Tobacco exported abroad is not included in this table; the quantity exported in 1886-87 amounted to 11,688,052 kilos. ; in 1887-88, 10,373,217 kilos. ; in 1889-90, 10,454,427 kilos. ; in 1891-92, 10,237,490,250 kilos. ; in 1892-93, 13,826,021 kilos.

The principal imports and exports in 1894-95 were :

The value of the commercial intercourse between the whole of the Turkish Empire, in Europe and Asia, and Great Britain during the last five years, according to the Board of Trade Returns, is shown in the following table :—

Among the articles of import into the United Kingdom from Turkey are wheat, 604,4857. in 1896; 653,6977. in 1897; barley, 994,7147. in 1896; 973,6337. in 1897; wool and goats' hair, 814,7107. in 1896; 1,448,4417. in 1897; valonia (dye stuff), 296,0797. in 1896; 261,8467. in 1897; opium, 198,2227. in 1892; 124,3607. in 1893; 179,7637. in 1894; 183,2917. in 1895; 185,8607. in 1896; 165,4847. in 1897; fruit, chiefly raisins and figs, 818,9777. in 1896; 1,100,0027. in 1897.

The most important article exported from Great Britain to Turkey is manufactured cotton. The exports of cotton goods amounted to 3,387,6547. in 1895; 3,211,8427. in 1896; 4,264,5597. in 1897; cotton yarn, 599,4717. in 1896; 787,1227. in 1897; woollens, 268, 9897. in 1896; 387,3687. in 1897; iron, wrought and unwrought, 127,2277. in 1896; 177,1757. in 1897; copper, wrought and unwrought, 92,741 in 1896; 114,5027. in 1897; coal, 234,5701. in 1896; 268,8697. in 1897; machinery, 64,7927. in 1896; 78,8007. in 1897. The value of the trade at various Turkish towns in Asia and Africa in 1897 was:

The mercantile navy of the Turkish Empire in 1898 consisted of 87 steamers of 46,498 tons, and 1,349 sailing vessels of 252,947 tons. In 1895-96 (March to February) there entered and cleared at all the ports of Turkey 188,033 vessels of 38,409,144 tons. The total shipping entered and cleared at Constantinople in 1897 consisted of 14,753 vessels of 11,456, 178 tons. Of this number, 11,146 of 11,183,508 tons were engaged in foreign and the remainder in coasting trade. Of those engaged in foreign trade, 2,667 of 316,126 tons were. sailing vessels, and 8,479 of 10,867,382 tons were steamers, including 1,696 of 2,006,222 tons belonging to nine shipping companies. The number of British vessels was 4,567 of 6,505,925 tons.

Internal Communications.

Since the summer of 1888 Turkey has been in direct railway communication with the rest of Europe. The main lines start from Constantinople and from Salonica. From this latter port is now the shortest route to Egypt.

Below is a list of the various lines in Europe and Asia which were open for traffic on August 13, 1897 :

The amount of guarantee paid by the State to different companies was about £T650,000.

There are 1,649 Turkish post-offices in the Empire. In the year 1892-93 the inland service transmitted 8,165,000 letters and post-cards, and 2,297,000 samples and printed papers; the international service transmitted 2,666,000 letters and post-cards, and 1,080,000 samples and printed papers.

The length of telegraph lines in Turkey is about 21,800 miles, and the length of wire about 33,760 miles. There are 1,649 telegraph offices in Europe and Asia. Annual receipts, 21,359,000 piastres; expenditure, 7,237,000 piastres.

Money, Weights, and Measures of Turkey.

On September 30, 1898, the situation of the Imperial Ottoman Bank was - as follows:

The gold coinage of Turkey issued since 1891 amounts to the nominal value of 179,044,000 piastres, including the recoinage of Turkish pounds, 10,220,000 piastres, and of English sovereigns, 146,909,000 piastres. The silver coinage since 1891 amounts to the nominal value of 51,261,810 piastres.

Large accounts are frequently, as in the official budget estimates, set down in 'purses' of 500 Medjidié piastres, or 5 Turkish liras. The purse' is calculated as worth 47. 10s. sterling. The gold Lira weighs 7.216 grammes 916 fine,

and thus contains 66147 grammes of fine gold. The silver 20-piastre piece weighs 24 055 grammes 830 fine, and therefore contains 19.965 grammes of fine silver. There exists a large amount of debased silver currency-which, however, it is stated, is being gradually withdrawn-to which were added, during the years 1876 to 1881, 600,000,000 piastres of paper money, known as caïmé; but being refused by the Government, owing to its depreciation, it became in the end of merely nominal value, and altogether refused in commercial intercourse. The copper currency was likewise repudiated, owing to its depreciation. The beshlik-altilik and metallic currency was reduced by decree to half its coined value. The former is now being called in (1889). Silver is in excess of the requirements of trade, and is generally at 8 per cent. discount. This depreciation is further accounted for by the fact that the balance of trade is against Turkey, and by the large amounts of gold which have to be yearly exported for the payment of the funded debt and the purchase of warlike ammunition.

The kileh is the chief measure for grain, the lower measures being definite weights rather than measures. 100 kilehs are equal to 12·128 British imperial

quarters, or 35 266 hectolitres.

In March 1882 Turkish weights and measures were assimilated to the metric system, but under the old names, leading to much confusion; they have not been generally adopted in practice. Oke kilogramme, batman = 10 kilogrammes, cantar = 100 kilogrammes, tchéki=1,000 kilogrammes, shinik= decalitre, kileh=hectolitre (2.75 bushels), evlekare, djeril-hectare (2:47 acres), arshin=metre, nul = kilometre, farsang = 10 kilometres.

In 1889 the metric system of weights was made obligatory for cereals; metric weights were decreed obligatory in January 1892, but the decree is not yet enforced.

TRIBUTARY STATES.

BULGARIA.

Reigning Prince.

Ferdinand, youngest son of the late Prince Augustus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and Princess Clementine of Bourbon-Orleans (daughter of King Louis Philippe), born Feb. 26, 1861, was elected Prince of Bulgaria by unanimous vote of the National Assembly, July 7, 1887; assumed the government August 14, 1887, in succession to Prince Alexander, who abdicated Sept. 7,

1886. His election was confirmed by the Porte and the Great Powers in March, 1896. On April 20, 1893, he was married to Marie Louise (born January 17, 1870; died January 31, 1899), eldest daughter of Duke Robert of Parma; issue, Boris, born January 30, 1894; Cyril, born November 17, 1895; Eudoxie, born January 17, 1898; Clementine, born January 30, 1899.

The Prince must reside permanently in the principality. The princely title is hereditary. In May, 1893, the Grand Sobranje confirmed the title of "Royal Highness" to the Prince and his heir, and this style was recognised by the Porte and by Russia in April, 1896. The Prince retains the Roman Catholic faith, but his heir was on February 14, 1896, received into the Orthodox Greek Church.

Constitution and Government.

The Principality of Bulgaria was created by the Treaty of Berlin, signed July 13, 1878. It was ordered by the Treaty that Bulgaria should be constituted an autonomous and tributary Principality under the suzerainty of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan with a Christian Government and a national militia. The Prince of Bulgaria should be freely elected by the population and confirmed by the Sublime Porte, with the consent of the Powers, but no member of any of the reigning Houses of the Great European Powers should be elected.

Eastern Rumelia (since its union with Bulgaria also known as Southern Bulgaria) was created by the Treaty of Berlin, signed July 13, 1878. It was to remain under the direct political and military authority of the Sultan, under conditions of administrative autonomy, with a Governor-General nominated by the Porte. On September 18, 1885, the Government was overthrown by a revolution, and the union of the province with Bulgaria proclaimed. As the result of the Conference held at Constantinople by the representatives of the signatory Powers of the Berlin Treaty during the latter months of 1885, the Sultan, by imperial firman, April 6, 1886, agreed that the government of Eastern Rumelia should be confided to the Prince of Bulgaria as GovernorGeneral, the Mussulman districts of Kirjali and the Rupchus (Rhodope) being re-ceded to the Porte. The rectification of the Organic Statute-chiefly as concerned the questions of the tribute and the customs-was undertaken by a Turco-Bulgarian commission sitting at Sofia, but its labours were abruptly brought to a close by the events which overthrew Prince Alexander on the night of August 20, 1886. The province for all purposes forms part of Bulgaria. It is under the administration at Sofia, which is now the only recognised capital, Philippopolis being merely the centre of a prefecture.

By the Constitution of 1879, amended May, 1893, the legislative authority was vested in a single Chamber, called the Sobranje or National Assembly. The members of it are elected by universal manhood suffrage at the rate of one member to every 20,000 of the population. Those residing in the city where the National Assembly sits receive 15 francs (12s.) a day during session; others, 20 francs (16s.) a day with travelling expenses. All over 30 years of age who can read and write are eligible as representatives. The duration of the Assembly is five years, but it may be dissolved at any time by the Prince, when new elections must take place within four months. Laws passed by the Sobranje require the assent of the Prince. Questions Concerning the acquisition or cession of territory, changes in the constitution, a vacancy on the throne, or the appointment of a regent have to be decided by a Grand Sobranje, elected for the special purpose in a manner similar to that in which the ordinary Sobranje is elected.

The executive power is vested in a Council of eight ministers nominated by the Prince-namely, 1. Minister for Foreign Affairs and Public Worship;