302 Route from Seersa to Bahawulpore. [No. 148. 



horses, may be said to be plentiful throughout the march, unless in sea- 

 sons of unusual drought. The grass is of a kind that requires to be 

 cut with a sickle, and notice should be given to have it cut and stored, 

 if required for troops. Barley-bhoosa and moot-bhoosa are plentiful 

 as far as Anopgurh, but scarce beyond that stage. 



11. Koss-minars are now being erected at every two miles, to shew 



_ the direction of the road by day : for troops march- 



Precautions necessa- 

 ry in marching troops ing at night, it would be well to take the precau- 

 tion of having fires lighted at intervals of four 

 miles, for the road once lost in the desert is not easily recovered. In 

 the march of troops, the strictest orders should be issued and enforced 

 to secure the few people inhabiting along the road from molestation, 

 and all persons employed as guides, for whom at first a great demand 

 will be made, should be liberally paid and encouraged by kind treat- 

 ment. 



12. Whether viewed with reference to the march of troops, or to 



. .. the dispatch of military stores from the heart of 

 Advantages of the di- 

 rect road from Delhi to our Upper Provinces at Delhi to Scindh, or to a 

 Bahawulpore through . 



the desert— much still direct line 01 dak from Delhi to bukkur, the ad- 

 required to be done to r ., i , . 

 draw forth its capabili- vantages ot the new road are too obvious to re- 



ties * quire to be dwelt on. The saving of time in march- 



ing troops by this road instead of by Ferozepore would be ten days, to 

 say nothing of the vast expense which has hitherto attended the drag- 

 ging of fleets of boats up to Ferozepore from Bahawulpore and Sukkur 

 being avoided, The time saved in the conveyance of the dak would be up- 

 wards of three days. The advantages of the road as a channel of com- 

 merce will be separately noticed ; meanwhile I may observe, that if it be 

 an object with Government to make the road a thoroughfare, much still 

 requires to be done to improve its resources. A greater number of 

 wells must be dug than will barely suffice to supply the wants of tra- 

 vellers and kafilas, and encouragement must be held out to people to 

 settle near them. The practice hitherto in force with the zemindars on 

 the road, of exacting payment at discretion from travellers and kafilas 

 for watering cattle at their wells, must be put a stop to. The zemin- 

 dars should receive an allowance on the duties levied from their own 

 Governments ; for without remuneration they cannot be expected to 

 draw water from a great depth for other people's cattle which they re- 



