exigencies of the state, or the claims of commerce might seem to demand.

While the railway was thus ministering to the public service, by concentrating the largest and most important military and civil stations, and the most populous and magnificent of the native cities, there would be ample time allowed it, to develop and mature its plans without any apprehension of a rival claimant springing up in its rear, for no other company seeing the best, the easiest portion of the trunk, already appropriated, would be disposed to fill up the chasm between Mirzapore and Calcutta, and encounter the rivalry of the already established steam companies supported by the monied and commercial interests of Calcutta, to whom the several fleets of steamers on the Ganges belong.*

* It was far from our wish when discussing the merits of the East Indian Railway to detract an iota from those of its projector, Mr. R. M. Stephenson, whose exertions in connection with the introduction of railways in India we duly appreciate. We have always thought, and recent events have more strongly impressed upon us the opinion, that the great desideratum was, to connect Calcutta with the N. W. Frontier. We only differ as to the mode of doing this. (1846).

Note to Second Edition. (1846).

* Our opinion remains unchanged, notwithstanding that the Railway Commission have enunciated propositions, and proposed projects in exact accordance with the views entertained by the East Indian, or Mirzapore Railway Company; but which they have failed to demonstrate, not even supplying the requisite data on which to found the demonstration of the plans and propositions proposed and enunciated by themselves-we say that our opinion remains unchanged as to the impolicy of commencing the railroad system by an attempt to supersede the river navigation, where it is comparatively free from obstruction, and is always available for steam navigation, as is the case between Rajmahl and Allahabad. The former is situated at the head of the Delta of the Ganges, and the latter at the confluence of the Ganges and Jumna, the distance between the two towns, by the river route, being 500 miles. But should a line be determined on for this portion of the country, an extension of the Rajmahl line up the Gangetic valley to Mirzapore and Allahabad. would have many advantages over the direct route indicated by the East Indian, or Mirzapore Railway Company These advantages we shall notice in detail when we come to review the Report of the Railway Commission. It may, however, be mentioned now, that although the actual, or lineal distance between Calcutta and Mirzapore by the valley of the Ganges, would be 100 miles longer than by the direct route, yet taking the difference of gradients into account (assistant power being required on the latter, and pro rata to the power required so is the distance) the gain in time by the direct line would not be more than three or four hours, which would be too trivial to be an element in any calculation of the comparative merits of the two lines, in a country where time occupied in travelling is estimated by months instead of hours.

GREAT NORTH OF INDIA RAILWAY,

FROM

ALLAHABAD TO DELHI.*

THE object of these pages is to describe projects, not companies, so that while discussing the merits of the East Indian Railway, we dealt with it as a whole, and had regard not only to its immediate objects, but to its future and ultimate extensions; we merely recommended a departure from the order of progression laid down, and not an abandonment of any one of its objects.

* Length of line, 400 miles. Capital of Company, £4,000,000. "They would then have a great length of line for a reasonable average outlay. The lower half from Calcutta to Mirzapore, costing considerably above that average, and the upper half from Mirzapore to Delhi as much below it."--Vide paragraph 84, Report of Railway Commission. (1846).

The East Indian line we have seen, was to proceed from Calcutta to Mirzapore, and eventually to Delhi and the N. W. Frontier, selecting for a first effort the poorest, the most thinly peopled, and the most difficult portion of the line, reserving what was of easy and rapid attainment for the future. The Great North of India line, on the contrary, knowing that the communication between Calcutta and Allahabad (the great entrepôt for passenger and commercial traffic), fortythree miles above Mirzapore, was already provided for by the Inland Steam Navigation Companies, commences at Allahabad, where, as we have already stated, the chief difficulties in the river transit begin, and will form a great trunk line between that city, Cawnpore, Agra, and Delhi: "but as the completion of comparatively short lines is the best mode of introducing railways into any country," it is proposed to complete this undertaking section by section. Should this plan be adhered to, we would recommend as a first step, the connecting of any two points, between Cawnpore and Delhi-for example, a line from Cawnpore viâ Etawah or Mynpooree to Agra,* or from Agra by Muttra, and Allyghur to Delhi:† the traffic

* Length about 166 miles.

Length about 104 miles.

The Company propose, and the Railway Commission recommend, as a preliminary section, that portion of the line between Allahabad and Cawnpore, in length 133 miles. (1846).

on the road above Cawnpore being much greater than below that station, and the ground being, if anything, still better adapted for a railway. The Great North of India proposes a continuation of the line from Allahabad to Mirzapore, and from Delhi to N. W. Frontier. In the preceding section we have dwelt so minutely on the advantages and importance of a line from Allahabad towards the N. W. Frontier, that we do not think it necessary to make more than these general remarks. The East Indian and Great North of India lines must inevitably amalgamate, and thus adjust their rival claims; the one has the prestige of priority, the other that of the more judicious selection of a starting point.