1848.] importance of the town of Bhanmo. 135 



bales edible Birdsnests, Ivory, Horns, Precious Stones, and British ma- 

 nufactures. 



The whole exchange is estimated by Crawfurd from half a million to 

 ,£700,000 annually. 



Looking on the map of this part of Asia, it will at once appear sur- 

 prising that a direct intercourse should never have existed on our 

 route between India and China, and that the trade which concentrates at 

 Bhanmo, should not have extended to Calcutta across these countries, 

 which, as we have seen, are in all parts accessible, and which offer even 

 many facilities for the transport of goods, and only the fact that the 

 political state of these countries has been always very unsettled, especi- 

 ally since the Burmese gained the ascendancy, accounts for it in some 

 degree. Yet is the way which we have described the only one that 

 leads from India to China, and which connects both countries just at 

 the point of their nearest approach to each other : it is thus the only 

 road on which possibly any direct intercourse between both countries 

 ever can take place, since in all other directions they are separated by 

 the highest mountains and far greater distances : and if we look upon a 

 direct trade between India and China as an object of the highest com- 

 mercial, as well as political importance, we will give due weight upon the 

 following points, which appear to render it easily practicable. 



1. That there is water communication for a direct distance of 250 

 miles from Calcutta to Silhet, and further on for 65 miles to Kala- 

 naga Ghat. 



2. That from this place to Munipur, a road is made, and that there 

 exist no difficulties in crossing the remaining part of the country 

 to Bhanmo. 



3. That the extensive trade which is carried on at present at Bhan- 

 moo, offers a very favourable opportunity for opening commerce with 

 the Chinese and to extend the same to Calcutta. 



4. That the market place for this new trade would be at Silhet, con- 

 sequently in our own territory. 



5. That the land transport from Bhanmo to Silhet would devolve 

 on the Chinese, and that we would only have to go to Silhet by water. 



The spirit of enterprise of the Chinese is well known ; wherever they 

 find security and profit there they resort to, and they will easily over- 

 come the difficulties of the land transport between Bhanmo and Silhet, in 



