The revenue and expenditure of the state in the same period is estimated at 7,500,000 dollars.

With regard to the debt of Mexico, the following official statement has been supplied :

By an arrangement with the English bondholders, Sept. 18, 1884, the English debt and arrears of interest, amounting in all to 20,600,000l., has been converted into new bonds, to be known as the Consolidated Debt of Mexico, in London, amounting in all to 17,200,000l. These are to bear interest at a rate increasing from 2 to 3 per cent. The Spanish conventions have disappeared, all but about 900,000 dollars: the debt to the Government of the United States has also been reduced (1884) by more than 1,400,000 dollars. The internal debt has also been reduced to some extent.

The Mexican Government do not recognise the debts contracted during the reign of the Emperor Maximilian in London and Paris, 1864-65; these would add another 40 millions to the amount of the debt. Nor does the above statement include the railway subsidies and guarantees incurred since 1879.

The real property of Mexico, exclusive of mines, ports, rivers, and other public property, has been valued at 3,549,060,000 dollars in 1883. Of this 240,000,000 dollars belong to the nation.

Mexico has an army of 3,700 officers and 45,323 men on the peace-footing, and 160,963 men on the war-footing; and a fleet of 6 gun-boats and 2 torpedo-boats.

Area and Population.

According to an official statement published in 1882, the following are the populations of the various divisions of Mexico at that date:

In 1874 the population was returned at 9,343,470, and in 1879 at 9,908,011, showing an increase, in 1882, of 703,402, or 7.5 per cent. in eight years, an increase which is probably to a considerable extent only apparent. The Indians are stated to be rapidly decreasing, forming, it was stated in 1874, one-half the population; in 1882 they were returned at 3,765,044. Theoretically, distinctions of race are abolished by the constitution of 1824.

The chief cities are the capital, Mexico, with a population in 1882 of about 300,000; Guadalajara, 80,000; Puebla, 65,000; Guanajuato, 56,500; San Luis Potosi, 35,000; Merida, Zacatecas, and Aguascalientes, about 32,000 each.

Emigration to Mexico is rapidly increasing; in 1882, 11,000 immigrants entered the port of Vera Cruz-mostly Italians and Spaniards; but it has been stated that there are many difficulties placed in the way of successful colonisation, and that a large proportion of immigrants in recent years have left the country.

Trade and Industry.

The total imports of Mexico in the year 1876 (the last for which detailed official returns are published) were of the estimated value of 28,485,000 dollars, or 5,697,000l., and the value of the exports 25,435,000 dollars, or 5,087,000l. It is officially stated that the imports of 1882 exceeded 6,000,000l., the average total of imports and exports in recent years being 12,000,000l.

The following table shows the exports of Mexico in each of the years ending June 30, 1878-82 :—

The following table shows the value of the exports in 1882, in

In 1882-83 the total value of the exports was 8,360,000l., including 3,412,7531. of precious metals.

Of the exports in 1883 3,340,000l. went to the United States, 3,460,000l. to Great Britain, 840,000l. to France, and the remainder chiefly to Germany, Spain, and Central America. The staple imports are cotton and linen manufactures, wrought iron, and machinery. The imports from the United States in 1881 were valued at 3,115,000l., chiefly cotton, iron and steel, petroleum, wood, provisions, and refined sugar. In 1882 the imports from the United States were estimated at 2,327,6547. (1,916,2667. native produce); from France 1,864,8997. (950,9267. native produce), from Great Britain 1,685,4517. (1,607,3061. native produce).

The subjoined table shows the total value of the exports from Mexico to Great Britain and Ireland, and of the imports of British

and Irish produce into Mexico, in each of the five years from 1879 to 1883:

The principal articles of export from Mexico to Great Britain in the year 1883 were mahogany, of the value of 270,056l.; dyestuffs and dye-woods, 166,9837.; hemp, 94,9547. (20,5687. in 1878); and unrefined sugar, of the value of 43,2031. Cotton manufactures, of the value of 565,3417.; linens, of the value of 75,5351.; iron, wrought and unwrought, of the value of 356,0087.; machinery, 164,9467.; and woollens, 111,095l., formed the chief imports of the United Kingdom into Mexico in 1883.

Mexico is rich in minerals, the number of mining enterprises in the country being 324, employimg 102,240 men. The value of the silver produced in 1882 was 5,943,8721. There are 11 mints in the republic, coining on an average 25,000,000 dollars annually. Between 1821 and 1880 the mines produced silver to the value of 180,000,000l., and gold to the value of 968,2007. The richest of all the mines now worked are those of Real del Monte and Pachuca, situated about sixty miles from the city of Mexico, and belonging to an Anglo-Mexican company. The total exports of silver ore and of silver unrefined from Mexico to the United Kingdom amounted in value to 89,6617. in 1879, to 120,5087. in 1880, to 95,3567. in 1881, to 79,8177. in 1882, and 80,3797. in 1883.

The principal agricultural products of Mexico are sugar, cocoa, coffee, barley, Indian corn, wheat, pulse, cotton, tobacco, potatoes. The value of the farms, including cocoa and palm-gardens, has been estimated at 12,000,000l. There are 479 square leagues of forest, valued at 6,800,000l. Mountain-land is estimated to cover 18,134 square leagues, and uncultivated land 4,822 square leagues. The total value of the wheat product in 1883 was 3,505,1787., Indian corn, 22,837,1987., sugar, 1,747,000l., pulse, 2,000,000l., cotton, 1,321,1667. The total value of all agricultural products was 35,490,2177. Large numbers of cattle are reared in Mexico for the United States. In 1883, in Northern Mexico alone, in an area of 300,000 square miles, there were 1,500,000 cattle, 2,500,000 goats,

1,000,000 horses, and 1,000,000 sheep. In the whole of Mexico, in 1883, there were 20,574 cattle ranches, valued at 103,000,0007. There was in Mexico in 1882, 97 cotton and woollen factories, representing a total capital of about 2,000,000l. sterling: the number of workmen employed was 12,846. The amount of cotton grown in the country, in 1879, has been estimated at 50,000,000 lbs., and the quantity imported from the United States in that year was 9,898,000 lbs., and, in 1881, 13,336,186 lbs.

The shipping of Mexico, of 1,270 vessels, includes small vessels engaged in the coasting trade.

Mexico had 3,410 miles of railway open for traffic in the end of 1884, and 210 miles under construction.

The total length of telegraph lines, in 1884, was 19,000 English miles, with 460 offices; of which 12,810 miles and 325 offices belong to the Federal Government.

The post office carried 19,788,657 letters, newspapers, &c., in the year 1882-83. At the end of June 1883 there were 892 post offices in the republic.

Diplomatic and Consular Representatives.

Diplomatic relations between Great Britain and Mexico were interrupted from 1867 until the year 1883, when they were resumed :

1. OF MEXICO IN GREAT BRITAIN.

Envoy and Minister-Señor Don Ignacio Mariscal, accredited Dec. 16, 1884. Secretary.-Pablo Martinez del Campo.

2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN MEXICO.

Envoy and Minister.—Sir Spencer St. John, K.C.M.G., accredited January 5, 1885.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

MONEY.

The Dollar, of 100 cents: 27.064 gr. of 9027 fine; nominal value, 4s.; actual price, about 3s. 8d.

The weight and measures of the metric system have been introduced.

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

Anales del Minesterio de fomento, colonizacion, indústria y comercio. 8. Mexico, 1884.

Boletin del ministerio de fomento de la República Mexicana. Fol. Mexico, 1884.

Comercio exterior de Mexico. Fol. Mexico. 1884.