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



terprize of native merchants unused to the risks of water-carriage. 

 Early in 1836, a firm of our merchants established at Bahawulpore, 

 opened a commercial intercourse with Bombay by the river route ; but 

 meeting with some loss from the sinking of a cargo on the outset, they 

 for a time suspended their transactions. For the last three years, how- 

 ever, this firm has annually got up an investment of three boat-loads of 

 goods from Bombay, consisting of Europe long cloths, (suphedi,J bars 

 and sheets of iron, spices, cocoanuts, &c. ; but they shew a great want of 

 enterprize in selecting for their voyage the season when the river is at 

 its lowest, where there is less risk, and they can load their boats heavi- 

 ly. The consequence is, that their voyage from Bombay to Bahawulpore 

 occupies seven months. They lose the advantage of being first in 

 the market, and much of their profit is eaten up by the wages of boat- 

 men. Goomsai Ram Seth of Luchmungurh, who has branch firms at 

 Seersa and at Bombay, has now sent for an experimental cargo from 

 Bombay, in order to prove in how short a time goods shipped at Bom- 

 bay, and brought up the river in boats lightly laden, and taking advan« 

 tage of the season of favorable winds, can be landed at Bahawulpore, and 

 conveyed thence to the markets at Bhiana and Delhi. Should the result 

 of his venture be favorable, his example will no doubt have many fol- 

 lowers, and we shall in course of time see this channel of commerce vie 

 with that from Calcutta to Delhi, and in a great measure supersede the 

 long and expensive land route from Bombay via Pali. 



14. Of the traffic created between the marts of Bahawulpore and 



Seersa by the opening of the new road, I have little 



merc<T between °the t0 sa y* * n tne outset > tn e Seersa merchants antici- 



marts of Seersa and p ate d a great demand for the groceries which they 

 Bahawulpore. r n © j 



bring from near Shamli, and export Westwards. 

 Their anticipations have not been realized. The consumption at 

 Bahawulpore itself is not very great, and that place is already well sup- 

 plied by the channel of the Sutlej, from Lodiana and the Jalindar Dooab ; 

 and when our merchants would have sent on their investments to Suk- 

 kur where a demand for them existed, they discovered that the heavy 

 duties they would have to pay in clearing out of Bahawulpore, would 

 leave them little or no profit on the investments. To avoid these 

 ruinous duties, they are now put to the inconvenience of sending their 

 goods outside of Bahawulpore to the river side, and there keeping them 



