INTRODUCTORY. 
5 
Countries on the North-western Frontier of British 
India/' This Report showed that the trade between 
India and Eastern Turkistan — i.e., Yarkand — ^by the 
Kashmir route, was virtually barred by the excessive 
duties levied on goods in transit. Negotiations were 
soon after entered into with the Kashmir Darbdr, by 
Sir Robert Montgomery, then Lieutenant Governor 
of the Panjab, which resulted in a very material 
reduction of the tariff on goods passing through the 
Kashmir territories ; and the duties which were 
formerly taken at so much for each mule load, were 
afterwards to be assessed at an ad valorem rate, 
chargeable on the value stated in the invoice of the 
goods. This rate was subsequently fixed at five per cent. 
In consequence of the stimulus thus given to trade, 
by the reduction of transit duty, attention was naturally 
directed to the various trade routes between India 
and Eastern Turkistan; and in 1867, Dr. Cayley was 
appointed by the Indian Government to reside during 
the summer months at Le, whilst caravans were 
passing to and from Central Asia. The officer at 
Le was instructed to see that no duties were levied in 
excess of those fixed in the tarifi'; to inquire closely 
into the nature and extent of the trade between India 
and Central Asia, and to suggest measures for de- 
veloping this trade. Shortly after the arrival of Lord 
Mayo in India, matters seemed ripe for fresh negotia- 
tions with the Maharajah of Kashmir, in order to free 
the trade entirely from the duties which still checked 
it, and to open up and explore the route by the Chang 
Chenmo valley, which was believed to present fewer 
physical difficulties than the other route by the 
Karakoram. In 1869, I saw men at Le who had 
