'Military Report on Russian Turkistan or Central Asia' [‎35v] (77/168)

no
the owners being apt to conceal the full number of cattle
they may have, in order to avoid taxation. The con
ditions of nomad life are not such as to facilitate an
accurate computation of numbers, or the concentration
of animals when required. #
It seems probable that the advent of railways will
tend to have an appreciable effect in diminishing the
numbers of camels maintained in their neighbourhood ;
an effect noted in the past, here and elsewhere, and
liable to become more marked, in the future, as additional
lengths of railway are opened to traffic.
Trade and There being, at present, no British Consul in any part
industry, of Russian Central Asia there is difficulty in obtaining
reliable trade statistics. Small industries are widely
spread, but still retain much of their primitive character.
The manufacture of native carpets has deteriorated and
good specimens are both rare and expensive. All kinds
of woollen goods required for clothing are made by the
settled population. The cleaning of cotton is an im
portant branch of industry, though still in its infancy.
In 1903 there were 359 cotton factories (25 of which
employed steam power) the number of hands engaged
being 6,295.
* The figured in the table on p. 61 can only he taken to represent
an approximation, perhaps as accurately compiled as circumstances
admit. The following totals, given in another authority are ap
pended for comparison.
Horned
Sheep and
Camels.
Horses.
Donkeys.
Cattle.
Goats.
Cattle estimated to he
in Trans-Oaspia in
1895.
41,000
3,000,000
180,000
106,000
18,000
In the other ! provinces
of Turkistan, 1S98-
99.
1,571,000
11,500,000
518,000
1,581,000
78,000
Total
1,015,000
14,500,000
734,000
1,687,000
96,000
The same authority estimates the resources of Bokhara, (not
included in either of the above tables) to be approximately:
700,000 cattle, 7,000,000 sheep and goats, 300,000 camels, and
1,000,000 horses,