Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/280

 158 THE BKITISH EMPIRE: — INDIA AND DEPENDENCIES

The religion of the native population is either Mussulman, in general of the Sunni sect, or Hindu. The Mussulmans number (1911) 782,648 ; Hindus, 37,602; Christians, 5,085; Sikhs, 8,390; others, 978. In 1904 a joint Inspector-General of P'ducation (now designated Director-General of Public Instruction) was appointed for Baluchistan and the Frontier Province, and an Assistant was posted to Quetta. At the close of 1911-12 there were 59 Government and aided schools in the province ; 9 of these were for girls and 2 for Europeans. Of the 2,896 pupils 449 were girls. Nearly half the pupils were Hindus, children of men from Sind and the Panjab in trade or in Government service. Besides these there Avere 130 private schools with 1,224 pupils on the rolls.

The country consists largely of barren mountains, deserts and stony plains ; its climate is subject to the extremes of heat and cold, and the rain- fall is uncertain and scanty. Here and there the mountains are tree-clad, and cultivation is carried on wherever water is found. The agricultural pro- ducts are wheat, barley, millet, lucerne, rice, maize, and potatoes ; while grapes, apricots, peaches, apples, and melons are grown in abundance. Panjgur in Makran is famous for its dates. Among wild animals are the markhor, urial (wild-sheep), Sind ibex, ravine-deer, bear, and panther, and the chief domestic animals are the camel, horses, oxen and cows, and donkeys.

Little is yet known of the mineralogy of the country. Iron and lead are found near Khuzdar ; coal is worked at Khost on the Sindh-Pishin railway, and in the Sor hills near Quetta. Asbestos and chromite have been found in Zliob, and chromite also in the Quetta Pishin district. There are oil springs at Khattan in the Marri country, but these are not now worked. Sulphate of iron has been found in Kalat and sulphate of aluminium in Chagai. Salt is manufactured in Pishin, in the Zhob district, and in the Kalat State. Local manufactures are unimportant. A few matchlocks and other weapons are made, and various kinds of ironwork for agricultural pur- poses. The nomad tribes make felts, rough blankets, and rugs. Brahui women are famous for their needle-work. Leather-work and pottery are manufactured in Kachhi. There is a brewery as well as a government distillery for the manufacture of country spirit at Quetta, and also mills for grinding flour, pressing chaff, and manufacturing patent coal-fuel. A museum at Quetta was opened in 1906. The Indian Staff College was opened at Quetta in 1907.

The land traffic Avith India passes either by railway or by the routes from Kalat and Las Bela to Sind, and through the Loralai district to the Punjab. The value of the trans-frontier imports (exclusive of treasure) from Kalat and Las Bela into India in 1911-12 was Rs. 11,80,291, and of the exports from India to Kalat and Las Bela, Rs. 10,01,070. The chief exports from the Province are mustard and rape, raw wool and food grains. Imports consist of i^iece-goods, chiefly of Indian manufacture, ghee, fruits, hay and grass and other articles carried mostly by rail.

Over- sea trade is carried on through ports on the Makran coast with India, the exports consisting of dates, matting and dried fish, and the im- ports chiefly of piece-goods and food grains. The greater part of this trade is with the Bombay Presidency.

The principal imports into Baluchistan from foreign countries, viz., Afghanistan and Persia, are fruit, ghee, wool, sheep, horses and ponies. Piece-goods in large quantities, indigo, sugar and metals are sent to these countries through Baluchistan.

Good roads connect the more important centres in the directly administered places, There are 810 miles of metalled and partly metalled roads and