Tae telegrams from Parma, whioh Theebaw by the British, herald an immediate change of the highest import in the politionl map of Asia. It is not only that a dom is about to become less than even a geographical expression, Parma has long been hot-bed of tyranny and bloodshed, of dacoity, misery, and superstition; its roler a monster and its people downtrodden; its extinction will be on every account a matter for: congratulation, bat will not otherwise be of any striking importance, It is not so much the "Exit Theebaw" which is deserving attention as the "Enter Queen Victori It is not even the fact of British annexation per se which is fraught with meaning. We have annexed rather freely of late in most parts of the world, whether for the good of bum of our trade—-as in North Borneo; or _for the cafe-guarding of our colonies and shipping—as in New Guinea and at Port Hamilton. The subjugation of Parma to our rule will have one unique result,—it will carry our frontier forward to Bhamo; for the first time in the world's history the British red will march conterminous with the southwesterly limita of the Chinese Empire, and India will-be the next-dour neigh- Hi hour of the Middle Kingdom, Under these circumstances the open. ing of a land trade-route to Obine, the establishment of which has so often been attempted and hae #0 invariably failed, will become the leading question of the day in the Far East, Not that commercial intercourse by land is an-Known; the Russians have long enjoyed go ona limited scale from and the French are even now the preliminaries of an ander-standing which aboli allow th merchants to utilise the Sougka River and carry their wares into South Chit "Bat the Russian frontier is still too distant from China Proper, and the French negotiations have as yet had practical result, The fact is that, by th Birma coup-de-main, it has been our good fortune to win the takes in a "guao in which we seemed to lag farthest behind. Three European nations, Russi France, and Great Britain, have been gradually carrying rheic frontiers nearer and nearer to those of China, The Slav has been pressing forward from the north and west, uow annexing the banke of the Amoor and a large slice of Kiri extending to the Corean frontier; again laying felonious hands on Vii and intriguing at Kashgar; and "quite recently suspected of friendly designs on the lately asserted indepondof Corea. France was next in the "field from the South; established in a corner of Cambodia, it seemed a simple thing to ensure the peace of bandit. yielden Aunam by sending a few thou. feud mei and waving the tricoloat The few thousand men were insufficient, and the tricolour does not yet wave over as many square miles ae was expected; bat the Red River will yet be subdued, and French rule be established within cry of Meng-hao. England, which seemed the last in the field and the least energetically disposed of the three, has, by her Intest feat of arms, sprang boldly to the front, and, like a dark horse, won the race by a head, to the surprise, we daresay, of the rival jockeys. The three nations have so long set before themselves the necessity of finding land-entrance for their trade with China, that the feasibility of all the possible routes has been discussed over and over again, For the present Russia contents herself with the weary journey across Mongolia from Kinchta eastwards to Peking, or in m south. carterly direction to Hnukow; she hopes possibly to open a more cone highway from Vladivostok or ort Lazaro. Bat the project of the fature which concerns ber ultimate prosperity most nearly, is the system of Central Asi railways designed by that ind blo transBgurer of the de Lesseps, This destined to unite the extreme west of Asia to the extreme east, starts from Astracan, penses through Khiva, Bokhara, and Samarcand into Chinese Turkestan, touches at Yang id, skirle traversing the of Oater Kaneu, raus down the Han valley to find its terminus at Wuchang or Hankow. This may be called the trank fin, Bat M. de Lesseps proposes further to benefit oar Indian Empire by ranning a railcond from Jelallabad north. wards, vid Gilgit and Leb, to join the main artery in the neighbourhood of Yarkand. This is a project of which the execution seems to lie in the very remote future; but if ever realised it will prove no doubt the "quickest, cheapest, and most direct route" from Earope to the Far East, The French Lave but one route in serious contemplation, that by way of the Song-ka valley, the advantages and difficulties of which have been so frequently brought before the public of late that recapitulation is unnecessary. France has no doubt cast eyes of lough ing on other possible highways through Siamese and Burmese territory, but in the latter instance the visi are ale ready of the past, while, as regards Siam, the Jand of the White Elephant will have no difficulty.in finding powerfal helpers should its indepondence be threatened. Of the possible routes from India, that vid Thibet has of late been receiving the serious attention of the Indian Govern-mont, and as we have by the Clefoo Agreement acquired certain rights for official exploration in that direction, it is not impossible that a passage for trade saross the Lama's dominions may posed railway from Jelullubad bins already been alluded to, but it muy be safely assumed that, if " more direct route ceti be found, we are not likely to approach China by such 9 very circuitous road. Brahmaputra valley us been tried without success, TT. Cooper failed to force his way" beyond the Mishmee Bille, and the idea has been apparently given up as hopeless.
There remains the Barman route.
Possible objections on the part of King Theobuw need no longer be considered, and ove main difficulty has thas been removed by his dethronement, The commercial energy of the Anglo-Saxon race" is proverbial, and as soon as the newly acquired territory has been restored to order and organised as a province of Farther India, we may expect to seo the British chant following in the wake of the British soldier and hear him clamouring for trading facilities across the Yunnan border. He agitated the question years before the British and Chinese Empires were within bail, and'now that they actually touch, he la not likely to rest content with any. thing less than he cried for then, A railway to Blawo seems likely to be the first move towards improved communication with what is commer. cially virgin soil, but it is doubtful whether the south-west corner of Yiinnan will eventually be found the most desirable thoroughfare for a permanotit, trade route, In ' Across Cbryré' Mr, Colqahoun points out that the south. west portion of the provitice would offer but a poor market fur our pros duce, and that the difficulties in the unhealthy valleys Hands a road to ficher tracts are, if not insuperable, at least so formidable as to render ite expediouoy doubtful. His proposed rai way rans eastward from Mandalay, and, turning yerth across the Shan States, would eventually enter Yunnan near the centre of ite southern frontier, making directly for the prosperous regions around the provincial on pital, This proposed route offers three distinct advantages; it lends to the centre of the greatest demand, it avoids the natural obstacles of rivers and gorg least, it ciroamveuts the ard It seems indeed as if the expectation of years were about to he realised, and the southern provinces of this Empire placed in direct communication with the markets of India, Chinese officials may gnash their teeth, but circumatanoea are too much even for Chinese officiule.
Fate is currying the Slow Coach of Asia irresistibly forwards, We are at her gates, and have only to knock long ud loud enough; Destiny will ery "Open, Sesame!" in her despite,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.