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In 1883 the commerce was carried on in 2,460 vessels, of which 240 were North American, 224 British, 204 French, 262 Spanish, and 1,250 (mostly small sailing vessels) Venezuelan. In 1883 Venezuela had 2,492 vessels of 24,924 tons, 20 of 2,139 tons being

steamers.

Both iron and copper are abundant in various parts of the republic, but are comparatively neglected for want of means to work them. Gold is also worked, and considerable quantities of coal are also said to exist, but at present unworked. The total value of the mineral products in 1884 has been estimated at 890,4107.; gold 648,6767., and the rest mostly copper.

There are (1884) 102 miles of railway in operation and 270 under construction. There were 1,145 miles of telegraphs in 1884, and 40 offices. There are 160 post-offices. In 1883 there were conveyed 2,673,404 letters and parcels. In 1880 Venezuela joined the General Postal Union.

Diplomatic and Consular Representatives.

1. OF VENEZUELA IN GREAT BRITAIN.

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. — General Guzman Blanco.

Secretary. Dr. Rafael Seijas.

Consul.-N. G. Burch.

2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN VENEZUELA.

Minister and Consul-General.-Frederick Robert St. John, appointed December 24, 1884.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

The money, weights, and measures of Venezuela, and the British equivalents, are:

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The above are the old weights and measures in general use, but the legal ones are those of the French metric system.

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Segundo Censo de la República. Caracas, 1881.

Statistical Annuary of the United States of Venezuela. Caracas, 1884. Report by Mr. R. T. C. Middleton on the commerce of Venezuela, dated Caracas, December 2, 1878; in Reports by H.M.'s Secretaries of Embassy and Legation.' Part I. 1879. 8. London, 1879.

Report by Mr. Robert Bunch on the Foreign Trade and on the Gold Mines of Venezuela, dated Carácas, May 10, 1880; in Reports of H.M.'s Secretaries of Embassy and Legation.' Part IV. 1880. 8. London, 1880.

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Report by Colonel Mansfield on the trade, commerce, &c. of Venezuela, 1881, in Reports of H.M.'s Secretaries of Embassy and Legation.' Part II. 1882.

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Report by Colonel Mansfield on the finances, commerce, &c. of Venezuela. for 1881; in Reports from H.M.'s Diplomatic and Consular Agents Abroad.' Part I. 1883. Folio. London, 1883.

Reports by Mr. Vice-Consul Mathison on the trade of Ciudad Bolivar; by Mr. Vice-Consul Akers Cage on the trade of La Guaira; and by Mr. ViceConsul Conn on the trade of Puerto Caballo, dated January-June 1876; in 'Reports from H.M.'s Consuls.' Part VI. 1876. 8. London, 1876.

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Reports by Mr. Vice-Consul Cage on the trade of La Guaira; and by Mr. Vice-Consul Conn on the trade of Puerto Caballo, dated January-March 1877; in Reports from H.M.'s Consuls.' Part V. 1877. 8. London, 1877. Report by Consul Beach on the mines of Venezuela, in Reports from the Consuls of the United States.' No. 32, August 1883. Washington, 1883.

Trade of Venezuela with Great Britain; in 'Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom with Foreign Countries for the year 1883.' 4. London, 1884.

2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Appun (C. F.), Unter den Tropen. Vol. I. Venezuela. 8. Jena, 1871
Bates (H. W.), Central and South America. London, 1882.
Bojas (Hermanos), Almanaque Annuario. Caracas, 1884.
Dance (C. D.), Four Years in Venezuela. 8. London, 1876.

Eastwick (Edward), Venezuela, or Sketches of Life in a South American
Republic; with a history of the Loan of 1864. 8. London, 1868.
Ernst (Dr. A.), Les produits de Vénézuela. 8. Bremen, 1874.
Meulemans (Auguste), La république de Venezuela. 8. Bruxelles, 1872.
Spence (J. M.), The Land of Bolivar: Adventures in Venezuela. 2 vols. S.
London, 1878.

Thirion (C.), Les états-unis de Venezuela. 8. Paris, 1867.

Tejera (Miguel), Venezuela pintoresca é illustrada. 8. Paris, 1875. Tejera (Miguel), Mappa fisico y politico de los Estados Unidos de Venezuela. 8. Paris, 1877.

II.

AFRICA.

II. AFRICA.

ALGERIA.

(L'ALGÉRIE.)

Government, Revenue, and Army.

ALGERIA, the largest and most important of the colonial possessions of France, was entirely under military rule till the year 1871, when various reforms were introduced. In place of the former military governor, a civil Governor-General at present administers the government of the colony, and the country is regarded more as a detached part of France, than as a colony. But the new civil government extends only over the settled districts, and the territory of the Sahara and adjoining districts, inhabited chiefly by nomad tribes, remain under exclusively military rule. The country under civil government is divided into three departments, Algiers, Constantine, and Oran, which are subdivided into twelve arrondissements.

Governor-General of Algeria.-M. Louis Tirman, Conseiller d'état, and formerly Prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhône. Appointed November 26, 1881.

The French Chambers have alone the right of legislating for Algeria, while such matters as do not come within the legislative power are regulated by decree of the President of the Republic. The Governor-General is assisted by a council, whose function is purely consultative. There is also another Colonial Council, consisting of Government functionaries and a certain number of delegates from the Councils-General, whose advice should be taken on all financial questions, but in practice it is of little account. The Colonists send two deputies and one senator for each department to the French Chambers.

The cost of the colony to France has always been far greater than its revenues. The receipts of the government are derived chiefly from indirect taxes, licences, and customs duties on imports. The cost of maintenance of the army, the expenditure for public works, and other large sums disbursed by the Government are not included in the expenditure, being provided out of the French

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