ch
dye, caoutchouc or india-rubber, cotton, petroleum and jade. By far the
largest of the imports are cotton, silk and woollen piece-goods, while
subordinate imports include hardware, gunny bags, sugar, tobacco and
liquors.

The following table shows the progressive value of the trade of Burma since
1871-1872:--

+-----------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| Year. | Imports. | Exports. | Total. |
+-----------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| | Rs. | Rs. | Rs. |
| 1871-1872 | 3,15,79,860 | 3,78,02,170 | 6,93,82,030 |
| 1881-1882 | 6,38,49,840 | 8,05,71,410 | 14,44,21,250 |
| 1801-1892 | 10,50,06,247 | 12,67,21,878 | 23,17,28,125 |
| 1901-1902 | 12,78,46,636 | 18,74,47,200 | 31,52,93,836 |
| 1904-1905 | 17,06,20,796 | 23,94,69,114 | 41,00,89,910 |
+-----------+--------------+--------------+--------------+

_Internal Communications._--In 1871-1872 there were 814 m. of road in Lower
Burma, but the chief means of internal communication was by water. Steamers
plied on the Irrawaddy as far as Thayetmyo. The vessels of the Irrawaddy
Flotilla Company now ply to Bassein and to all points on the Irrawaddy as
far north as Bhamo, and in the dry weather to Myitkyina, and also on the
Chindwin as far north as Kindat, and to Homalin during the rains. The
Arakan Flotilla Company has also helped to open up the Arakan division. The
length of roads has not greatly increased in Lower Burma, but there has
been a great deal of road construction in Upper Burma. At the end of the
year 1904-1905 there were in the whole province 7486 m. of road, 1516 m. of
which were metalled and 3170 unmetalled, with 2799 m. of other tracks. But
the chief advance in communications has been in railway construction. The
first railway from Rangoon to Prome, 161 m., was opened in 1877, and that
from Rangoon to Toungoo, 166 m., was opened in 1884. Since the annexation
of Upper Burma this has been extended to Mandalay, and the Mu Valley
railway has been constructed from Sagaing to Myitkyina, a distance of 752
m. from Rangoon. The Mandalay-Lashio railway has been completed, and trains
run from Mandalay to Lashio, a distance of 178 m. The Sagaing-Monywa-Alon
branch and the Meiktila-Myingyan branch were opened to traffic during 1900.
In 1902 a railway from Henzada to Bassein was formed and a connecting link
with the Prome line from Henzada to Letpadan was opene