The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-04-25


China and Russ a.
bombay March 14 correspondence OF Loudon
Tmes.l
The government Of India has Just published COM
munication from the Punjab authorities and q re-
port by Dr. Cayey, both OF very deep interest the
traffic between India and Central ASIA Lord Elgin's
death prevented settlement with the Maharaj Of
Cashmere of the rates Of transit duty through his
territory to Yarkand. These rates, however, were
prohibitory-being one hundred and fifty per cent
sugar seventy eight on tea and thirty on piece
goods-that in 1884 Sir Robert Montgomery arranged
for their reduction. But the Maharajah and his off,
Gals managed the reduction that the Punjab gov
eminent publicly pronounce 1t to have been "ln
reality little more than sham" Mr.. Forsyth,
G. c.. the Commissioner Of Jullundur, the di-
vision through which the chief commercial
route lies discovered that all trade between Little
Thibet and our provinces OF Koooo and Iahoul was
practically arrested in Ladakh which juts out be-
tween the two. The impression had been seduOusly
fOstered that the Maharajah was the paramount
Power, and that the Queen and the Indian govern
ment were OF no account while our leading native
official in Koo0o was In the habit annually OF doing
homage and Onering tribute to the Maharajah. To
prevent this and carry out the engagements OF 1854
the government Of India deputed DR.. Cayey an ener-
getc and intelligent assistant surgeon. to Leh, the
capital Of Ladakh. His instructions were to abstain
from interference with the internal administration Of
Cashmere but to see that the tariff Of 1854 was car
red out; TO prevent any oppression OF our traders,
and to report not only on the nature and develop
ment of the trade with Central Asia, but all political
in Chinese Turkesian.
DR.. Cayley reached Leh in June, last year. and his
abos as medical man s ana ON and Po
uniform duty OF per cent. dd rdiOre Is now levied
on goods passing to and from Yarkand, the great
mart Of Little Thibet through Ladakh. Even after
all this, however the Maharaah is doing his best to
deceive us once more. He has tried hard to prevent
the fine Turfani wool, OF which the true Cashmere
shaws are made, from finding Its way 10 Umritslr
His expressions and monopolies have driven many OF
the weavers from the ''happy valleys to that and
other 1nartS OF the Punlab and many more would de-
sert were they allowed to do so. But the weavers
can do little without the WOOL and have been driven
to the use Of the very inferior article Changtang,
which is produced In the Chinese territories Of Ru-
dok and Churmuti and reaches Umritsur and
Noorpore without passing through Ladakh. The
places the great manufacture of true Cashmere
shawls Will either be transferred to them, or the
which he exercises over his own weaycrs, who are
In reality worse than serfs, leading life similar to
houses IA described by Ivy. Accordingly the Ma.
haraah Is TO he ''cOureously but rmly required to
carry out his engagements of lse4 as to WOOL in
ernor assumes" says his communication to the
government Of India that there will in future he no
attempt made on the part OF the Maharajah to eXer-
else monopoly over goods In transit, a. being q
proceeding opposed to the law OF all natons. But
only the presence of British oflcer at Leh every
season and the appointment OF permanent Resident
to the Cashmere Valley will secure the honest
discharge Of its engagements by the Cashmere
learn how much better comparatively free trade will
pay him than his monopOlies, which have In truth
The details given by DIR. Cayley may be compared
with the recent report OF Mr.. Llmley the Russian
miles, or forty-two marches; there are i've high
passes all above Is 900 feet but the road is easy for
laden ponies. From Leh to Yarkand the great mart
of Little Thibet, or what was lately Chinese Turkes-
TAM the distance Is $50 miles in thirty Marches
five passes none Of which is lower than 49, 900 feet
e in Of & snS
transfer OF the goods from yaks ponies, and the
large unbrdged rivers the trade Is brisk because the
Yarkand ana Changtang a few years ago amounted
to $4,000 In value; last year they fell to
fl1,OOO, owing TO the Cashmere restriction and
political difficulties caused by the expulsion
OF the Chinese and the rise OF the Kush- Begi.
TO power The imports last year consisted Of wool,
prck tea from CHINA through Lhassa, felts cotton,
silks, carpets leather from Russia the silver ingOts
known as yambres or kurus, gold bars and gold DUST
musk and salt; which last the Cashmere authorities
monopolize, compelling the people 10 carry 1t free OF
cost to Sreenuggur and JunnoO Among the Imports
were 30 10 OF common seaweod all the way from the
emma seas, used as medicine for gotre on account
OF Its iodine; and large number VI silk handker-
chiefs from Bokhara. OF the finest texture and most
variegated colos. The exports from the Punjab to
Leh for larkand amounted to 800 iaunds leach 50
lbs worth fl',300. They consisted chiefly OF English
cotton goods, which are greatly in demand"
IN larkand, the traders asserting that ''almost
an unlimited amount Of them could he disposed
OF, But DR.. Cayley warns sellers against
trade has been already ruined by the old and infc-
rior articles sent up from llindo0stan, so that
Russian broadcloths now fnd their way across Asia
10 the Punjab. Cottons OF bright coors, red blue,
green and Yellow IL Of good quality, will sell at high
prices ~ any quantity. So with tea. Since the
Chnese nave been driven out Of Turkisan it Is sup
| piled from India. China tea has hitherto been sent
| up from Bombay and Calcutta; but Dr. Cayey as
sires us that any quantity OF second class green tea
| from the Himalayan plantations would sell at var.
kand at Us. pound. He expresses s'great hope''
that IN few years Indian teas will ind their way to
RUSSIA ny TINS route, as China teas do now. The dis
lance from kangra to the nearest Russian ports Is
only two and a half months IN time; from China It Is
| rom nve to six months duration. Some OF the In
dian teas sent to ~. Petersburg by sea have been
hghly approved there The other goods In demand
~ ,Mhsna are spices, sugar, goat SKINS indigo,
needles ana SCISSORS. The expulsion Of tina Chinese
mas Withdrawn all demand for opium and left heavy
stocks In the market.
Bokhara, kokan, Russian Turkstan, kashgar Tur-
lan Akser and the countries To the northeast meet
.he ndan traders ana barter takes place. Only one
iird OF me price generally paid in gold and siv
But MI. Forsyths experiment Of fair at Paampore
was so successful last year that probably that will
iorm the indian centre beyond which our ten planters,
at least, need not go or send Dr. Cayicy's repre-
sensations OF the attractions OF the trade are salts
factory "a they are experienced. Whatever may be
the political state OF the country the respect for trade
" so great throughout Asia that convulson long
inierleres with It. Tie kusBegi, who has conquered
the whole OF Little Thibet and threatens Russia Is
anxious that we should send an accredited envoy to
Yarkand and DR.. Caycy warmly urges tn is on gov.
tcrTllOrN covers an OF 3OWO
square miles, and contains UPWARDS of a dozen large
and important towns.
The details OF the whole sea-borne trade OF India
FOR the past seven years gives idea Of the value OF
this internal traic which h yet In its infancys,
indeed nj the lowest point ever reached. The export
OF Cashmere shawls-yefy few Of them real Tur-
fan-has fallen from E3j9,ii2 I'm value In 1s6t-62 to
f2ps 223 IN the year ending April last and the export
duty paid IN India from fl3,7S3 to $3.50 Assam tea
has risen from flol sos, the value OF the export IN
1s6061 to 1891 sos last year. Indian coffee shows
similar steady rise from f979l0 In ls5g60 10 f705 sos
In ls65-66; but u fel or last year TO f4s5 260 owing
to drought and the ravagcs OF the borer insect The
export Of cotton which reached Us highest point OF
f37513,66j In 1854 49, fell to fl9 756 fSg in 1s667
but this IL nearly double what II stood at In 1S6i62
when II was f10, 20207i. The import OF cotton goods
OF all kinds has steadily risen from IS, 3sG "A, In
1S62-63 To f13, 9,3l3 last year.
WORTHY or IMITATiON.--The Mayor OF Charest on
South Carolina "got on" rather neat joke the