of medicine for natives was opened at Hanoï. The chief crop is rice, exported mostly to Hong-Kong; other products are sugar-cane, silk, cardamoms, cotton, coffee, various fruit trees, and tobacco. About 500,000 kilogrammes of raw silk are produced annually, of which 300,000 kilogrammes are used in native weaving and the remainder exported. At Haiphong is a cotton mill with 16,000 spindles employing 600 hands. At Hanoi there is another with 10,000 spindles. There are copper and iron mines of good quality. Coal is worked at Hongay, the annual out-put being (1904) 301,500 tons. The chief industries are silk, cotton, sugar, pepper, and oils. Chief imports are metals and metal tools and machinery, yarn and tissues, beverages; chief exports rice and animal products. The principal port is Haiphong, which is visited regularly by the steamers of two French lines. The transit trade to and from Lungchau and Mengtze is small. The local budget of Tonking, 1906, was estimated at 5,744,993 dollars.

The Laos territory, under French protectorate since 1893, is estimated to contain 98,000 square miles, and about 650,000 inhabitants. The capital is Vien-tiane. In the country there are three protected states, Luang Prabang, which has a capital of the same name, the residence of the King, who is assisted in his government by a French Administrator; the other protected states are Bassac and Muong Sing. The soil is fertile, producing rice, cotton, indigo, tobacco and fruits, and bearing teak forests, from which the logs are now floated down the Mekong to Saigon. Gold, tin, lead and precious stones are found, and concessions have been granted to several French mining companies. But there are serious difficulties with the natives and for commercial purposes the country is almost inaccessible. It can be entered only by the Me-kong, which is barred at Khone by rapids. A railway, four miles in length, has been constructed across that island, and by means of it several steam launches have been transported to the upper waters, where they now ply. telegraph line connects Hué in Annam with the towns on the Me-Kong, and these with Saigon. The cost of the Laos administration is borne by Cochin-China (to the extent of six-thirteenths), Tonkin and Annam (fivethirteenths), and Cambodia (two-thirteenths). The Laos local revenue and expenditure for 1906 were estimated at 1,044,200 dollars.

Books of Reference on French Asia.

A

Indo-Chine Française. Rapport Général sur les Statistiques des Douanes Annual. Hanoi. Notice sur le Laos français [official]. Hanoï, 1900.

Aymonier (E.), Le Cambodge. 3 vols. Paris, 1900-04.

Barral (Joleaud), La Colonisation française au Tonkin et en Annam. Paris, 1899.

Barthélemy (Comte de), En Indo-Chine. Paris, 1899.

Bernard (F.), Indo-Chine. Paris, 1901.

Billet (A.), Deux Ans dans le Haut Tonkin. Paris, 1898.

Boell (P.), L'Inde et le Problème Indien. Paris, 1901.

Boisset (Th.), A travers le Tonkin pendant la Guerre. 12. Paris, 1892.

Bonhoure (E.), l'Indo-Chine. Paris, 1900.

Chailley-Bert (J.), La Colonisation de l'Indo-Chine. 12. Paris, 1892. [English Translation. London, 1894.]

Coussoet (A.) and Ruel (E.), Douze Mois chez les Sauvages du Laos. Paris, 1898.
Cunningham (A.), The French in Tonkin and South China, London, 1902.

Denjoy (P.), Indo-Chine française. S. Paris, 1894.

Destelan (Picard), Annam et Tonkin: Notes de Voyage. S. Paris, 1892.

Doumer (Paul), L'Indo-Chine Française (Souvenirs). Paris, 1904.

Dupuis (J.), Le Tong-kin et l'Intervention française. Paris, 1897.

Fosses (Castonnet des), L'Inde Française au XVIII Siècle. Paris.

Gallois (E), A travers les Indes. Paris, 1899.-La France d'Asie. Paris, 1900.
Gioi (M.), Deux Années de Lutte. 12. Paris, 1892.

Gosselin (Capt.), Le Laos et le Protectorat français. Paris, 1900.-L'Empire d'Annar. Paris, 1904.

Haurigot (G.), Les Etablissements français dans l'Inde et en Océanie. 8
Hocquard (C. E.), Une Campagne au Tonquin. 8. Paris, 1892.

Paris, 1891.

Ireland (A.), The Far Eastern Tropics [including Indo-China]. London, 1905.
Jammes (H. L.), Au Pays Annamite. Paris, 1898.-Souvenirs du Pays d'Annam. Paris,

1899.

Lagrillière-Beauclerc (Eug.), A travers l'Indo-Chine, Cochinchine, Camboge, Annaın, Tonkin, Laos. Paris, 1900.

Leclère (A.), Recherches sur la législation cambodienne: droit privé. Paris, 1890; droit public, Paris, 1894; législation criminelle, Paris, 1894.-Cambodge, Contes et légendes. Paris, 1895.

Lefèvre (E.), Un Voyage au Laos. Paris, 1898.

Liraye (M. le G. de la), L'Empire d'Annam et le Peuple Annamite. S. Paris, 1889. Madrolle (C.), Indo-Chine, Indes, Siam (Guide-books).

Mesny (Gen. W.), Tungking. 8. London, 1884.

Paris, 1902.

Mission Pavie Indo-Chine, 1879-95. Etude Diverse. Paris, 1899.

Mouhot (A. H.), Voyage dans les Royaumes de Siam, de Cambodge, du Laos, &c. Paris, 1868. Travels in the central parts of Indo-China, Cambodia, and Laos during 1858–60. 2 vols. 8. London, 1864.

Neton (A.), L'Indo-Chine et son Avenir Economique. Paris, 1903.

Nicolas (P.), Le Vie française Cochinchine. Paris, 1900.

Norman (C. B.), Tonkin, or France in the Far East. 8. London, 1884. Peoples and Politics of the Far East. London, 1895.

Orléans (Prince H. d'), Autour du Tonkin. Paris, 1896.--Du Tonkin aux Indes. Paris. 1897. [Eng. Trans. by H. Bent]. London, 1897.

Pavie (A.), Mission Pavie Indo-Chine, 1879-95. Géographie et Voyages. Paris, 1901. Picanon (E.), Le Laos Français. Paris, 1900.

Reclus (E.), Nouvelle Géographie Universelle.

Reinach (L. de), Le Laos. 2 vols. Paris, 1901.

Vol. VIII. Paris, 1883.

Verschuur (G.), Aux Colonies d'Asie et dans l'Ocean Indien. Paris, 1900.

AFRICA.

ALGERIA.

(L'ALGÉRIE.)
Government.

The government and administration of Algeria are centralised at Algiers under the authority of the Governor-General, who represents the Government of the Republic throughout Algerian territory. With the exception of the non-Mussulman services of Justice, Public Instruction, Worship, and the Treasury, which are under competent ministers, all the services are under his direction. Since the enactment of the law of December 19, 1900, he has to prepare a special budget for Algeria; he grants concessions for works, and he contracts loans in the name of the Colony.

The budget of Algeria which, since 1901, has been entirely distinct from that of France, comprises under revenue the imposts of every sort which are collected within the Colony and under expenditure the whole of the civil disbursements. The expenditure on War and Marine is still at the cost of the mother country, as is also the burden of guarantees of interest on railways up to 1926. The budget, prepared by the Governor under the control of the Minister of the Interior, is discussed and voted by the Financial Delegations and the Superior Council. These Delegations were instituted in 1898 to enable the body of tax-payers to state their views on questions of imposts by means of elected delegates. There are three Delegations representing respectively the French colonists, the French tax-payers other than colonists, and the Mussulman natives. The Superior Council is composed of elected members and of high officials. Lastly, the Governor is assisted in the exercise of his functions by a purely consultative council of government.

The French Chambers have alone the right of legislating for Algeria, while such matters as do not come within the legislative power are regulated by decree of the President of the Republic. Each department sends one senator and two deputies to the National Assembly.

The Algerian Sahara has (under decree of August 14, 1905) been organised in four territories, viz.; Tuggart, Ghardais, Ain Sefra, and the Sahara Oasis. The Governor-General will represent the Territories in civil affairs; the budget will be distinct from that of Algeria; an annual subvention will be provided in the French budget; but administrative and financial details are not yet published.

Governor-General.-M. Jonnart, appointed in 1903.

Area and Population.

The colony is divided officially into three departments, consisting as a whole of the Territoire civil,' and a 'Territoire de commandement.' There are 17 arrondissements and 352 communes. Within the civil territory there are communes with full rights (like communes in France) and also mixed communes; within the military territories, mixed and native communes. Both mixed and native communes are vast circumscriptions with a dominant native population, administered, in civil territory, by a civil administrator, and in military territory, by a superior commandant. The following table gives the area of each of the three departments of Algeria, according to the census of March 24, 1901 :

The total population in 1891 was 4, 124,732, in 1896, 4,429,421. In 1901, the native population numbered 4,072,080; French, 292, 464; naturalised foreigners, 71,793; naturalised Jews and their offspring, 57,132; Tunisians, 2,394; Moroccans, 23,872; Spaniards, 155,265; Italians, 38,791; other foreigners, 25,531. Of the census population present in 1901, 2,323,968 were males, and 2,070,051 were females.

The following statistics of movement of population are given for 1904 :

Still-births are included in births and deaths. The European still-births numbered 659; Musulman, 1,524; European illegitimate births, 2,358; Musulman, 332.

The area of the Algerian Sahara effectively occupied is estimated at about 193,000 sq. miles, including the zones in the south-west occupied in 1900, with a population of about 62,000.

The population of the city of Algiers in 1901 was 96,542 (with suburbs, 138,708); Oran, 87 801; Constantine, 41,138; Bône, 32,288; Tlemcen, 22,273; Mostaganem, 17,485; Mascara, 18,405; Philippeville, 14.843; Sibi-bel-Abbès, 24, 265; Blida, 16,198.

Religion and Instruction.

The native population is entirely Musulman, the Jews being now regarded as French citizens. The Roman Catholic Church has an archbishop and 2 bishops, with 386 officiating clergymen. There are 21 Protestant pastors and 7 Jewish rabbis sharing in Government grants.

At Algiers (city) there is an institution for higher instruction attended in 1904 by 1,277 students (311 for Law, 153 Medicine and Pharmacy, 194 Science, 619 Letters), There are higher Musulman schools (medersas) at Algiers, Tlemçen, and Constantine, where 232 pupils are prepared for native employments. In Algeria there are 18 establishments for secondary instruc tion with (1904) 5,421 pupils (4,270 boys and 1,151 girls). In 1904 there were 1,423 primary and infant schools, public and private, with 3,182 teachers and 147,826 pupils, exclusive of 259 Musulman schools. There were four normal schools with 50 professors and 213 students (38 Musulman). The estimated expenditure on public instruction by the State was, for 1905, 970,946 francs.

Crime.

There is an Appeal Court at Algiers, and in the arrondissements are 16 courts of first instance. There are also commercial courts and justices of the peace with extensive powers. Criminal justice is organised as in France for Europeans. Since 1902 there have been criminal courts and special repres sive tribunals for trying natives accused of crime. In 1904, 10,456 persons were guilty of offences against the person; 14,977 of offences against property, and 10,513 against the public; total, 35,946, of whom 25,889 were Musulman. In the same year, 781 convicts entered, and 668 left the four penitentiary and correctional establishments of Algeria; on December 31, 1904, the number incarcerated was 1,675, including 49 females.

Musulman justice is administered to natives by the Cadis in the first instance with an appeal to French courts.

Finance.

The receipts of the Government are derived chiefly from direct taxes, customs, and monopolies. The natives pay only direct taxes. The depart ments of War and Marine are excluded from the estimates, but the proceeds of the military tax, the Government monopolies, and some other revenues are paid to France. The total expenditure (including military and extraordinary disbursements) exceeds the Algerian revenue by about 75,000,000 francs. The budget for 1906 estimated revenue and expenditure as follows:

For the Southern Territories in 1905 the revenue was put at 3,076,753 francs, and the expenditure at 3,046,575 franes.

At the end of 1903 the debt of Algeria amounted to 14,908,592 francs in capital and 34,458, 124 francs in annuities, amortisation and interest. Of the loan of 50,000,000 francs for railways and other public works authorised in 1902, only 15 millions had been realised at the end of 1903.

The revenues of the departments in 1904 amounted to 22,712,121 francs, and their expenditure to 17,784,582 francs. Their debt on January 1, 1905, amounted to 36,384,275 francs, besides 71,917,500 francs, the capitalised value of annuities. Of the 352 communes of Algeria the revenue for 1904 was 42,209,860 francs, and the expenditure, 42, 477,276 francs; at the end of 1904 the communal debt amounted to 66,654,935 francs, besides 113,626,500 francs in annuities.

Defence.

The military force in Algeria constitutes the 19th Army Corps. It consists of the following troops :-3 regiments of zouaves, 3 regiments of tirailleurs, 2 foreign legions, 3 battalions of light infantry, 3 discipline companies, 5 regiments of chasseurs d'Afrique, 3 regiments of Spahis, 3 companies of remount cavalry, 12 batteries of artillery, 3 companies of engineers, 9 companies of train, and 1 staff and recruiting section. There is also a territorial army reserve, consisting of 10 battalions of zouaves, 3 squadrons of cavalry, and 10 batteries of artillery. Another body of troops is being formed for the defence of the extreme south. The budget estimates for 1905 provide that the Algerian military force consist of 56,003 men (including 2,134 officers) and 12,609 horses. [See under FRANCE.]

Agriculture and Industry.

Part of the land of Algeria is held undivided by Arab tribes by the tenure called 'arch' or 'sabega.' Freehold property, 'melk,' is more common. Most of the State lands have, under various systems, been appropriated to colonists. The population engaged in agriculture in 1904 was 3,505,640; 201,032 being Europeans. In 1904 the chief cereal crops were, wheat 1,314,732 hectares, yielding 6,935,647 quintals; barley, 1,267,256 hectares, yielding 7,865,292