Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Colombia.

1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Anales diplomaticos y consulares de Colombia. Bagota,

Colombia Bulletin No. 33 of the Bureau of the American Republics. 8. Washington, 1892. Special bulletins of October and November 1893 contain reports on coffee and coal in Colombia.

Circulaire du Ministre des Affaires Etrangères sur les mines d'or et d'argent de la Repub. lique de Colombie. Bogotá, 1886.

Commercial Relations of the United States, 2 Vols. Washington, 1901.

Descripcion historica, geographica y politica de la República de Colombia. Bogota, 1887. Constitution of the Republic of Colombia (August 7, 1886). Bogotá.

Diario Official. Bogotá, 1899.

Foreign Office Reports, Annual Series and Miscellaneous Series. London.

Informe del Ministro de Fomento-del Ministro de Guerra; del Ministro de Instruccion Publica; Ministro de Relacunes Exteriores; Ministro de Gobierno; Ministro del Tesoro ; Ministro de Justicia; Ministro de Hacienda. Bogotá, 1899.

Report of the Minister of the Treasury submitted to Congress, 1899. Bogotá, 1899.

2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Borda (J. J.), Compendio de Historia de Colombia. Bogotá, 1890.

Bruycker (P. de), Les mines d'or et d'argent de la Colombe. Extrait du Bull. de la Soc. R. de la Géographie d'Anvers. Antwerp, 1888.

Cadena (P. J.), Anales diplomáticos de Colombia. Bogotá, 1878.

Esguerra, Diccionario geográfico de los Estados Unidos de Colombia. Bogotá, 1879. Etienne (C. P.), Nouvelle-Grenade, aperçu général sur la Colombie. Geneve, 1887.

Hall (Col. F.), Colombia; its Present State in respect of Climate, Soil, &c. 8. Philadelphia 1871.

Keane (A. H.), Central and South America. [In Stanford's Compendium.] London, 1901. Moses (B.) Constitution of Colombia. [Translation of Text.] Philadelphia, 1898. Holton, Twenty Months in the Andes. New York.

Mosquera (General), Compendio de geografía, general, politica, fisica y special de los Estados Unidos de Colombia. 8. London, 1866.

Nuñez (R.) and Jahay (H.), La République de Colombie, Geographie, Histoire, Organisation, &c. Brussels, 1893.

Pereira (R. S.), Les Etats-Unis de Colombie. Paris, 1883.

Perez (Felipe), Geografía general, física y política de los Estados Unidos de Colombia. Bogotá, 1883.

Report of the Council of the Corporation of Foreign Bondholders, Appendix. Annual, London.

Restrepo Tirado (E.), Estudios sobre los Aborigenes de Colombia. Bogotá, 1892. Rothlisberger (E.), Eldorado: Reise-und-Kulturbilde aus dem Sudamerican. Colombien.

1897.

Scruggs (W. L.), The Colombian and Venezuelan Republics. London, 1900.

Simons (F. A. A.), Goajira Peninsula. Proceedings of Royal Geographical Society, December, 1885.

Simons (F A. A.), Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Proceedings of Royal Geographical Society, 1881. Velasco (T.), Geografía de Colombia. Bogotá. Also Colombia. [Translation from Recus' Nouvelle Geographie Universelle, with copious notes superadded.] Bogotá, 1893. Vergara (F. J.), Nueva Geografia de Colombia. Tomo I. Bogotá, 1901

CONGO INDEPENDENT STATE.

Constitution and Government.

THE Congo Independent State has succeeded to the Congo International Association, founded in 1883 by Leopold II., King of the Belgians. That Association, having obtained the recognition of its sovereignty by treaties in 1884 and 1885, with most of the European nations and the United States of America, adhered, February 26, 1885, to the resolutions of the Congress of Berlin. These resolutions, collected in a "General Act," establish freedom of trade in the basin of the Congo, and declare absolutely free the navigation of the Congo, its tributaries, and the lakes and canals connected with it; they lay down rules for the protection of the natives and the suppression of the slave trade, and impose on the Powers which signed the Act the obligation to accept the mediation of one or more friendly governments should any serious dispute occur concerning the territories of the conventional basin of the Congo. An International Conference at Brussels in 1890 authorised the Government of the Independent State to levy certain duties on imports.

The State was placed under the sovereignty of Leopold II., King of the Belgians, on the basis of personal union with Belgium, but it has declared itself perpetually neutral in accordance with the provision of Chapter III. of the General Act of Berlin. By a will dated August 2, 1889, the King has bequeathed to Belgium all his sovereign rights in the State. On July 21, 1890, the territories of the State were declared inalienable, and a Convention of July 3, 1890, between Belgium and the Independent State, reserved to the former the right of annexing the latter after a period of ten years. This right is continued under an Act of August 10, 1901. See under Finance.

The Central Government at Brussels consists of the King of the Belgians, and, under his orders, a Secretary of State, who is chief of the departments of Foreign Affairs, Finance, and the Interior. A Governor-General represents the King at Boma and administers the territories of the State in accordance with the King's orders.

The precise boundaries of the Congo State were defined by the neutrality declarations of August, 1885, and December, 1894, after treaties with Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, France, and Portugal. The Congo State has access to the Nile at the Lado enclave of which the river forms the eastern boundary, the western being on 30° E. Long., and the northern on 5° 30' N. Lat. Great Britain has sovereign rights within the enclave, but has leased certain islets in the Nile where the Congo State may keep soldiers in garrison. For the investigation of certain statements affecting the Administration of the Congo State with respect to the treatment of natives, a special Commission of Inquiry has been appointed by the Belgian Government. The Commission consists of the Advocate-General of the Belgian Court of Cassation, the interim President of the Appeal Court at Boma, and the Head of the Department of Justice of the Canton of Lucerne, with a Secretary.

The territory is divided into fourteen administrative districts :-Banana, Boma, Matadi, the Cataracts, Stanley Pool, Kwango Oriental, Lake Leopold II., Bangala, Equator, Ubangi, Welle, Stanley Falls, Aruwimi, Lualaba-Kasai. At the head of each district there is a commissioner. In 1903 there were, altogether, 233 posts and stations at which 1,424 European Government agents officiated.

Area and Population.

The area of the Independent State is estimated at 900,000 square miles, with a population of about 30,000,000 of Bantu origin. The European population in January, 1904, numbered 2,483. Of these, 1,442 were Belgian, 137 English, 98 Portuguese, 108 Swedish, 13 Norwegian, 48 French, 40 American, 230 Italian, 31 Danish, 119 Dutch, 71 German, 6 Spanish, 8 Austrian, 85 Swiss, 19 Russian, 19 from Luxembourg, 3 Greeks, and 6 others.

The native languages comprise many dialects, every tribe having its own. Kiswahili is the language spoken by the natives who have been under Arab influence, and this is used by the missionaries. The religion of the natives consists of a gross fetichism, but mission work is actively carried on. There are 109 mission stations, with 465 missionaries, of whom 244 are Catholic and 221 Protestant. In education they co-operate with the Government, which has formed 3 agricultural colonies where children are collected and taught.

Finance, Defence.

For 1902 the revenue was estimated at 28,709,000 francs; expenditure, 32,405,494 francs; for 1903, revenue, 28,090,000 francs; expenditure, 30,265,550 francs. For 1904 the revenue and expenditure were estimated

The debt of the Congo State, contracted at various dates, is given as follows: Under decree of February 7, 1888, authorising the issue of honds amounting to a nominal capital of 150,000,000 francs, the amount of 70,000,000 francs was issued; under decrees of October 17, 1896, and June 14, 1898, 14,000,000 francs (nominal capital) was issued at 4 per cent. interest; under convention of July 3, 1890, Belgium advanced 25,000,000 francs to the Congo State, interest to be at 3 per cent. after January 3, 1901, should the Congo State not have been annexed to Belgium by that date; under convention of June 11, 1895, Belgium advanced a further sum amounting to 6,850,000 francs on the same terms; on July 5, 1887, bonds were created and delivered to the members and subscribers of the late "Comité d'Etudes du Haut Congo," amounting to 422,220 francs, yielding interest at 2 per cent. from January 1, 1900. Under an Act of August 10, 1901, Belgium renounces for the present the repayment of its advances and the payment of interest thereon, but reserves the right to annex the Congo State, whose financial obligations to Belgium will revive only when the latter State renounces the right to annex the former.

In October, 1901, a loan of 50,000,000 francs, at 4 per cent. interest, was issued for the purpose of public works, including railways. By decree of December 24, 1901, the State guarantees 4 per cent. interest on a capital of 25,000,000 francs of the shares of the Upper Congo Railway to the Great Lakes. A decree of February 1, 1904, has authorised the creation of bonds to bearer of the public debt for a nominal capital of 30,000,000 francs at 3 per cent. interest.

There is an armed force of native Africans, divided into 23 companies, commanded by 207 European officers and 304 sergeants. The effective strength for 1903 was fixed at 13,650 men. There are 4 camps of instruction.

Production, Commerce, Shipping.

The lands within the State are divided for the purposes of occupation, into three classes: those which are occupied by natives, and on which they have the right of occupation; registered lands, constituting private estates of nonnatives; and crown lands, comprising all vacant lands. For private estates there is a system of registration, under the superintendence of the "Conservateur des Titres Fonciers," who is also chief of the Cadastral service.

The chief products are rubber, ivory, palm-nuts, palm-oil, and white copal. Coffee grows freely, and the cultivation of cocoa is successful. Tobacco is grown in all native villages, and is beginning to be exported. Plantations of Havana and Sumatra tobacco have been established by the Government.

The commerce of the State has expanded rapidly. The value of the commerce in 1893 was as follows:-Imports, special, 9,175,103 fr.; general, 10,148,418 fr.; exports, special, 6,206,135 fr.; general, 7,514,791 fr. development in the last five years was as follows:

The

In the special trade of 1903 the chief imports and exports were :

Steamers, &c.

1,922,390

Palm-nuts

1,487,290

Metals and their manuf.

1,063,575

Drinks

1,389,661

White copal

649,578

Of the special imports the value of 15,699,535 francs came from Belgium ; 2,390,780 francs from Great Britain; 639,099 francs from Germany 584,372 francs from France, and 891,758 francs from Holland. Of the special exports the value of 51,944,629 francs went to Belgium; 213,602 francs to Great Britain; 1,853,303 francs to neighbouring Portuguese possessions, and 415,559 francs to Holland.

According to the Board of Trade Returns the imports into the United Kingdom from the Congo State in 1903 amounted to the value of 21,1437. (rubber, 7,6147.); and the exports of British produce and manufactures to the Congo State, to 107,6801. (cottons, 67,5291.).

At the ports of Boma and Banana in 1903 of sea-going vessels there entered 243 of 441,290 tons, and cleared 244 of 441,692 tons. Of the tonnage entered 181,886 was Belgian, 109,496 British, 73,677 French, and 71,545 German; of the tonnage cleared, 181,886 was Belgian, 109,496 British, 73,677 French, and 71,545 German. In the coasting trade there entered 396 vessels of 33,905 tons, and cleared 397 of 33,806 tons. There is regular steam.communication every three weeks with Antwerp and frequent steam communication with Liverpool, Hamburg, Rotterdam, and Lisbon.

Internal Communications.

The Congo is navigable for about 100 miles from its mouth to Matadi, and on this section 9 steamers belonging to the State ply. Above this, for over 200 miles, are numerous rapids, which render the river unnavigable as far as Stanley Pool (Leopoldville). Above the Pool theic are about 1,200 miles of navigable water, as far as Stanley Falls, while several of the great tributaries are navigable over a considerable extent of their course.

A railway of about 250 miles in length, running at an average distance of 20 miles south of the river, connects Matadi with Stanley Pool. This railway is open for traffic in its whole length. A local railway in Mayumbe is open for traffic for a length of 50 miles. Under a 99 years' concession to a Belgian company, about 900 miles of railways are in construction from the Congo at Stanleyville and Nyangwe to Lake Albert Nyanza and Lake Tanganyika. From Leopoldville a public transport service on the Upper Congo has been organised by the Government, 32 steamers being employed for this purpose.

In 1903 there were in the State 22 post offices. In 1903 in the internal service 220,441 letters, papers, &c., were transmitted; and in the external, 515,994. The State is included in the Postal Union. Telegraph lines connect Boma and Leopoldville, 280 miles; Leopoldville and the Equator, 464 miles; Lisala and Umangi, 14 miles; Kasongo and Baraka (Lake Tanganyika), 200 miles; and there are 50 miles of telegraph line in Mayumbe: total length, 1,008 miles.

The legal money is as in Belgium, but on the Upper Congo the currency consists of brass rods.

Consul-General in London for the Congo Independent State.-J. Houdret. Consul in London for the Congo Independent State.-J. E. Grein.

There are consuls for the Congo State at Liverpool, Manchester, and Edinburgh.

British Consul-A. Nightingale (at Boma).