judging.

Nepaul also possesses mines of sulphur, and, it is said, of antimony;
whether this latter is found in the country does not seem certain; it is,
however, an article of import from Thibet. Amongst other minerals are
corundum, figure-stone, and talc; and amongst the present exports from
the interior of Nepaul may be noticed turmeric, wax, honey, resin,
pepper, cardamums: all these, however, are exported in but small
quantities, owing partly to the difficulty of transport, and partly to
the want of enterprise and capital in a nation thoroughly ignorant of all
mercantile transactions.

It is much to be regretted that no European is now allowed to settle in
Nepaul; for its many latent resources must remain undiscovered, or at
least undeveloped, until the present blind policy of its government is
changed, when British enterprise and British capital introduces a new era
in its commercial existence, which will doubtless prove no less
profitable to the country itself than to the capitalist.

Of the immense expanse of country lying in a north-westerly direction
towards Cashmere we know nothing, save by report, and that is not always
to be trusted. The Minister told me that, in a province three days'
journey from the capital in that direction, sufficient horses were bred
to supply the wants of the whole country. That seemed perfectly
possible, considering how limited is the demand in this respect; but, on
our homeward journey, we passed a drove of upwards of two hundred long-
backed, spindle-legged colts, going up to Katmandu, and that did not seem
exactly corroborative of the Minister's assertion.

But, whatever may be its capabilities as regards horses, it doubtless
possesses many resources; but it is not on the productions of Nepaul
alone that the European speculator would calculate, but on the rare and
precious merchandise of Thibet and the northern provinces of China--such
as the miledo, or exquisitely soft material fabricated from the wool of
the celebrated shawl-goat, itself a rare and valuable animal; and the
chowries or tails of a peculiar species of bullock inhabiting the snowy
regions, at present an article of export from the hill states in the
north-west provinces of India, and extensively used throughout the
continent as fly-flappers.

Musk, procured from the musk-deer, is a most valuable article of
commerce, and the present trade is exceedingly lucrative; of very
inconsiderable bulk, and of great in