Page:England & Russia in Central Asia,Vol-I.djvu/144

124 124 ENGLAND AND RUSSIA IN CENTEAL ASIA. no doubt that from Ruduk itself into our territory there is an easy way, but this extreme dependency of China is in such an out-of-the-way corner that it may seem the height of fancy to select it as a quarter from which Russia might be expected to assail India. In this place we are simply obliged to point out that such a road is believed to exist, and that it must be seven hundred and fifty miles south-east of Yarkand. So long as Kashgar remains in independent hands, and free from the presence of a Russian garrison, so long is it extremely improbable that the road to India will be sought through Kashgaria. If it were selected for such a purpose Russia would have made one of the worst selections conceivable. The next quarter whence it would be possible to advance against India would be from the Pamir, and its contiguous khanates, Karategin — virtually a Rus- sian province — Darwaz, Roshan, and Shignan. In this direction the great river Panja, the upper course of the Oxus, which has not been wholly explored, would serve as the line along which troops might be able to advance. Here also the probable point of con- centration would be Sarhadd. The Russian base would be Margilan, whence there are known passes into Karategin. At the most moderate computation Sarhadd is by this route four hundred miles from Margilan. In point of distance this route is preferable to the long, roundabout one through Kashgar. It is in fact one of the shortest. The main point of doubt is what kind of country Darwaz is, of which neither Russia nor England