II. INDIA, THE COLONIES, PROTECTORATES, AND DEPENDENCIES OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE.

In the following pages the various sections of the British Empire outside the United Kingdom are arranged in alphabetical order under the divisions of the world to which they belong :— 1. Europe; 2. Asia; 3. Africa; 4. America; 5. Australasia and Oceania.

The Colonies proper form three classes: (1) The Crown Colonies, which are entirely controlled by the home government; (2) those possessing Representative Institutions, in which the Crown has no more than a veto on legislation, but the home government retains the control of public officers; and (3) those possessing Responsible Government, in which the home government has no control over any public officer, though the Crown appoints the Governor and still retains a veto on legislation.

The total expenditure of the Mother Country in connection with the Colonies (exclusive of India) amounts to about 2 millions sterling annually, mainly for military and naval purposes.

According to the Army Estimates for the year 1898-99, the total effective strength of the British forces in the colonies, exclusive of India, was 43,751 of all ranks. The distribution of regimental establishments, including colonial corps (here stated in parentheses), was as follows:-Malta, 10,602 (725) men; Gibraltar, 5,382; Cape of Good Hope and Natal, 8,662 ; Ceylon, 1,757 (265); Bermuda, 1,950; Jamaica, 1,720 (1,018); Barbados and St. Lucia, 1,527 (612); Canada (Halifax), 1,784; Hong Kong, 3,428 (1,530); Straits Settlements, 1,643 (172); Mauritius, 2,733 (200); West Coast of Africa, 1,661 (1,527); Cyprus, 133; St. Helena, 748 (517); besides 73,162 in India and 4,309 in Egypt.

The contributions from colonial revenues in aid of military expenditure were estimated as follows for the year 1898-99 :Ceylon, 111,3007.; Mauritius, 22,9007.; Hong Hong, 39,000l.; Straits Settlements, 75,5007.; Malta, 5,0007.; Natal, 4,000l.; total, 257,8007. India contributes (1898-99) 541,000l. for home effective charges for forces serving in India, and 180,000l. for deferred pay for service on Indian establishment.

EUROPE.

GIBRALTAR.

Governor.-General Sir Robert Biddulph, R. A., G. C.M.G., K.C. B., salary, 4,1667. 13s. 4d. sterling. Colonial Secretary.-H. M. Jackson, C. M.G.

The Rock of Gibraltar is a Crown colony, situated in 36° 6' N. latitude and 5° 21′ W. longitude, in the Province of Andalusia, in Spain, commanding the entrance to the Mediterranean. The Governor, who is also Commanderin-Chief, exercises all the functions of government and legislation. Area, 1 square mile; greatest elevation, 1,439 feet. Population (1897), 26,203 (estimated), including garrison of 5,505 men. Settled population mostly descendants of Genoese settlers. Average births per 1,000 of civil population, 24 42. Deaths per 1,000 of civil population, 20 64. Religion of fixed population mostly Roman Catholic; one Protestant cathedral and three Roman Catholic churches; annual subsidy to each communion, 4207. 6s. 8d. Several private English schools; Government aided elementary schools, 11 (8 Roman Catholic). Pupils, 1,867 in 1897-98. Government grant, 1,1437. 10s. 5d.

One magistrate's court and a supreme court.

Chief sources of revenue:-Port dues, rent of Crown estate, excise, postoffice, &c. Branches of expenditure :-Government civil establishments, administration of justice, public works, &c. Contribution by Home Government, nil. Industries unimportant.

Military expenditure by Imperial Government (1897), 275,0167. Government savings-bank, with 4,422 depositors and 5,024,722 pesetas deposits (1897).

Gibraltar is a naval base and position of great strategic importance, which is now being largely increased in strength and stability by extending and completing the existing mole, and building a detached mole. A deep harbour of 260 acres is being formed, and for the new dockyard some 50 acres of foreshore and water area have been reclaimed. A torpedo-boat comber is included in the scheme, and the harbour will be made secure against torpedo attack. The length of the three new docks is as follows: 850 feet (double), 550 feet, and 450 feet. There will be additional coal stores at the Admiralty mole. In 1897 the total tonnage of vessels entered was 4,371,126, of which 3,331,477 was British. Three miles of internal telegraph under military, and about one mile under colonial, management. Postal communication daily with England. Branch post-offices at Tangier, Laraiche, Rabat, Casablanca, Mazagan, Mogador, Saffi, Fez, and Tetuan. There is cable communication with the Continent, the Mediterranean, Eastern ports, and England, via Post Office and Eastern Telegraph Company's lines.

The legal currency is that of Spain, the peseta 1 franc; 25 pesetas nominally 17., but exchange is generally over 30 pesetas to the £.

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Books of Reference.

Colonial Report. Annual. London.

Drinkwater (J.), The Siege of Gibraltar. 4. London, 1785.

Field (H. M.) Gibraltar. 8. London. 1889.

Gilbard (G. J.), Popular History of Gibraltar. 8. Gibraltar, 1881.

Lucas (C. P.), Historical Geography of the British Colonies. Vol. I. Oxford, 1888. Stoddard (C. A.), Spanish Cities. 8. London, 1892.

MALTA.

Governor.-Lieut. -General Sir Francis Wallace Grenfell, G. C. B., G. C. M.G. (salary 5,000l.).

Chief Secretary to Government.-Sir Gerald Strickland, K. C. M. G., Count della Catena.

An island in the Mediterranean, 58 miles from Sicily, with an excellent harbour. It is one of the most important posts of call in the world, and is the base and resort for repair and refitment of our fleet in the Mediterranean. Malta is 17 miles long; area, 95 miles; and the neighbouring island, Gozo, 20 miles; total area (with Comino), 117 square miles. Population for 1897, 177,745. Local military, viz.: Royal Malta Artillery, 694, Royal Malta Militia, 1,596, and Malta Militia Division, Royal Engineers, 53. Chief town and port, Valletta. Education-119 public schools, with 14,836 pupils in 1897; Government grant, 21, 2321. There are a university, 1 lyceum, and 2 secondary schools. In addition to the above there are 116 private schools attended by 3,679 pupils in Malta and Gozo not receiving any aid from Colonial Funds. In 1897, 5,967 persons were committed to prison.

The government is to some extent representative. The Governor is assisted by an executive council and a council of government, according to the Constitution of 1887, of 6 official and 14 elected.

Chief sources of revenue, 1897: Customs, 172,7077.; land, 12,8347.; rents, 27,2577.; postage, 16,2187.; interest, 27,5077.; licences, 4,3307. Branches of expenditure: Establishments, 127,8407.; other services, 196,8331. Contribution from Home Government, nil. Public debt, 79,1687. Savings-bank with, for 1897, 6,614 depositors, deposits, 514,8787.

Manu

Chief products: cotton, potatoes, oranges, figs, honey, and corn. factures: cotton, filigree, lucifer-matches. Chief industry, farming; (in 1897) horses, mules and asses, 7,941; horned cattle, 7,905; sheep, 15,961; goats, 14,197.

The trade is mainly transit-of the total imports in 1897 the value actually landed was 905,0067., and of the exports the value shipped from articles actually landed was 80,5671., so that the value of imports for local consump.

tion was 824,4397. Of the total imports in 1897 the value of 150,4737. was from the United Kingdom; 92,4297. from British possessions: 10,652,3797. from foreign countries. Of the total exports the value of 1,784,8347. was to the United Kingdom; 1,891,1147. to British possessions; 6,403,7097. to foreign countries. In the general trade the most important article is wheat, 7,094,2807. in 1897.

Vessels entered (1897), 4,111, of 3,637,426 tons; cleared, 4,079, of 3,607,042 tons. Of the total entered 1,789 vessels of 2,631,293 tons, and cleared 1,785 of 2,626,679 tons were British.

Railway, 8 miles; telegraph, 65 miles; telephones, 350 miles. The Postoffice traffic in 1897 was: Inland letters and postcards received and despatched, 1,641,255; newspapers, 669,107; in foreign correspondence, received and despatched, letters, 1,975,870; postcards, 118,576; newspapers, 1,022,437.

Books of Reference.

Colonial Report. Annual. London.

Ballou (M. M.), The Story of Malta. 8. Boston, 1893.

Lucas (C. P.), Historical Geography of the British Colonies. Vol. I. 8. London, 1888 Page (G. A.), Guide to the Laws and Regulations of Malta, S. Malta, 1892.

ASIA,

ADEN, PERIM, SOMALILAND AND SOKOTRA. ADEN is a volcanic peninsula on the Arabian coast, about 100 miles east of Bab-el-Mandeb. It forms an important coaling-station on the highway to the East, and is strongly fortified. The settlement includes Little Aden, a peninsula very similar to Aden itself, and the settlement and town of Shaikh Othman on the mainland with the villages of Imad, Hiswa, and Bir Jabir. It also includes the island of Perim at the entrance to the Red Sea, and is subject to the Bombay Government. The Government is administered by a Political Resident, who is also commander of the troops. The only Government revenue is from duty on liquor, opium, and salt; local taxes go to the Municipality. There is a Port Trust: the harbour is being dredged.

Area 75 square miles, of Perim 5 square miles. Population, in 1891, 41,910 against 34,860 in 1881. Imports (1897-98), by sea, 36,347,980 rupees; by land, 3,310,478 rupees; treasure, 4,408,407 rupees. Exports, by sea, 31,329,756 rupees; by land, 1,272,430 rupees; treasure, 4,878,196 rupees. In 1897-98, 1,079 merchant vessels of 2,123,339 tons entered the port of Aden, besides 1,407 local craft of 48,138 tons. At Perim 513 merchant vessels entered, most of them to coal.

Chief exports: Coffee, gums, hides and skins, piece goods, tobacco. Chief imports: Cotton twist, piece goods, grain, hides and skins, tobacco. Aden itself is non-productive, and the trade is a purely transhipment one, except that from the interior of Arabia. According to the Board of Trade returns the total imports from Aden and Dependencies into the United Kingdom amounted in 1896 to 190,2947., in 1897 to 173,3197.; and the exports thereto from the United Kingdom in 1896 to 240,5817., in 1897 to 165,9817.

1

The Somali Coast from Lahadu, west of Zaila, to Bandar Ziyada, 49° E. long., became a British Protectorate in 1884, and is administered by a Political Agent and Consul. The area is about 68,000 square miles; no trustworthy estimate can be formed of the population, which is Mohammedan and mostly nomadic. By an arrangement with Italy in 1894, the limits of the British Protectorate were definitely defined; but in 1897, by arrangement with Abyssinia, the area was reduced from 75,000 to 68,000 square miles. The chief town, Berbera, has about 30,000 inhabitants in the trading season; Zaila, 6,000; Búlhar, 5,000. At these three ports there are British officers and Indian troops. Revenue (1897-98), Berbera, Búlhar, and Karam, 194,307 rupees; Zaila, 117,966 rupees; expenditure, civil, Berbera, Búlhar, and Karam, 111,187 rupees; Zaila, 41,676 rupees; military, public works, &c., for the Coast, 55,554 rupees. Imports (1897-98), Berbera, Búlhar, and Karam, 2,795,750 rupees; Zaila, 2,426,700 rupees; exports, Berbera, Búlhar, and Karam, 2,447,765 rupees; Zaila, 2,807,644 rupees. These amounts do not include treasure. Ad valorem duties are levied of 5 per cent. on imports, and 1 per cent. on exports; specie, sheep, goats, cattle, gold, ivory, and civet, being free. The imports are chiefly rice, piece-goods, shirtings, and dates; the exports, skins and hides, ostrich feathers, cattle, sheep, and gum. Transport is by camels and donkeys; there are no porters.

1 Somaliland was in 1898 placed under the Foreign Office, and is no longer dependent on Aden.