Area and Population. The total area of the islands is 6,677 square miles. According to the census of 1878 the population was 57,985-34,103 males and 23,882 females; and according to the census of 1884, 80,578-51,539 males, 29,039 females. Of the population in 1884, 40,014 were natives, 4,218 half-castes, 2,170 born in Hawaii of foreign parents, 17,939 Chinese, 12,237 foreigners (2,066 Americans, 1,282 English, 9,377 Portuguese, 1,600 Germans, 192 French, 116 Japanese, 767 Polynesians). The native population is closely allied to the Maories of New Zealand. At the time of Captain Cook's discovery of the islands, upwards of a century ago, the population numbered probably 200,000. Since then the natives have rapidly decreased, and since the census of 1878 there has been a decrease in the native population of 4,084. The foreign element is, however, rapidly increasing. The total arrivals in 1883 were 11,194; departures, 3,535; the immigration in 1884 was 7,654 and emigration 4,941, being an excess of 2,713 arrivals; in 1885 the former 5,410 and the latter 1,805, being an excess of arrivals of 3,605; in 1886 there were 3,725 arrivals and 2,189 departures, showing an excess of 1,536 arrivals; in 1887, arrivals 3,250, departures 2,220; in 1888, 5,532 arrivals, 2,890 departures; excess of arrivals 2,642. Most of the immigrants are Chinese and Japanese. Hawaii is the largest island, but the capital, Honolulu (20,487 inhabitants), is in the island of Oahu. Religion and Instruction. All forms of religion are permitted and protected. Nearly all the natives are Christians. The King belongs to the Church of England, of which there is a bishop at Honolulu ; there is also a Roman Catholic bishop, and ministers of various denominations. Schools are established all over the islands, the sum allotted for public instruction in 1886-88 being 203,020 dollars yearly. In 1888 there were 189 schools, with 8,770 pupils; of the pupils 5,320 were Hawaiians and 1,227 half-castes. Finance. The budget is voted for a biennial period. The following shows the revenue and expenditure in dollars for the last five financial periods : 1878-80 1880-82 1882-84 1884-86 1886-88 Revenue 1,703,736 2,050,276 | 3,092,085 | 3,010,655 4,812,576 1,795,697 2,282,596 2,216,406 2,988,722 4,712,285 Estimated revenue, 1888-90, 2,618,913 dollars; expenditure 3,102,418 dollars. The revenue is largely derived from customs (1,024,365 dollars in 1886-88) and internal taxes (766,422 dollars in 1886–88), while the largest items of expenditure are for the interior (1,528,260 dollars in 1886-88) and finances (727,264 dollars in 1886-88). The debt on June 30, 1888, was 1,936,500 dollars. The interest varies from 6 to 12 per cent. Commerce, Shipping, and Communications. The islands are to a great extent mountainous and volcanic, but the soil is highly fertile and productive. Sugar and rice are the staple industries, while coffee, hides, wool, whale oil, and bone are also exported. The following table shows the commerce (in thousands of dollars) and shipping for three years : Of the exports in 1888 sugar was valued at 10,818,000 dollars; rice, 578,000 dollars; the imports are mainly groceries and provisions, clothing, grain, timber, machinery, hardware, cotton goods. 90 per cent. of the trade is with the United States. Steamers connect the islands with the American continent, Australasia, and China. In the inter-island traffic 18 steamers and a large number of schooners are constantly engaged. In 1888 there were 61 vessels belong. ing to the islands, of 15,406 tons. There are about 56 miles of railway in the islands of Hawaii, Maui, and Oahu. There are telegraphs in the islands of Maui, Hawaii, between Hawaii and Oahu, and round the latter island; total length 250 miles; nearly every family in Honolulu has its telephone. In 1887 the total number of letters, &c., transmitted and received by the Post Office was 1,574,442; there were 54 post-offices. Postal saving-banks: depositors, 819; amount, 214,185 dollars. Honolulu is lighted by electricity and has lines of tramways. The various islands will shortly be connected by telegraphic cable. Currency. Hitherto, gold and silver coins of all nations have passed current in the Hawaiian Islands as legal tender, either at their real or nominal value; but from December 1, 1884, only gold coins of the United States are legal tender for more than 10 dollars, and only Hawaiian and United States silver coins for smaller amounts. Paper money is not in use, except in the form of treasury certificates for coin deposited there. Diplomatic and Consular Representatives. 1. OF HAWAII IN GREAT BRITAIN. Chargé d'Affaires.—Abraham Hoffnung, November 9, 1886. 2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN HAWAII. Commissioner and Consul-General.—Major James H. Wodehouse. Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Hawa 1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS. Annual Report of the Collector-General of Customs for June 1888. Honolulu, 1889. Hawaiian Law Reports Report of Minister of Foreign Affairs. Honolulu, 1889. Report of Minister of Finance. Honolulu, 1889. Report of the President of the Bureau of Immigration. Honolulu, 1889. 2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS. Andri (A.), Les iles Hawaii. Gand, 1886. Ellis (W.), Polynesian Researches. 4 vols. London, 1831. San Francisco, 1880. Fornander (C.), Origin of the Polynesian Nations. 3 vols. London, 1885. Gordon Cumming (Miss C. F.), Fire Fountains: the Kingdom of Hawaii. 2 vols. London, 1883. Hawaiian Almanac and Annual for 1890. Honolulu, 1889. Honolulu Almanac and Directory for 1890. Honolulu, 1889. Hopkins (Manley), History of Hawaii. 2nd edition. London, 1866 Jarvis (J. J.), History of the Hawaiian Islands. Honolulu, 1847. Luther (H. Gulik, M.D.), Climate, &c., of the Hawaiian Islands. New York, 1855 Mine (Albert), L'archipel des îles Hawaï ou Sandwich. Bordeaux, 1885. Monnier (Marcel), Un printemps sur le Pacifique. Iles Hawaii. Paris, 1885. HONDURAS. (REPÚBLICA DEL HONDURAS.) Constitution and Government. THE Republic of Honduras, established November 5, 1838, before the dis solution of the Confederation of Central America in 1839, is governed under a charter proclaimed in November 1865, greatly modified by the new Constitution of November 1, 1880. It gives the legislative power to a Congress of Deputies composed of 37 members. The executive authority rests with a President, nominated and elected by popular vote for four years. President of the Republic.-General Don Luis Bogran, elected President November 9, 1883, and re-elected September 1887. There have been no regular elections of Presidents in recent years, and none served the full term of office. The administration of the Republic is carried on by a Council of ministers, to whom are entrusted the departments of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Public Works, War, Finance, Public Instruction, and Justice. The active army consists of 500 men with 3,000 militia. Area and Population. The area of the Republic is calculated to embrace 46,400 English square miles, with a population, in 1889, of 431,917, or about 9 inhabitants to the square mile. The Republic is divided into 13 departments, 60 districts, 212 municipalities. The bulk of the inhabitants consists of aboriginal Indians,' and the sparse European-descended population, mainly of Spanish origin, is in the small ports on the Pacific coast, and in the town of Santa Rosas in the tobacco districts of Gracias. Capital of the Republic is the ancient town of Tegucigalpa, with 12,600 inhabitants, including the district, situate nearly in the centre of the State, and chief station on the planned inter-oceanic railway. Instruction. There are two universities and several colleges; 573 schools in 1882, with 20,518 scholars. Finance. The finances of the Republic are in great disorder owing to prolonged civil strife, aggravated in 1872 by wars with Guatemala and San Salvador, which continued, with short interruptions, till the end of June 1876, when exhaustion on all sides brought about a peace. Since 1880 there have been improvements. The actual revenue in 1885 was 994,780 dollars. For the two financial years 1886 to 1888 (July 31) the revenue was estimated at 2,818,265 dollars, and expenditure 2,826,532 dollars. The actual expendi. ture for several years exceeded the revenue, and the deficits were covered by loans. The revenue is drawn mainly from customs and excise duties. The foreign debt of Honduras consisted of English loans amounting to 3,222,000l., and a French loan of 2,176,5707., or a total of 5,398,5707. No interest has been paid since 1872, and its accumulation has reached (1889) the amount of over 7,645,5187. Commerce. The exports of Honduras consist chiefly of cattle, mahogany, hides, and india-rubber, while the imports comprise cotton goods, silks, and hardware. The exports for the financial year 1887-88 were valued at 3,350,664 dollars, and were:-Vegetable products (1,221,716 dollars), animal and industrial products (376,645 dollars), minerals, exclusive of gold and silver (1,673,449 dollars), gold and silver (78,853 dollars). These exports went to the United States (2,790,405 dollars), England (105,088 dollars), France (81,566 dollars), Germany (6,003 dollars), and the Central American Republics (367,599 dollars). From Truxillo alone the exports of 1887 were valued at 628,100 dollars, including 1,200 head of cattle, valued at 30,000 dollars; mahogany, to the value of 52,000 dollars; hides and deer-skins, 52,540 dollars; bananas, 346,164 dollars; india-rubber, 51,326 dollars. At that port in 1887 139 vessels of 59,723 tons arrived, and same number cleared. There are no complete official returns of the value of either the imports or exports, owing partly to the customs at the principal ports being farmed out to individuals whose interest it is to conceal all facts concerning their revenue. The value of the commerce with Great Britain is not given in the Annual Statement' of the Board of Trade, which merges Honduras into Central America' (see page 647). The gold and silver mines of the country are officially stated to be in a fair way of development. Communications. In 1885 there were 33 post-offices, which carried 299,614 letters, newspapers, &c. There are 1,800 miles of telegraphs, with 63 offices; and there is a railway from Puerto Cortez to San Pedro Sula, 37 miles, and an inter-oceanic railway is projected from Puerto Cortez to Amapala on the Pacific. Also a line from Puerto Cortez by the N. Coast, through one of the best fruit districts of the Republic. Money, Weights, and Measures. The money, weights, and measures of Honduras, and the British equivalents, are as follows: MONEY. The Dollar, of 100 cents: nominal value, 4s., real value 3s. 4d. |