1844.] Route from Seersa to Bahawulpore. 303 



quire for their own, while if their exactions continue, the road will not 

 be travelled by merchants.* 



13. I have now to remark on the effect which the opening of the direct 



in^f^e^e^S road from Delhi throu g h Seersa to Bahawulpore 



will have upon com- w ill have upon commerce. This effect can only 

 merce, and first on J 



the commerce between be fully developed when steam boats plying be- 

 Bombay, Delhi & Am- „, . ,.,-,-',,. , 



ritsir. tween Bombay and the Mouth of the Indus, and 



hence to Bhawulpore, shall have rendered the transport of European 

 manufactures and other articles of commerce by that channel both 

 safe and expeditious. We may then expect, from a comparison with 

 the various routes by which the products and manufactures of Europe 

 reach the great marts in the Upper Provinces and in the Punjaub, 

 that the route from Bombay to Bahawulpore by water, and thence by 

 land through Seersa to Delhi, will have the advantage over all others 

 in rapidity of communication and in other respects. In point of safety, 

 it is now much to be preferred to the long land route traversed by 

 kqfilas from Bombay via Pali to Bhiana and Amritsir, which is seldom 

 free from the apprehension of plunderers. The trade from Bombay 

 by the river route to Bahawulpore, and to the countries North-east of 

 that mart, has hitherto been trifling in amount, a circumstance that may 

 be accounted for by the unsettled state of the countries West of the 

 Indus, since that river was opened in 1832, and by the natural difficul- 

 ties of the upward navigation of the rivers with the unskilful en- 



* Several Icafilas returning from Delhi within the last month, have gone from 

 Seersa round by Abohar, and along the left bank of the Sutlej to Bahawulpore, alleg- 

 ing as their reason for not taking the direct road through the desert, their fear of exactions 

 from zemindars for watering their cattle. The chief advantage of the desert road for 

 Jcafilas is its directness. The duty levied on it is 8 annas per camel more than by the 

 circuitous route on which the Bikanir territory is avoided. Add to this, that forage 

 though not scarce in the desert road, is more abundant in the circuitous road, as is wa- 

 ter ; and when we consider how little it requires in the shape of exaction or obstruction 

 to turn trade off its direct channel, it is obvious that the road through the desert must be 

 cleared from all obstacles of this nature before it can successfully contend with roads pos- 

 sessing greater natural advantages, even when all has been done for it, that can be done. 

 Part of the traffic from Afghanistan that would otherwise have come by it, may now 

 since our acquisition of territory at Asafwalla on the Ghara, cross to that place direct 

 from Multan by Pukputtan ; thus avoiding the duties to be paid in the Bahawulpore and 

 Bikanir states. At present, however, the duties between Multan and Pukputtan are 

 much heavier than they are between Multan and Seersa by Bahawulpore. 



2 x 



