Indian Surveys, 1885-6
1887
Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography
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... S, 1885-G. adequate to the "redemption of the Indian" is a question that time alolle can solve. But it does seem highly probable that a sparsely populated country like this and the other States of the 3Iexican Republic will, sooner or later, direct its serious attention to its Indian races and their capacity for cultivating its rich soil, not as serfs, but as farmers or even peasant proprietors. And if once the Indian succeed in regaining a stake ill his country, then indeed there will be no doubt of his redemption. But will he ? VERA CRUZ, July 22nd, 1887. Indian Sxrveys, 1885-6. THE record of work of the Indian Surveys for the year 1885-6, under the direction of Lieut.-Colonel H. R. Thuillier, R.E., officiating surveyor-general, is noticeable for the completion of the work of the Afghan Boundary Commission. Although there was much delay in the settlement of the actual boundary, this delay was turned to good account by Colonel Holdich and Captains Gore alld Talbot, who bsr makina the most of every opportunity that presented itself, and being efficiently aided by some of their brother-officers, not to mention the valuable assistance given by members of the native staff who penetrated into regions where it was danaerous for the Europeans to venture, succeeded in making a reconnaissance survey of a very large portion of Afghanistan, amountina to an area of upwards of 120,000 square miles. The whole of this work is based on a network of triangulation mainly esecuted by Captain Talbot, estending from Mashhad in the west, on the position of which (determined by Captain Gore) the longitudes depend, to beyond Cabul on the east and to Farah on the south, a connection givillg the work a value far beyond that generally appertaining to geographical surveys. Special maps of lIerat, Bala, Murghab, Maruchak, and other strongholds have been prepared, while the boundary demarcation itself is represented by a map in five sheets of the combined Russian and English topography, showina a strip of eight miles adjoining the boundary, on the scale of half an inch to the mile; one copy of the English topoCraphy on the quarter-inch scale showing the boundary in relation to the roads, rivers, and passes over to the mountaills to the south, in three sheets, and special maps of the country between Daulatabad and the Osus, and of the Khamiab district, regardinC which neCotiations have since been concluded in St. Petersburg. At the suggestion of the Secretary of State for India, Colonel Eoldich has prepared an interesting report on the geographical work of the boundary, and as this has been designedly written for publication, it is to be hoped that its appearance may not be long delayed. Colonel Holdich will also hereafter prepare a general report, which will include the great body of the computations, and form, with previous reports on Afghanistan, a complete synoptical volume of the survey of India series. The duty of undertaking the preparation of the entire series of maps alld of constructing one general map of Afghanistan, has been entrusted to Captain GoreX R.E., who is now engaged on the work in India. In connection with the Boundary Survey, it may be mentioned that interesting reports have been writtesl by individual officers of very imperfectly known tracts, such as one by Captain the Hon. M. G. Talbot, of Daulatyar, Haibak, and the Balka survey (a notice of which appeared in our ' Proceedings '), a report by Sub-surveyor Hira Sing on the Firuzkuhi country, and
doi:10.2307/1801416
fatcat:cqi4yasfkfbgrgf2mxvwumsw7u