Christmas Island. See STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

CYPRUS.

High Commissioner.-Sir Henry Ernest Bulwer, G.C.M.G., appointed 1886; salary, 4,000l.

The third largest island in the Mediterranean, 60 miles from the coast of Asia Minor and 41 from the coast of Syria.

It is administered by Great Britain, under a convention concluded between the representatives of her Majesty and the Sultan of Turkey at Constantinople, June 4, 1878.

The island is administered by a High Commissioner, vested with the usual powers of a colonial governor. He is assisted by an Executive Council, consisting of the senior officer in command of the troops, the Chief Secretary, the Queen's Advocate, the Receiver-General.

The Legislature consists of a Council of eighteen members, six being office holders-the Chief Secretary, the Queen's Advocate, the ReceiverGeneral, the Chief Medical Officer, the Auditor, the Director of Surveyand twelve elected (for five years), three by Mahomedan and nine by nonMahomedan voters. The voters are all male Ottomans, or British subjects, or foreigners, twenty-one years of age, who have resided five years, and are payers of any of the taxes known as 'Verghis.' Registered electors, October 1886, were:- Mahomedan, 3,478; non-Mahomedan, 15,408.

Municipal councils exist in the principal towns, elected practically by all resident householders and ratepayers. Those eligible to the council must be voters rated upon property of the annual value of from 107. to 201., according to population.

The population at the census of 1881-95,015 males, 91,158 females; total, 186,173; density per square mile, 51.4.

For administrative purposes the island is divided into six districts, as follows, with area in square miles:-Nicosia 1,040, Larnaca 365, Limasol 542, Famagusta 817, Papho 574, Kyrenia 246; total area 3,584 square miles.

Mahomedans, 45,458; Greek Church, 137,631; others, 3,084.
Of the total population 182,704 are natives of Cyprus.
Birth rate computed in 1888-89 at 27 3 per 1,000.
Death

15.1 99

The principal towns are Nicosia (the capital and seat of government), 11,536; Larnaca, 7,833; Limasol, 6,006 (two chief ports); Famagusta (with Varoshia), 2,564 ; Papho (including Ktima), 2,204; Kyrenia, 1,192; Morphon, 2,267; Lapithor, 2,370.

Excepting two or three so-called 'high schools,' the schools of the island are of an elementary character. There is a Government inspector, and the Government contributes 3,000l. per annum to elementary education. In 1889 there were 225 Christian schools (excluding certain R. C. mission schools), with 10,342 scholars; 94 Moslem schools, with 3,516 scholars. Total cost (exclusive of Government grant) 5,9917-fees, voluntary contributions, and endowments.

Weekly newspapers in the English (3) and Greek (6) languages.

The law courts (reformed in 1883) consist of (1) a supreme court of

civil and criminal appeal; (2) six assize courts, having unlimited criminal jurisdiction; (3) six district courts, having limited criminal jurisdiction and unlimited civil jurisdiction; (4) six magisterial courts with summary jurisdiction; (5) village judges' courts. In all, except supreme court, native (Christian and Mahomedan) judges take part.

There is a large amount of crime in proportion to the population, and the people are prone to litigation.

The police force consists of about 600 men.
There is little or no pauperism in the island.

Revenue derived chiefly from the Verghis (taxes on immovable property and trade profits), military exemption tax, tithes on the principal products of the island, sheep, goat, and pig tax, customs duties, excise, stamps, and court fees, and a salt monopoly.

No Public Debt. A sum of 92,7997. is payable annually to the Sublime Porte under the convention of 1878. Annual grant from imperial funds to revenue, 1884-85, 15,000Z.; 1885-86, 15,000l. ; 1886–87, 20,0007.; 1887-88, 18,000Z.; 1888–89, 55,000l.; 1889-90, 35,0007.

Cyprus is essentially agricultural. Chief products-corn, cotton, carobs, linseed, olives, silk, raisins, fruit, vegetables, cheese, wool, hides, and wine. One-third of cultivable land under cultivation. Gypsum and terra umbra are found in abundance. Sponge fishery yields sponges valued at between 20,000l. and 30,000l. per annum.

Chief exports-Raisins, cocoons, wines, wheat and barley, wool, carobs, wheat and flour. The principal imports are-Cotton and woollen manufactures, tobacco, groceries, rice, alcohol, iron, leather, petroleum, timber, sugar, soap, and copper manufactures.

English, French, and Turkish coins current.

The Imperial Ottoman Bank and the Anglo-Egyptian Bank have establishments in the island. Turkish weights and measures current.

About 400 miles of good road, 240 miles of telegraph lines; cable connects with Alexandria.

Total number of letters delivered in Cyprus, 1889-90, 329,750; posted, 272,500.

See Annual Report of H.M.'s High Commissioner.

Cyprus. By Hamilton Lang.

HONG KONG.

Constitution and Government.

THE Crown colony of Hong Kong, formerly an integral part of China, was ceded to Great Britain in January 1841; the cession was confirmed by the treaty of Nanking, in August 1842; and the charter bears date April 5, 1843. Hong Kong is the great centre for British commerce with China and Japan, and a military and naval station of first-class importance.

The administration of the colony is in the hands of a Governor, aided by an Executive Council, composed of the Colonial Secretary, the Officer Commanding the Troops, the Attorney-General, the Treasurer, and the Captain Superintendent of Police. There is also a Legislative Council, presided over by the Governor, and composed of the Colonial Secretary, the Attorney-General, the Treasurer, the Surveyor-General, the Captain-Superintendent of Police, the Registrar-General, and five unofficial members-viz. three nominated by the Crown (one of whom is a Chinese), one nominated by the Chamber of Commerce, and one by the Justices of the Peace.

Governor of Hong Kong.-Sir G. William Des Vœux, K.C.M.G., Administrator of the Government, St. Lucia, 1869; Acting Governor of Trinidad, 1877-78; Acting Governor of Fiji, June 1878 to September 1879; Governor of Fiji, 1880; Governor of Newfoundland, 1886. Appointed Governor of Hong Kong, 1887.

The Governor has a salary of 25,000 dollars per annum, with 7,000 dollars table allowance.

Area and Population.

Hong Kong is situated off the south-eastern coast of China, at the mouth of the Canton River, about 40 miles east of Macao, and 90 miles south of Canton. The whole of Hong Kong island forms an irregular and broken ridge, stretching nearly east and west about 11 miles, its breadth from 2 to 5 miles, and its area rather more than 29 square miles. It is separated from the mainland of China by a narrow strait, known as the Ly-ee-moon Pass, which does not exceed half a mile in width. The opposite peninsula of Kowloon, forming part of the mainland of China, was ceded to Great Britain by a treaty entered into in 1861 with the Government of China, and now forms part of Hong Kong. The city of Victoria extends for upwards of four miles along the southern shore of the beautiful harbour.

The population of Hong Kong, including the military and naval establishments, was as follows at the last census, taken in 1881:

The total population in 1871 was 123,898; thus the increase in ten years was 36,504. The total white population in 1871 was 5,939, showing an increase during the ten years of 1,951. Of the coloured population in 1881, 1,451 were Indians, and 130,168 Chinese, one-third of the latter being British subjects by birth. Of the resident white population, exclusive of the military, police, naval establishment, &c., almost one-half are Portuguese by origin, and only one-third English. Next follow natives of Germany, the United States, France, Spain, Denmark, and Italy, the remainder being divided among about ten nationalities. A considerable proportion of the Indian population are included in the military and police. The estimated population for the year 1889 (Dec. 31) was 194,482,--38,033 males, 56,449 females (a census will be taken in 1891).

The births and deaths for the last five years were as follows:-

There is a constant flow of emigration from China passing through Hong Kong. In the five years from 1884 to 1888 there passed through the colony annually an average of 70,475 Chinese emigrants, more than twothirds going to the Straits Settlements. In 1889 the number of Chinese emigrants was 47,849, and the immigrants 99,315.

Instruction.

In 1889 there were 106 schools subject to Government supervision, as compared with 94 in 1887. Attending these schools in 1889 were 7,659 pupils, as compared with 5,974 in 1887; the total expenditure in 1889 being 53,902 dollars, as compared with 43,070 dollars in 1887. There are also 107 private schools, with 2,022 pupils.

Justice and Crime.

There is a supreme court, a police magistrate's court, and a marine magistrate's court. The number of criminal convictions before the supreme court in 1884 was 65; 1885, 103; 1886, 59; 1887, 82; 1888, 99; 1890, 64. Before the police magistrate's court, 1884, 12,836; 1885, 8,800; 1886,12,923; 1887, 10,679; 1888, 9,932; 1890, 6,894. The total number of prisoners in

gaol at the end of 1888 was 503, of which 31 were Europeans. There is a police force in the colony numbering 700 men, of whom 100 are British, 200 Sikhs, and the remainder Chinese.

Finance.

The colony has paid its local establishments since 1855, since which year it has held generally a surplus of revenue over and above its fixed expenditure.

The public revenue and expenditure of the colony were as follows in each of the years from 1885 to 1889 (the actual local rate for the dollar in 1888-9 was 38. 2d.).

The public revenue of the colony is derived chiefly from land, taxes, and licences, and an opium monopoly, which together more than cover the expenses of administration. A large portion of the expenditure has to be devoted to the maintenance of a strong police force. On defensive works alone (apart from military expenditure) 217,901 dollars were spent in 1886, 258,444 in 1887, 62,115 in 1888, 63,753 in 1889. Expenditure on establishments in 1889, 826,048 dollars in the colony, 20,4477. in Great Britain.

Hong Kong has a public debt, amounting to 200,0007., which was raised in 1887 for waterworks, fortifications, and sanitation. On December 31, 1888, the surplus assets of the Colony exceeded its liabilities by 505,100 dollars.

Defence.

There is an Imperial garrison of about 1,300 men. There is also a Volunteer Artillery Corps of 100 effective members. In 1889 the Colonial contribution to Military and Volunteers was 134,261 dollars. It has now been raised to 40,000l. Hong Kong is the headquarters of the China Squadron, and there is usually at least one war-vessel present. The China Squadron consists of 25 vessels in all.

Commerce and Shipping.

The commercial intercourse of Hong Kong-virtually a part of the commerce of China-is chiefly with Great Britain, India, Australia, the United States, and Germany, Great Britain absorbing about one-half of the total imports and exports. There being no custom house, there are no official returns of the value of the imports and exports of the colony from and to all countries, but only mercantile estimates, according to which the