will lend itself to any inequality in taxation or railway rates, and reciprocal engagements with respect to trade are to last for 30 years with prolongation for periods of 5 years, failing denunciation a year in advance. Roads, railways, harbour works, &c., are to remain under State control. These arrangements have been accepted also by Spain in a Franco-Spanish convention.

The Government of Morocco is gradually falling under the direction of France, which now controls the Customs and has in view the reform of the Army as a military police force; but the French Government declares that it has not the intention of changing the political condition of Morocco.

Area and Population.

The area of Morocco can only be vaguely estimated, as the southern frontiers, towards the Sahara, are unsettled. According to the most recent investigation, the area of the Sultan's dominions is about 219,000 English square miles. The estimates of the population of Morocco vary; it is generally considered to be about 5,000,000. An estimate of 1889 gives the following results :-The region of the old kingdom of Fez, 3,200,000; of Morocco, 3,900,000; of Tafilet and the Segelmesa country, 850,000; of Sus, Adrar, and the Northern Draa, 1,450,000; total, 9,400,000. Again, as to race-Berbers and Tuaregs, 3,000,000; Shellah Berbers, 2,200,000; Arabs (1) pure nomadic Bedouins, 700,000; (2) Mued, 3,000,000; Jews, 150,000: negroes, 200,000. Some districts, including Tuat and other oases, claimed by the Sultan as part of Morocco were recently occupied by Algerian troops. An agreement between France and Morocco (July 20, 1901) makes the valley of the Wed tribes the boundary, and to the east of this only those who acknowledge French authority will be permitted to dwell. A French and Moroccan Commission is entrusted with the formation of police arrangements in the region. The number of Christians does not exceed 6,000; the Christian population of Tangier alone probably amounts to 5,000. Much of the interior of Morocco is unknown to Europeans. Fez, the capital, has a population of about 140,000, and Tangier about 30,000. Morocco city is the southern capital. The Sultan and his subjects are of the Malekite sect of Sunnite Mohammedans. The differences between sects are chiefly in the attitudes assumed during the recital of prayers.

Finance, Defence.

Insurrectionary movements which have continued for several years, and also disputes with France, have caused financial embarrassment in Morocco. The annual revenue from Customs is put at 12,000,000 francs, and taxes are, at least in normal conditions, levied throughout the country; but the amount raised is not known. In 1903, loans of considerable amount were obtained, and in July, 1904, a French loan of 62,000,000 francs was contracted for on the security of the Customs. The purpose of this loan is stated to be the redemption of the earlier loans and the reform of the Moroccan administration. It will be repaid in half-yearly instalments between 1906 and 1941.

The Sultan's army, which is quartered at the capital where he may happen to reside, is composed of about 10,000 Askar or disciplined infantry, and 400 disciplined cavalry; a few batteries of field guns, and 2,000 irregular cavalry. In addition to these forces there are in the Empire about 8,000

militia cavalry and 10,000 infantry. Every year several of the governors of provinces are ordered to assemble their contingents to accompany the Sultan in his progress from Fez to Morocco. The irregular cavalry and infantry which could be collected in time of war would amount to about 40,000, in addition to the forces already enumerated. There is no commissariat.

The only Government vessel remaining is the Sid et Turki; the others were sold.

Commerce.

The following table shows the value of the trade and the shipping of Morocco at different ports in 1903, excluding specie and precious metals :

The chief imports into the 8 ports were, in 1903, cottons, 902,0917. ; sugar, 474,2737.; tea, 179,1851. But at Laraiche there were large imports of cannon and fire-arms, amounting to the value of 202,0007. At the 8 ports, the chief exports were eggs, 239, 2267.; almonds, 139,6607.; goat-skins, 144,2857.; beans, 119,6737.; chick-peas, 107,1807. ; linseed, 102,7207. ; wool, 79,050.; bird seed, 42,2621.; wax, 47,5997.; cattle, 184,0157.

The value of the trade between Morocco and the United Kingdom in each of the last five years, according to the Board of Trade returns, was:—

The chief articles of import into the United Kingdom from Morocco in 1903 were beans, of the value of 107,4037.; almonds, 106,1397.; gum,

17,6137.; goat skins, 24,3967.; wax, 15,5287. The staple articles of British export to Morocco consists of cotton manufactures, to the value of 514,3527. ; candles, 52,4867.

By the Treaty of Wad Ras, 1860, the Sultan granted the claim of Spain, although the question has at different times been raised, to the small territory of Santa Cruz de Mar Pequeña, south of Mogador, but Spain has not yet taken advantage of the cession. On the north coast of Morocco, Spain occupies positions at Ceuta, Melilla, Peñon, Alhucemas, and Chaferinas Islands.

There are Postal services, under the control of the British, French, German and Spanish Governments. There is a daily service of couriers (of one or other of the four services) from Tangier to Fez and Alcazar, to Tetuan, and to the coast towns Rabat, Laraiche, Dar-al-Baida, Saffi, Mazagan and Mogador. There are also couriers between Laraiche and Alcazar, and between Mazagan and Marakesh, and between Fez and Mequinez.

Spanish dollars and pesetas, as well as Moorish coins minted for the Government in France, are current. The silver coinage comprises dollars, and dollars, and dirhems and dirhems (1 dollar 20 dirhems). But the values fluctuate, and the market values are sometimes only one-third of those adopted by the Government for custom-house purposes.

The Kintar, used for the produce of the country sold by weight, contains 100 Kotals, and is generally equal to about 168 lbs., but varies in different districts.

The Kintar by which is sold the articles of weight of importation is 100 Rotals, equal to 112 lb. English.

The Drah, 8 tominis, about 22 English inches.

Grain is sold by measure.

The Tangier Mudd, almost 8 tominis, equal to 147 English bushel.

Oil is sold, wholesale, by the kula; that of Tangier actually weighs 28 rotals, 47 lb. English, and is equal to about 5 British imperial gallons.

Diplomatic and Consular Representatives.

OF GREAT BRITAIN IN MOROCCO.

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.-Gerard Lowther, C. B.; appointed January 1, 1905.

Consul at Tangier.-H. E. White.

There is also a Consul at Dar-al-Baida; Vice-Consuls at Dar-al-Baida, Tangier, Fez, Laraiche, Mazagan, Rabat, Saffi, Tetuan, and Mogador, and Consular Agent at Alcazar.

Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Morocco. 1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom with Foreign Countries and British Possessions. Imp. 4.

London.

2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Aflalo (M.), The Truth About Morocco. London, 1904.

Amicis (E. de), Marocco. 8. Milano, 1878. Morocco and its People. [Translated from the Italian.] London, 1879.

Aubin (E.), Le Maroc d'Aujourd'hui. Paris, 1904.

Bonsal (S.), Morocco as it is. With an Account of Sir Charles Euan-Smith's Recent Mission to Fez. London, 1892.

Canal (J.), Géographie générale de Maroc. Paris, 1902.
Dawson (A. J.), Things seen in Morocco. London, 1904.

De Campou (Ludovic), Un empire qui croule, le Maroc contemporain. Paris, 1886.

De Foucauld (Vicomte Ch.), Reconnaissance au Maroc, 1883-1884.

Paris, 1888.

Diercks (G.), Materialen zur Kenntniss, &c., der Marokko-Frage. 8. Berlin, 1894. Erckmann (Jules, capit.), Le Maroc moderne. Paris.

Forrest (A. S.), and Bensusan (S. L.), Morocco. London, 1904.

Frisch (R. J.), Le Maroc. Paris, 1895.

Ganniers (A. de), Le Maroc d'aujourd'hui, d'hier, et de demain. Paris, 1894.

Graham (R. B. Cunninghame), Mogreb-el-Acksa. London, 1898.

Grey (H. M.), In Moorish Captivity. [Tourmaline Expedition of 1897-98.] London, 1899. Grove (Lady), Seventy-One Days' Camping in Morocco. London, 1902.

Harris (A.), The Land of an African Sultan: Travels in Morocco, 1887-89. 8. London, 1889.

Harris (W. B.), Tafilet: the Narrative of a Journey of Exploration in the Atlas Mountains, &c. London, 1895.

Hay (Sir J. D.), Morocco and the Moors. 8. London.-Memoir of Sir J. D. Hay completed by his daughters. London, 1896.

Hooker (Sir Joseph D.), Journal of a Tour in Morocco. 8. London, 1878.

Keane (A. H.), Africa. Vol. I. North Africa. London, 1894.

King (W. G. H.), A Search for the Masked Tawareks. London, 1903.

Lenz (Dr. O.), Timbuktu. Leipzig, 1884.

Macnab (Frances), A Ride in Morocco. London, 1902.

Maltzan (Heinrich, Freiherr von), Drei Jahre im Nordwesten von Afrika: Reisen in Algerien und Marokko. 4 vols. 8. Leipzig, 1869.

Martinière (H. M. P. de la), Morocco: Journeys to the Kingdom of Fez and to the Court of Mulai-Hassan, with a Bibliography of Morocco from 1844 to 1887. London, 1889. Meakin (B.), The Land of the Moors. London, 1901.

Montbard (G.), A travers le Maroc. 4. Paris. Among the Moors. 8. London.
Playfair (Sir R. L) and Brown (R.), Bibliography of Morocco. S. London, 1892.
Roche (J. B.), Au Pays des Pahouins. Paris, 1904.

Rohlfs (Gerhard), Land und Volk in Afrika. S. Bremen, 1870. Mein erster Aufenthalt in Marokko. 8. Bremen, 1873. [English translation, Adventures in Morocco, &c. 8. London, 1874.] Reise durch Marokko, &c. 8. Bremen, 1868. Quer durch Afrika. 2 vols. 8. Leipzig, 1874.

Segonzac (Marquis de), Voyages au Maroc, 1899-1901. Paris, 1903.

Stutfield (Hugh E. M.), El Maghreb; 1,200 Miles' Ride through Morocco. London, 1880.
Thomson (Joseph), Travels in the Atlas and Southern Morocco. London, 1889.

Trotter (Capt. P. D.), Our Mission to the Court of Morocco. Edinburgh, 1881.
Watson (R. S.), A Visit to Wazan. London, 1880.

NEPÁL.

AN independent Kingdom in the Himalayas, between 26° 25' and 30° 17′ N. lat., and between 80° 6′ and 88° 14′ of E. long.; its greatest length 500 miles ; its greatest breadth about 150; bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Sikkim, on the south and west by British India.

The

The sovereign is His Highness Manárája-Dhiraj Prithvi Bir BikramShamsher Jang Bahadur Shah Bahadur Shamsher Jang, who was born on August 8, 1875, and succeeded his grandfather on May 17, 1881. government of Nepál is a military oligarchy. All power is in the hands of the Prime Minister to whom it was delegated by the Mahárája Dhiráj when he came of age. The present Prime Minister is Maharájá Chandrá Shamsher Jang, Rana Bahadur, who was appointed on June 26, 1901.

The Gurkhas, a Rájpút race originally from Udaipur in Rajputana, who had settled in the province of Gurkha in Nepál, overran the whole country during the latter half of the eighteenth century, and have maintained their supremacy ever since. About 1790 a Gurkha army invaded Tibet; and to avenge this affront the Chinese Emperor, Kuen Lung, in 1791, sent an army into Nepál, which compelled the Gurkhas to submit to the terms of peace, by which they were bound to pay tribute to China. This tribute used formerly to be sent at irregular intervals, but the last three missions succeeded each other at intervals of five years. The relations between the Indian Government and the Gurkha rulers of Nepál date from the time of the Chinese invasion, when Lord Cornwallis endeavoured, but without success, to avert hostilities. A commercial treaty between India and Nepál was signed in 1792, and a British Resident was sent to reside at Katmandu, but was recalled two years later. A frontier outrage, in 1814, compelled the Indian Government to declare war; and a British force advanced to within three marches of the capital. Peace was concluded and the Treaty of Segowlie signed on December 2, 1815. Since then the relations of the British with Nepál have been friendly; and during the Indian Mutiny, the Prime Minister, Sir Jang Bahadur, sent a detachment of Gurkha troops to assist in the suppression of the rebellion in Oudh. Jang Bahadur died in 1877, and was succeeded as Prime Minister by Sir Ranodíp Singh, who was overthrown and murdered in a revolution which occurred in November 1885, and Maharájá Sir Bir Shamsher Jang Rana Bahadur, G.C.S.I., became Prime Minister. He died March 5, 1901, and was succeeded by Máhárájá Deb Shamsher Jang, Rana Bahadur, on whose dismissal in 1901 Máhárájá Chandra Shamsher was appointed Prime Minister.

In accordance with the treaty of Segowlie, a British Resident, with a small escort of Indian sepoys, lives at the capital; but he does not interfere in the internal affairs of the State.

Area about 54,000 square miles; population estimated at about 5,000,000. The races of Nepál, besides the dominant Gurkhas, include earlier inhabitants of Tartar origin, such as Magars, Guraugs, Newárs, and Bhutias.

Capital, Katmandu; population about 50,000.

Hinduism of an early type is the religion of the Gurkhas, and is gradually but steadily overlaying the Buddhism of the primitive inhabitants.

There is a standing regular army in Nepál, with an estimated strength of about 30,000, organised in battalions and armed with Martini-Henry rifles. An irregular force, nearly as numerous, is armed with old Snider and Enfield rifles. The artillery force has about 100 guns, two batteries being light field pieces, fairly modern, but the rest old smooth-bore muzzle-loading guns.