expenses incurred via Nushki 

 made the total charges by that route quite as heavy 

 as on the Bandar Abbas route." And again, while 

 admitting that some of the disadvantages unavoid- 

 able in the case of a new route may disappear, he 

 opines that their removal " will still leave this route at 

 a disadvantage with the older routes via Bandar Abbas 

 and Bushire. These considerations lead me to the 

 conclusion that the Sistan route is not of any com- 

 mercial utility to direct British trade, and in existing 

 circumstances is at the best only an alternative route 

 for Indian commerce.^' Hardly an inspiring horoscope 

 for a commercial undertaking ! 



The fact is, as I have frequently urged, that while 



^ Sport and Politics under an Eastern Sky. 



