426 
THE ROUTE FOR RUSSIAN INVASION. 
would be collected to defend any frontier 
must be composed of a variety of nations, 
differing in language and religion, strangers to 
the region they are fighting in, and assembled 
from provinces as little known to each other 
as are the various states of Europe. We 
must also consider the inherent desire in kings 
and in subjects for aggrandisement. Russia, 
which is now in direct collision with nations 
that are to be as easily overcome as were those 
of British India, will, no doubt, pursue her 
advantage and extend her boundary towards 
the East, and Great Britain will, in all pro- 
bability, ere long, have to contest her right of 
sovereignty over three-fourths of her subjects, 
included in the population of Hindoostan. 
When it is remembered that the colossal 
power of Russia has attained its present 
eminence in three half centuries, or since the 
master-spirit of Peter the Great brought his 
people to rank with civilized nations, and 
caused the empire, of which he laid the foun- 
dation, to increase in population from sixteen to 
sixty millions, a moment’s reflection willsuggest 
the prudence of speculating with regard to its 
future progress. At present the disciplined 
legions of Russia are rated at 900,000, and 
they have tried their strength with success 
against most of their neighbours. The nations 
towards the east and south have felt and ad- 
mitted the superiority of their discipline, and 
will hereafter prefer an amicable alliance to 
another useless struggle, 'i he territory of 
Russia has had a proportionable increase with 
her subjects, and has extended so much in 
Asia as to leave but a fiail barrier between 
the armed giant of the north, and the com- 
mercial Colossus of Hindoostan.’’ 
We do not consider the foregoing picture in 
the least over drawn. The opinion entertained 
by our author is that, of all men thoroughly 
acquainted with the subject, the Indian 
Government alone seem to regard it least. 
Our author proceeds to take a general view 
of the diflferent routes by which a Russian 
force may invade India. The widely extend- 
ed southern frontier of the Russian empire, 
which in longitude sweeps over nearly 
one half of the whole globe, admits of a 
military force advancing from that territory 
towards India from four distinct points. By 
the most westerly route the line of operations 
is the longest, and the subjugation of Persia 
would become necessary. These would re- 
quire a second campaign before Russia 
could reach India. The south shores of the 
Black Sea would be the basis for a first 
series of movements,and Herat, a city on the 
eastern boundary of the Persian empire, 
would be the station whence arrangements 
for a second campaign would emanate, 
and from which the invaders would advance 
towards our possessions. Another plan 
the enemy would adopt is, to pass from 
Russia to the Indus, by establishing a depot, 
by means of the Volga river at a station on 
the shore of the Caspian Sea. Our autho** 
is of opinion that by this route, the line 
of march would be considerably reduced, 
and a demonstration only towards Per- 
sia would be made on the south of the 
Black Sea. In effecting an invasion by 
this route, the co-operation of Persia, and 
not its subjugation, would be necessary 
— an auxiliary the most feasible and 
likely to be attempted. The third line of ad- 
vance is from the east shore of the Caspian 
Sea across a desert to Khiva, on the Oxus or 
Amu river, thence to Balkh, and by a caravan 
route to the Indus. These routes being more 
to the eastward are shorter, and an advance 
by them could be executed with rapidity. 
Captain Head is of opinion that the success 
of the enterprize would be more precarious 
than by the western routes, and might be 
looked upon in the light of a coup -de-main. 
All these routes have engaged the attention 
of the Government of St. Petersburg!!. We 
have ample information regarding these 
routes, furnished from statistical details col- 
lected by embassies which have proceeded 
from Russia to the cities of Kokhhand, Bo- 
khara, and Khiva, with a view of opening a 
communication with these places ; and 
opinions on the subject are freely circulated 
in the Russian capital. Captain Head is of 
opinion that, for a European power to un- 
dertake the invasion of Persia or India, 
there is no spot east of Constantinople 
better calculated for assembling a large 
force than the plains of Erzeroom ; horses 
and cattle are cheap, and abundant forage is 
every where to be procured in the spring 
and summer, and a considerable stock of 
corn may be collected from the neighbour- 
ing provinces. Erzeroom is but a short dis- 
tance from the port of Trebizond on the 
Black Sea, through which all requisite stores 
could be readily supplied. Erzeroom is,iu like 
manner, an advantageous position for an 
advance into Persia. As at the present mo- 
ment the public mind is directed towards 
