282 VEPAL. the frontier it degenerates into a mere cart-track. As far as Bhimphedi (67 miles), light carts can occasionally be taken ; but as a matter of fact, the greater part of the traffic is conveyed to Bhimphedi on packbullocks and ponies, and by coolies. Beyond Bhimphedi, coolies are the only means of carriage available. Though a portion of the road is there fit for driving, there is hardly a cart to be found in the whole valley of Khatmandu. What has been said of this route applies to the other means of communication with Nepál. There is scarcely a made road in the country, but carts and pack-bullocks from British territory freely pass to and fro during the dry season. The rivers are only used for floating down timber. The principal articles of export from Nepál are the following :Rice and inferior grains, oil-seeds, ghi or clarified butter, ponies, cattle, falcons for hawking, mainás as cage-birds, timber, opium, musk, chireta, borax, madder, turpentine, catechu or cutch, jute, liides, and furs, dried ginger, cardamoms, red chillies, turmeric, and chauris or yak-tails. The chief imports are--raw cotton, cotton twist, and cotton piece-goods (both native and European), woollen cloth, shawls, rugs, flannel, silk brocade, embroidery, sugar, spices, indigo, tobacco, areca-nut, vermilion, lac, oils, salt, a little fine rice, buffaloes, sheep and goats, sheet copper copper and brass ornaments, beads, mirrors, precious stones, guns and gunpowder for sporting purposes, tea from Kumáun and Dárjiling. Of the aggregate value of this trade, it is difficult to form eren an approximate estimate. Elaborate statistics have recently been compiled on the frontiers of Bengal, the North-Western Provinces, and Oudh; but with a trade that passes by so many channels, and consists in many cases of articles of small bulk and high value, registration necessarily omits much. The following figures afford some indication of the general character of the transactions. The balance of trade, which is always much in favour of Nepál, is adjusted by the importation of silver into that country. This silver is for the most part hoarded. In the year 1877-78, the total imports into Nepál from Bengal were valued at £455,000, the chief items being — European piece-goods, £153,000; Indian piece-goods, £19,000 ; salt, £32,000; cattle, £52,000; sugar, £16,000; raw cotton, £7000; brass and copper, £22,000. The total exports into Bengal were valued at £703,000, chiefly consisting of food-grains, oil-seeds, cattle, and timber. By weight, the total exports of rice and paddy amounted to nearly 35,000 tons, and of oil-seeds to nearly 13,000 tons. The piece-goods imported were almost entirely registered in Champaran District. The corresponding statistics for 1882-83 are as follows:-Value of total imports into Nepál from Bengal, £ 555,752, the chief items being -European piece-goods, £181,959; Indian piece-goods, £17,805;
