the Argentine National Bank, amounting to 42,590 dollars. The debt due to Brazil is put at 9,876,500 dollars, and that to the Argentine Republic at 12,393,600 dollars. On March 21, 1904, the internal debt amounted to 20,411,795 dollars of notes in circulation. Defence. The army, comprising infantry, cavalry, and artillery, maintained chiefly to preserve internal order, consists of 82 officers and 1,500 men. Every citizen from 20 to 35 years of age is liable to military service. There is a screw steamer of 440 tons and 4 guns, and 2 small steamers on the river. Production and Industry. Excellent grazing land is abundant in Paraguay, especially in the Chaco region, which is now being taken up by cattle-raisers. The estimated number of horned cattle in 1900 was 2,743,665; horses 182,790, mules and asses 7,626, sheep 214,060, goats 32,334, pigs 23,900. The saladero industry is encouraged by Government; in 1903, 271,750 hides, and 2,657 tons of jerked beef, besides other animal products were exported. The growing of yerba maté, or Paraguay tea, is now in the hands of capitalists and companies. The total quantity of the leaf exported in 1903 was 6,058 tons. Tobacco is now grown in large quantities and exported for consumption in Europe; in 1903, 3,220 tons were shipped to Hamburg and Bremen. Other industries are amber-cutting and fruit-growing, while maize, mandioc, beans, &c., are also cultivated. In 1903, 105,500,000 oranges were exported. The most important timber is the quebracho colorado, used for sleepers, but chiefly for tanning; the logs contain from 25 to 29 per cent. of tanning substance. Large quantities of the extract are annually exported to Germany. The immense forests contain valuable timber both hard and soft, which now finds a market in neighbouring countries and in Europe. Immigration is small, but is encouraged, and there are seven agricultural settlements or colonies,' with, in all, 2,148 colonists. The New Australia colony, which was long unsuccessful, is now prosperous, its members being engaged mostly in stockraising. The Cosme colony, an offshoot, has a population of 90 (including 48 children) with about 70 plots of cultivated land growing maize, mandioca, potatoes, rice, tobacco, sugarcane and peanuts, besides oranges, bananas, coffee, and yerba mate. (An account of this colony is given in Foreign Office Report, No. 3007, of 1903.) In 1899 there were in Paraguay 16 yerba establishments, 308 distilleries, 35 wood yards, 3 sugar factories, 184 carpenters' shops, 73 kilns (brick, &c.), 36 bakeries, and 26 blacksmiths' shops, the capital invested in such industries amounting to 15,669,166 pesos currency. Paraguay has no gold, silver, or copper mines. Iron is found in the south, and marble in the north, and pyrites, copper, kaolin, are also found. Gold exists near San Miguel, but is unworked. Commerce. The following is the value of the imports and exports in gold dollars (5 dollars £1) :— 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 2,147,838 2,655,740 3,003,658 2,332,295 3,551,825 2,900,000 3,207,075 3,426,680 3,890,660 4,253,650 The chief imports are textiles. The chief exports in 1903 were hides, 1,041,090 dollars; jerked beef, 398,560 dollars; yerba maté (Paraguay tea), 789,845 dollars; wood, 711,760 dollars; tobacco, 322,205 dollars; quebracho extract, 300,625 dollars; oranges, 124,940 dollars. Other exports of increasing importance are bones, horns, hoofs, lard, horsehair, wool, and some forest products. Of the imports 32 per cent. are from Great Britain, 14 per cent. from Germany, and 12 per cent. from Argentina. Of the exports 61 per cent. go to Argentina, 35 per cent. to Europe, and the remainder to various South American republics. The British trade passes almost entirely through the territories of Brazil and the Argentine Republic. There are no direct imports into the United Kingdom from Paraguay; the British exports (mostly cottons and ironwork) direct to Paraguay amounted to 59,5987. in 1903. The most favoured nation treaty" of 1884 between Great Britain and Paraguay is in force. Communications. In 1903, 2,671 steamers and 781 sailing vessels, of altogether 1,076,880 tons, entered at the port of Asuncion. The steamers are mostly "liners regularly visiting the port. Works are in progress for the improvement of the harbour at Asunción. The French line of " Transports Maritimes" has established direct communication between France and Asuncion. There is a railway from Asuncion to Pirapó, the actual length of line open being about 156 miles. There are 20 miles of tramway. The country roads are in general mere bullock tracks, and transport is difficult and costly. There is a line of telegraph at the side of the railway; the national telegraph connects Asuncion with Corrientes in the Argentine Republic, and thus with the outside world; there are altogether 500 miles of telegraph line; there were 97,044 messages in 1901. The telephone is in operation at Asuncion. Paraguay joined the postal union in 1881; in 1900 the number of post offices was 142; letters, &c., received or transmitted, 1,729,878. Money and Credit. The banks in Paraguay are the Agricultural Bank, with a capital increased in 1904 to 14,209,800 dollars and outstanding loans amounting at the end of 1903 to 6,348,760 dollars; the Territorial Bank, the Mercantile Bank, the Bank of los Rios and Company. The Conversion Office, reorganised in 1903 for the administration of the public debt, has a capital of 3,000,000 dollars currency, and receives aunually 150,000 dollars gold from certain import and export duties. It has authority to sell or lend gold. The gold and silver coin of Paraguay were, in 1903, legally fixed as identical with those of the Argentine Republic (5 gold dollars = 17.). Paper money is the chief circulating medium; the amount in circulation on March 21, 1904, was 20,411,795 dollars. Gold was at a premium of about 900 per cent. in 1904. Money, Weights, and Measures. MONEY.-The Peso, or Dollar 100 Centavos. Nominal value, 4s. The Quintal. = 101 40 lbs. avoirdupois. 12 Engl. sq. miles. The weights and measures of the Argentine Republic are also in general use. Diplomatic and Consular Representatives. 1. OF PARAGUAY IN GREAT BRITAIN. Envoy and Minister.-Señor E. Machain. Consul-General in Great Britain.-Alfred James. Appointed 1897. 2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN PARAGUAY. Envoy and Minister.-W. H. D. Haggard, C. B. (residing at Buenos Aires). Consul at Asuncion.-C. W. Gosling. Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Paraguay. Anuario Estadistico de la República del Paraguay. Asuncion. Memoria que presenta el Directorio del Centro Comercial, &c. Annual. Asuncion. Mensage del Presidente de la República, presentado al Congreso Legislativo de la Nacion. Annual. Asuncion. Foreign Office Reports. Annual Series. London. Revue du Paraguay. Published monthly. Asuncion. Paraguay. Bulletin No. 54 of the Bureau of the American Republics, Washington, 1892. Report of the Council of the Corporation of Foreign Bondholders. Annual. London. Andibert (A.), Question de Limites entre el Paraguay y Bolivia. Asuncion, 1901. Bolland (E.), Exploraciones practicadas en el Alto Paraguay y en la Laguna Gaiba. Buenos Aires, 1901. Braine-le-Conte, La République de Paraguay. Bordeaux, 1889. Demersay (L. A.), Histoire physique, économique et politique du Paraguay et des étab lissements des Jésuites. 2 vols. 8. Paris, 1865. Graham (R. B. Cunningham), A Vanished Arcadia. London, 1901. Grubb (W. B.), Among the Indians of the Paraguayan Chaco [Missionary work]. London, 1904. Jourdan (E. C.), Guerra do Paraguay. Rio de Janeiro, 1890. Kennedy (A. J.), La Plata, Brazil, and Paraguay, during the War. 8. London, 1869. La Dardye (E. De B.), Paraguay: The Land and the People, Natural Wealth and Commercial Capabilities. English Edition. Edited by E. G. Ravenstein, F. R. G.S. London, 1892. Mansfield (Charles), Paraguay, Brazil, and the Plate. New Edition. By the Rev. Charles Kingsley. 8. London, 1856. Masterman (G. F.), Seven Eventful Years in Paraguay. 8. 2nd Edition. London, 1869. Mulhall (M. G. and E. T.), Handbook to the River Plate Republics, &c., and the Republics of Uruguay and Paraguay. 8. London, 1885. Olascoaga (R. de), Paraguay. [Translation from Reclus' 'Geographie Universelle,' with prolegomena and notes.] Asuncion, 1896. Page (Commander Thomas G.), La Plata, the Argentine Confederation, and Paraguay. Narrative of the Exploration of the Tributaries of the River La Plata and adjacent Countries during the years 1853, 1854, 1855, and 1856, under the orders of the United States Government. S. New York, 1867. Santos (C. R.), La Republica del Paraguay. Asuncion, 1897. Thompson (George), The Paraguayan War; with sketches of the history of Paraguay, and of the manners and customs of the people. 8. London, 1869. Trevenfeld (R. V. F.), Paraguay in Wort und Bild. Berlin, 1904. Washburn (Charles A.), The History of Paraguay. With notes of personal observations. vols 8. Boston and New York, 1871. PERSIA. Reigning Shah. Muzaffar-ed-din, born 14 Jemâdi II. A.н. 1269 March 25, 1853, second son of Nâsr-ed-dîn, Shah; succeeded his father May 1, 1896. Children of the Shah.-I. Mohammed Ali Mirza, Valiahd (heir-apparent), born 1872. II. Malik Mansur Mirza, Shua esSaltaneh, born 1880. III. Abu'l Fath Mirza, Salar ed Dowleh, born 1881. IV. Abu'l Fazl Mirza, Azud es-Sultan, born 1883. V. Husein Kuli Mirza, born 1894. VI. Nâsr ed-dîn Mirza, born 1896. There are also twelve daughters. Brothers of the Shah.-I. Mas'ûd Mirza, Zill es-Sultân, born January 5, 1850, has five sons and six daughters. II. Kâmrân Mirza, Nâïb es-Saltaneh, born July 22, 1856, has three daughters. III. Sâlâr es-Saltaneh, born May 2, 1882. IV. Rukn esSaltaneh. V. Yamin ed-Dowleh. VI. Azud es-Saltaneh. The royal family is very numerous: there are some thousands of princes and princesses, but the official year-book only mentions two uncles, two aunts, and about 100 great-uncles and cousins of the Shah. The Shah of Persia-by his official title, 'Shâhinshâh,' or king of kings—is absolute ruler within his dominions, and master of the lives and goods of all his subjects. The whole revenue of the country being at their disposal, recent sovereigns of Persia were able to amass a large private fortune, but that of the present occupant of the throne is reported to amount to only two millions sterling, most of it represented by diamonds, the largest, the Deryâ i Nûr, of 186 carats, and the Taj i Mâh, of 146 carats, and other precious stones, forming the crown jewels. The present sovereign of Persia is the fifth of the dynasty of the Kajârs, which took possession of the crown after a civil war extending over fifteen years, from 1779 to 1794. The date of accession of each of the sovereigns of the dynasty was as follows: : It is within the power of the Persian monarchs to alter or to overrule the existing law of succession, and to leave the crown with disregard of the natural heir, to any member of their family, but preference is generally given to a son whose mother was a Kajâr princess. The mother of the present Crown Prince was not a Kajâr princess. Government. The form of government of Persia is in its most important features similar to that of Turkey. All the laws are based on the precepts of the Koran, and though the power of the Shâh is absolute, it is only in so far as it is not opposed to the accepted doctrines of the Muhammedan religion, as laid down in the sacred book of the Prophet, his oral commentaries and sayings, and the interpretation of the same by his successors and the high priesthood. The Shâh is regarded as vicegerent of the Prophet (a great part of the priesthood and descendants of the Prophet [Syeds] deny this), and it is as such that he claims implicit obedience. Under him, the executive government is carried on by a ministry, formerly consisting of but two high functionaries, the grand vizier and the lord treasurer, but in more recent times divided into several departments, after the European fashion. The office of Sadr Azam or Grand Vizir, twice vacant since November, 1896, has, since August 11, 1898, been held by Mirza Ali Asghar Khan, Amin es Sultan, with the title of Atabak Azam. He resigned on September 15, 1903. The chief ministers now, October, 1904, are Prince Ain-ed-Dowleh, Sadr Azam (since August 26, 1904) and Minister of Interior; Mushir-ed-Dowleh, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Amir Khan Serdar, Minister for War; Mushir es Saltaneh, Minister for Treasury and Finance, and Nizam el Mulk, Minister for Justice. Other departments represented in the Ministry are: Commerce, Instruction, Telegraphs, Posts and Customs (the Minister, Mr. J. Naus, a Belgian official), Religious Endowments, Agriculture, Crown Domains, Court, Public Works, Press, Crown Buildings, Ceremonies, Mines, Mint, Arsenals, Police, &c. There are nearly thirty ministers of departments and also several ministers without portfolios, but only five or six of the more important are consulted on affairs of state. The country is divided into thirty-three provinces, which are governed by governors-general, who are directly responsible to the central Government, and can nominate the lieutenant-governors of the districts comprised in their own governments-general. Some of the governments-general are very small, and do not bear subdivision into districts, &c. ; others are very large, and comprise several provinces. Governors-general and lieutenantgovernors are generally called Hâkim, the former also often have the title of Wâlî, Fermân Fermâ, &c. A lieutenant-governor is sometimes called Nâïb el-Hukûmah; one of a small district is a Zâbit. Every town has a mayor or chief magistrate called Kalântar, or Darogha, or Beglerbeggî. |