430 REPORT—1868, 
Report of a Committee, consisting of General Sir ANpRew S. Waveu, 
Sir ArrHur PuHayre, General G. Batrour, General Sir Vincent 
Eyre, Captain SHerarp Ossorn, Mr. Georcre Campse tt, and Dr. 
Tuomas THomson, appointed for the purpose of waiting on the 
Secretary of State for India to represent the desirability of an Ex- 
ploration being made of the district between the Brahmaputra, the 
Upper Irawadi, and the Yang-tse-Kiang, with a view to a route 
being established between the navigable parts of these rivers. 
Art the Dundee Meeting of the British Association a Committee was appointed 
to represent to the Secretary of State for India the great importance of an 
exploration of the country between India and China. Little or nothing has 
been done for the last thirty years to add to our knowledge of that quite 
unknown region, though the attention of Government has many times been 
earnestly called to it by geographers both in India and in England. 
The yearly increasing importance of the British Provinces of Assam and 
Cachar make it from day to day more essential to their prosperity that a 
communication should, if possible, be opened with China. There are, how- 
ever, two special reasons why the Committee are desirous of pressing this 
subject at the present time. 
1. Since the establishment of a French colony in Cochin China, there is 
reason to believe that an exploratory expedition has been investigating the 
upper course of the Menam. As this course is within Chinese territory, 
there is no reason to fear any collision between the two expeditions; and it 
would manifestly be to the advantage of both that they should meet. 
2. It has come confidentially to the knowledge of the Committee that an 
English traveller, well qualified, is about to start from Shanghai for the pur- 
pose of exploring the upper course of the Yang-tse-Kiang, and of attempt- 
ing to reach India. Were asimilar attempt made from the Indian side at the 
same time, his chances of success would be greatly increased. 
The provinces of China which are contiguous to Eastern Bengal and Bur- 
mah are Se Chuen, which lies on the upper waters of the great river Yang- 
tse-Kiang, and Yunan, a mountainous province south of Se Chuen, the 
western parts of which are inhabited by barbarous or only partially civilized 
races. The road connecting Yunan with Ava through Bamo is pretty well 
known ; and the Committee understand that it is now being carefully ex- 
amined from the direction of Ava. This route, however, in the opinion of 
the Committee, is too circuitous to suffice for the wants of Assam, for which 
province the discovery of a more direct route is most important, There is 
every reason to believe that the discovery of such, though difficult, is far from 
impossible. 
In many countries this exploration might be left to private enterprise ; but 
there are strong reasons why the task should in Eastern India be under- 
taken by Government, which alone has the power of influencing the small 
savage tributary tribes by which Assam is surrounded. 
Assam is traversed in its whole length by the river Brahmaputra, which is 
navigable considerably above Sudiya. The great river Yang-tse-Kiang is be- 
lieved to be navigable as far as Likiang. Now the distance between these two 
places in a direct line is less than 255 geographical miles. True the country 
is known to be very mountainous, and to be traversed by large rivers running 
through deep gorges, separated by high snowy mountain-chains. These moun- 
tains, however, are known to be practicable, as the high road from Lassa, the 
