The following table shows the chief imports and exports in two years:—

The following table shows the value of the trade with different countries in thousands of dinars for three years:

According to the Board of Trade Returns the exports of produce and manufactures of the United Kingdom to Servia were as follows: in 1893, 3,0157.; 1894, 5,924/.; 1895, 7,4117.; 1896, 66,3027.; 1897, 20,1557. The chief exports in 1897 were: cottons, 10,2327.; cotton yarn, 4,1357. ; machinery, 1,9367. There are no direct imports into the United Kingdom from Servia.

Communications.

Servia has (1897) one principal railway line, Belgrade-Nisch-Vranya, 230 miles in length, and several secondary branches; Nisch-Pirot, SmederevoVelika Plana, Lapovo-Kraguyevatz, total 354 miles. Cost of construction up to 1894 98,955,980 dinars.

Of highways there are 3,495 miles, many of them in a ruinous condition. Of rivers only those bordering on Servia are navigable, viz. Danube, 198 miles; Save, 90 miles; and Drina, 106 miles. The navigation on the Danube and Save is mostly in the hands of foreign steam companies; in 1891 a Servian steam company was formed.

There were 2,522 miles of telegraph line and 5,034 miles of wire, with 134 stations, at the end of 1897. In 1897, 137,870 messages were transmitted. There were 114 post-offices in 1897. In 1896 10,174,000 letters were transmitted. The post and telegraph receipts for 1897 amounted to 1,095,000 dinars, and expenditure to 1,529,000 dinars.

Money and Credit.

Public credit is assisted by various monetary establishments, of which, in 1890, there were 43. The principal place is occupied by the first privileged National Bank of the Kingdom of Servia in Belgrade, with the nominal capital of 20,000,000 dinars, of which 6,500,000 has been paid up. It is entitled to issue bank notes, of which there were on September 30, 1897, 33,361,000 dinars in circulation, with a metallic reserve of 13,928 dinars. Besides the National Bank there were in 1894 5 bank establishments, 27 bank associations, and 28 savings-banks.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

The nominal value of the money coined from 1868 to the end of 1897 was gold, 10,000,000 dinars; silver, 15,600,000 dinars; bronze, 1,934,645 dinars; nickel, 3,200,000 dinars-total, 30,734,645 dinars.

Servia accepted, by the law of June 20, 1875, the French decimal system for its moneys, weights, and measures. The Servian dinar is equal to one franc. In circulation are gold coins of 10 and 20 dinars (milan d'or); silver coins of 5, 2, 1, and 0 5 dinar; bronze of 10 and 5, and nickel of 20, 10, and 5 paras.

The decimal weights and measures (kilogram, metre, &c.) have been in practical use only since the commencement of 1883.

Diplomatic and Consular Representatives.

1. OF SERVIA IN GREAT BRITAIN.

Envoy and Minister.-M. Chedomil Mijatovitch.
Consul-General for London.-H. W. Christmas.
There is a Consular representative in Manchester.

2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN SERVIA.

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.-W. E. Goschen, appointed July 1, 1898.

Consul.-R. D. G. Macdonald

Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Servia.

1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Almanac for 1897 (Servian).

Criminal Statistics, 1888-90. Belgrade, 1896.

Srpské Noviné (Official Gazette).

Statistički godišnjak Kraljevine Srbije. (Annuaire Statistique du Royaume de Serbic.) I. 1894. Belgrade, 1896.

Drzavopis Srbije (Servian Statistics). Vols. I.-XXI. Belgrade, 1863-95.

Deutsches Handels-Archiv for August and November, 1897. Berlin.

Statistike Kraljevine Srbije. (Statistique du Royaume de Serbie.) Vols. I.—IV. Belgrade, 1892-95.

Príloxi ze Statistick Kraljevine Srbije. (Matériaux pour la Statistique du Royaume de Serbie.) Part I. Belgrade, 1895.

Foreign Office Reports. Annual Series. 8. London.

Handbook of the Armies of Bulgaria, Greece, Servia, &c. By Captain Fairholme and Captain Count Gleichen. London, 1893.

Recensement de la Terre cultivée en 1893. Belgrade, 1897.

2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Balme (M.), La principauté de Serbie. 8. Paris, 1880.

Boskovitch (St.), La mission de Serbie dans la question d'Orient. Florence, 1887.
Coquelle (P.), Le Royaume de Serbie. 12. Paris, 1894.

Courrière (C.), Histoire de la littérature contemporaine chez les Slaves. Paris, 1879. Cuniberti (F.), La Serbia e la dinastia degli Obrenovitch, 1804-93. Torino, 1893. "For the King and Fatherland" (in Servian), a semi-official publication, relating the historical events of the 1st and 2nd April, 1893.

Gambier (J. W., Captain, R. V.), Servia. London, 1878.

Gubernatis (Comte A. de), La Serbie et les Serbes. Paris, 1898.

Holland (Thomas Erskine), The European Concert on the Eastern Question. Oxford, 1885. Jakchich (Vladimir), Recueil statistique sur les contrées serbes. 8. Belgrade, 1875. Kanitz (F.), Serbien: Historisch-ethnographische Reisestudien aus den Jahren 1859-68. 4. Leipzig, 1868.

Karič (V.), Srbija (a description of the country, people, and state, in Servian). Belgrade, 1888.

Laveleye (Emile de), The Balkan Peninsula.

2 vols. London, 1887.

Leger (L.), La Save, le Danube, et le Balkan. Paris, 1884. Mackenzie (A. Muir), Travels in the Slavonic Provinces of Turkey in Europe. 3rd edition. 2 vols. London, 1887.

Mijatovitch (Elodie Lawton), The History of Modern Serbia. 8. London, 1872.
Milichevich (M. G ), The Principality of Servia. (In Servian.) Belgrade, 1876.
Milichevich (M. G.), The Kingdom of Servia. (In Servian.) Belgrade, 1884.

Miller (W.), The Balkans. In "Story of the Nations" Series. 8. London, 1896.Travels and Politics in the Near East. London, 1898.

Millet (René), La Serbie économique et commerciale. Paris, 1889.

Minchin (J. G. C.), The Growth of Freedom in the Balkan Peninsula. London, 1886. Otadgbina (the Fatherland). Servian Monthly Periodical. Edited by Dr. Vladan Georgevich since 1875.

Pearson (Miss E. M.) and McLaughlin (Miss L. E.), Service in Servia under the Red Cross. London, 1877.

Ranke (L. von), The History of Servia and the Servian Revolution. London, 1853, translated by Mrs. Alex. L. Kerr. Die serbische Revolution. Berlin, 1878.

Reinach (J.), La Serbie et le Monténégro. Paris, 1876.

Right (Dr. Alfred), Adventures in Servia. London, 1884.

Salusbury (Philip H. B.), Two months with Tchernajeff in Servia. London, 1877.

Taillandier (Saint-René), La Serbie au XIXe siècle. Paris, 1872.

Tuma (A.), Serbien. Hannover, 1894.

Vivian (H.), Servia, the Poor Man's Paradise. London, 1897.

Yovanovich (Vladimir), Les Serbes, &c. Paris, 1870.

SIAM.

(SAYAM, OR MUANG-THAI.)
Reigning King.

Chulalongkorn I. (Somdetch Phra Paramindr Maha), born September 21, 1853; the eldest son of the late King, Maha Mongkut, and of Queen Ramphuy (Krom Somdetch Pratape Sirindr); succeeded to the throne on the death of his father, October 1, 1868.

Children of the King.

Children of H.M. the Queen.

I. Princess Walai-alongkorn, born April 1883.
II. Princess Sirapornsophon, born July 9, 1887.

Children of the Second Queen.

I. Prince Chowfa Maha Vajiravudh, January 1, 1880 (proclaimed Crown Prince January 17, 1895).

II. Prince Chowfa Chakrapongse Poowanarth, March 3, 1881.
III. Prince Chowfa Asadang Dajarvoot, May 1889; and others.

Brothers of the King.

I. Somdetch Chowfa Chaturant Rasmi, born January 14, 1857. Title: Krom Pra Chakrapatipongse.

II. Somdetch Chowfa Bhanurangsi Swangwongse, born January 13, 1860. Title: Krom Pra Bhanupandhwongse Woràdej.

There are also twenty half-brothers of the king.

The royal dignity is nominally hereditary, but does not descend always from the father to the eldest son, each sovereign being invested with the privilege of nominating his own successor. The reigning king has reintrouced the practice of nominating the Crown Prince, early in his reign. This step, taken in 1887, will have the effect of increasing the stability and order of things, and of establishing the reigning dynasty.

Government.

The executive power is exercised by the King advised by a Cabinet (Senabodi) consisting of the heads of the various departments of the Government Foreign Affairs, Interior, Justice, Finance, Public InMost of the struction, Public Works, War, Marine, Police, &c. The law of May 8, 1874, portfolios are held by the King's half-brothers. constituting a Council of State, has now been superseded by the Royal Decree of January 10, 1895, creating a Legislative Council. The latter is composed of the Ministers of State and others, not less than 12 in number, appointed by the Crown. The total membership is now 43. In the preamble of the Royal Decree it is stated that the object of this body is to revise, amend, and complete the legislation of the kingdom. It is to meet at least once a week, and it may appoint committees of 3 or 4 members, with the addition of competent outsiders who must not outnumber the members. An important article gives the Legislative Council power to promulgate laws without the Royal assent in the event of any temporary disability of the Crown. other times the Royal signature is indispensable. This Council has already shown considerable legislative activity, but it is feared that the power and determination to enforce the new laws may prove inadequate.

At

Kedah, Patani, Kelantan, and Tringganu, in the Malay Peninsula,

acknowledge the sovereignty of Siam, and send revenues to Bangkok. The Laos (Shan) States of Chiengmai, Lakon, Lampoonchi, Nan, Preë, and others stand in a similar position towards the Government in Bangkok.

The trans-Mekong portion of the State of Luang Prabang is now under French protection. The remainder is still Siamese.

The Siamese dominions are divided into 41 provinces or districts, each having a Commissioner, deriving authority direct from the King, and having under him subordinate governors over the various parts of his district. Until 1895 the administration of the country was divided between the Ministers of the North, South, and Foreign Affairs. It was then brought under the single authority of Prince Damrong, as Minister of the Interior, under whose administration great improvements have been already made. Several of the tributary districts are administered by their own princes; but of late years centralisation has greatly increased. Commissioners, chosen by the King, are now regularly sent from Bangkok to these tributary provinces, both to those in the north, as Chiengmai, and those in the south, as Singora, and others, with very full powers.

Area and Population.

The limits of the Kingdom of Siam have varied much at different periods of its history, most of the border lands being occupied by tribes more or less independent. The boundary between Burma and Ñ. W. Siam was delimited in 1891 by a Commission, and, by the treaty of September, 1893, the River Mekong was constituted the boundary between Siam and the French possessions; on a 25-kilometre strip on the west side of the river, France is at liberty to erect stations. The total area, including the country between the Mekong and the Annam hills, now acknowledged to belong to France, is estimated at about 300,000 square miles, about 60,000 square miles being in the Malay Peninsula. In January, 1896, an arrangement was agreed to between the British and French Governments, by which they guaranteed to Siam the integrity of the territory embraced in the basins of the Menam, Meklong, Pechaburi, and Bangpakong rivers, together with the coast from Muong Bang Tapan to Muong Pase, including also the territory lying to the north of the Menam basin, between the Anglo-Siamese border, the Mekong river, and the eastern watershed of the Me Ing. The territory appropriated by France in 1893-6 covers about 110,000 square miles, leaving 200,000 square miles as the area which remains to Siam. The numbers of the population are still more imperfectly known than the extent of territory, and the difficulty of any correct result is the greater on account of the Oriental custom of numbering only the men. The latest foreign estimates give the population of the Kingdom, before the French annexation, as follows, in round numbers :-2,500,000 Siamese; 1,000,000 Chinese; 2,000,000 Laotians; 1,000,000 Malays; immigrant Burmese, Indians, and Cambodians bringing the total up to about 8,000,000. The total population of Siam as it now stands may be estimated at 5,000,000. The Chinese population is, however, rapidly increasing, and in 1896 was estimated at between 3 and 4 millions. The most populous region is the Menam valley. Bangkok, the capital, has over 250,000 inhabitants. Siam is called by its inhabitants Thaï, or Muang-Thaï, which means 'free,' or 'the kingdom of the free.' The word Siam is probably identical with Shan, applied in Burma to the Lao race, as well as to the Shan proper and the Siamese. In recent years the results of Western civilisation have to some extent been introduced, and with the assistance of several Belgian lawyers, great advance has been made in the administration of justice in the native courts and in the International Court which tries suits of foreigners against natives.