1902-03. 1903-04. 1904-05. Lakhs. Lakhs. Lakhs. Cotton, raw 12.76 12.49 7.60 Cotton yarn Foreign 35.68 32.58 28.28 Indian 26.11 25.63 33.30 Cotton goods: Foreign 1.78.57 1.55.28 1.50.31 Indian 64.37 52.60 63.34 Grain and pulse 10.35 18.65 17.39 Metals, mainly brass, copper, and iron 33.10 25.27 30.42 Oils 13.12 11.34 13.50 Provisions 21.47 20.49 19.43 Salt 43.14 31.42 31.46 Silk goods 11.24 9.54 8.22 Spices 16.69 16.76 14.04 Sugar 32.20 25.04 27.04 Tea 13.20 11.73 10.69 Tobacco 12.82 10.16 12.10 If India conducts with Afghanistan a trade which, although subject to fluctuations, enjoys considerable prosperity, the flow of commerce from the Trans-Oxus region towards the same markets is by no means contemptible. Indeed, articles imported into Afghanistan from Moscow, Merv, Bokhara and Samarkand figure in every bazaar in the Herat and Afghan Turkestan provinces. This trade passes through the customs stations of Kelif, Chushka Gusar, 40 miles to the east of Kelif, and Termes, 34 miles to the east of Chushka Gusar, the former of which is the principal seat of Russian Customs on the middle Oxus. Trade between Afghanistan and Russia has never been altogether prohibited by the Kabul authorities, Abdur Rahman permitting kafilas to travel by the routes on which he had established customs posts. On goods purchased in Russian territory by Afghan traders a rebate equal to the tax levied by the Amir’s officials is granted. Further, customs dues on goods imported from Afghanistan have been reduced by 50 per cent. Russian trade is therefore making rapid progress. The value of the goods which passed through the Russo-Afghan posts was £450,000 in 1902. To-day it probably exceeds half a million sterling. The import into Central Asia of goods from India has been strangled by the high Customs’ tariff of the Russians, plus the heavy transit dues in Afghanistan itself. The agents of Russian firms at Kelif and Chushka Guzar state that they can now compete successfully with British Indian trade in Northern Afghanistan owing to the comparative cheapness of transport from Europe, which means that the Trans-Caspian and Orenburg-Tashkent lines of railway are carrying Russian merchandise at specially low rates. None the less, the Russian traders complain of the Afghan transit dues,