ore was valued at 5,9021., regulus at 335,7081., and unwrought or partly wrought copper at 1,520,2081. Next to copper, the most important articles exported to Great Britain are wheat and wheatflour, of the value of 912,0801.; sugar, of the value of 132,7831.; and wool of the value of 61,2021., in the year 1882.

The principal articles of British produce imported into Chili are cotton and woollen manufactures and iron. In 1882 the total imports of cotton fabrics were of the value of 1,218,2081.; of woollens, 298,1687.; and of iron, wrought and unwrought, 303,5231.

In 1880 Chili had 19 gold mines, which produced 20,458 cwt. of ore; 130 silver mines, which produced 19,931 cwt. of ore and 117 cwt. of metal; 606 copper mines, producing 362,156 cwt. of ore and 47,341 cwt. of metal; 21 coal mines, producing 409,978 cwt. of coal.

The commercial navy of Chili consisted, in May 1882, of 114 vessels, of which 24 were steamers, of 9,731 tons, and 90 sailing vessels, of 34,818 tons. In 1881, 1,380 vessels, of 583,231 tons, and 1,560, of 1,428,841 tons, cleared the various ports; of these, four-fifths in number and tonnage were British, and about oneninth Chilian. There was besides a large coasting trade. In the year ending March 31, 1882, 7,409 vessels, of 5,484,122 tons, entered, and 7,422, of 5,421,634, cleared, including both foreign and coasting vessels.

Chili was among the first states in South America in the construction of railways. In 1880 the total length of lines open for traffic was 1,159 English miles, of which 593 belonged to the State. The cost of the State lines to the end of 1881 was 8,706,9601.

The post-office in 1882 transmitted 20,791,121 letters and packets. There were 340 post-offices open at the end of the year.

The length of telegraph State lines was reported, at the end of 1882, at 5,490 miles. The number of telegraph offices at the same date was 118, of which 108 belonged to the State. In the year 1882 the telegraph carried 433,175 messages.

Diplomatic and Consular Representatives.

1. OF CHILI IN GREAT BRITAIN.

Envoy and Minister.-Don Marcial Martinez, accredited 1882. Secretary.-Don Manuel Carvallo. 2nd Secretary, Don Pedro Hertsl Lecaros. 2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN CHILI.

Minister and Consul-General.-Hon. Francis John Pakenham, formerly Secretary of Legation in Denmark; appointed Minister March 8, 1878. Money, Weights, and Measures.

The money, weights, and measures of Chili are—

The Pesos, or Dollar

MONEY.

= 100 Centavos Average rate of exchange, 48. Ten dollar (condor), five-dollar (medio-condor, or doblon), two-dollar (escudo), and one-dollar gold pieces are coined.

The metric system of France has been legally established in Chili, but the old weights and measures are still in use to some extent.

Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Chili.

1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Memorias presentandos al Congreso nacional por los Ministros de Estado en los departamentos de Relaciones Exteriores, Hacienda, &c. Santiago, 1882 and 1883.

Estadistica comercial de la Républica de Chile. 8. Valparaiso, 1883. Synopsis Estadística i Geográfica de Chile 1882. Santiago, 1883. Report by Mr. Horace Rumbold, British Minister, on the progress and general condition of Chili, dated Santiago de Chile, December 1875; in 'Reports by H.M.'s Secretaries of Legation.' Part III. 1876. 8. London, 1876. Report by Mr. Consul Drummond-Hay on the financial position of Chili, dated Valparaiso, August 11, 1876; in 'Reports from H.M.'s Consuls.' Part I. 1877. 8. London, 1877.

Report by Vice-Consul Barnett on the trade of Antofogasta, in 'Reports from H.M.'s Consuls.' 1882.

Report on trade of Chili in 1881, in 'Report of H.M.'s Consuls,' Part III.; and on the trade and commerce of Coquimbo, by Consul Grierson, in Part VIII. 1883. London, 1883.

Trade of Chili with Great Britain; in 'Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom with Foreign Countries and British Possessions in the year 1882. Imp. 4. London, 1883.

2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Arana (Diego Barros), La Guerre du Pacifique. Paris, 1882.

Asta-Buruaga (Francisco S.), Diccionario geográfico de la República de Chile. 8. New York, 1868.

Bates (H. W.), South America. London, 1882.

Carmena (M. G.), Estadística comercial comparativa de la República de Chile.

4. Valparaiso, 1880.

Fonck (Dr. Fr.), Chile in der Gegenwart. 8. Berlin, 1870.

Gay (Claudio). Historia jeneral de Chile.

Guerre entre le Chili, le Pérou et Bolivic en 1879. Paris, 1879.

Innes (G. Rose), The progress and actual condition of Chile. 8. London, 1875. Mackenna (Vicuña). Obras históricas sobre Chile.

Markham (C. R.), The war between Chili and Peru, 1879-81. London, 1883. Pissis (A.), Geografia Física de la Rep. de Chile. 8. Paris, 1875.

Rosales (R. P. Diego de), Historia General de el Reyno de Chile. 3 vols. 8. Valparais, 1877-78.

Wappaus (Prof. J. C.), Die Republiken von Süd-Amerika, geographisch und statistisch, 8. Göttingen, 1866.

COLOMBIA.

(ESTADOS UNIDOS DE COLOMBIA.)

Constitution and Government.

THE federative republic of Colombia, officially styled the United States of Colombia, was formed by the Convention of Bogota, concluded Sept. 20, 1861, by the representatives of nine states, which formed the United States of New Granada. A constitution, bearing date May 8, 1863, vests the executive authority in a president elected for two years, while the legislative power rests with a Congress of two Houses, called the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate, numbering 27 members, is composed of representatives of the nine states, each deputing three senators; the House of Representatives, numbering 66 members, is elected by universal suffrage, each state forming a constituency and returning one member for 50,000 -inhabitants, and a second for every additional 20,000. Besides the central government thus created, each of the nine states has its own legislature and chief executive officer, the latter called President in all except Cundinamarca, which gives him the title of Governor.

The President of Colombia exercises his executive functions through seven ministers, or secretaries, responsible to Congress. His biennial term of office begins on the 1st of April, ending the last of March. Congress elects every year three substitutes, one of whom fills the presidency in case of a vacancy during a president's term of office.

President of the Republic.-Sr. José E. Otalora, who, as one of the substitutes, assumed the presidency on the death of the president, Sr. F. J. Zaldua, December 21, 1882, and was elected president April 1, 1882.

The first head of the executive government of Colombia, after its establishment as a federative republic, was General Thomas Mosquera, who, during the civil war of 1860-2, was Commanderin-Chief of the Liberal army, and at the same time acted as provisional President. On the triumph of the Liberals he was elected by the deputies as President on Feb. 4, 1863, until the next popular election under the new Constitution, when Don Manuel Murillo Toro was chosen, April 1, 1864. General Mosquera was chosen his successor, but before his term of office had expired he came into conflict with the Congress of the Republic, and was deposed and imprisoned, his place being filled provisionally by the Designado or Substitute, General Santos Acosta. For the following term General Santos Gutierrez was elected President, April 1, 1868, since which, notwithstanding local disturbances and the Civil War of 1876-7, regular succession of Presidents has been uninterrupted.

Seat of the central government is the federal city of Bogota.

the

Revenue, Public Debt, and Army.

In 1879-80 the revenue was 1,130,3817., and the expenditure ,154,7157. In 1880-1 the revenue was 1,267,8417., and expendiheure 1,280,0197. In 1881-2, revenue 930,0127., expenditure $82,1277. The budget estimate of revenue for 1882-3 was 4,183,4007., and of expenditure 1,885,9091. The finances of Colombia are in a very unsatisfactory condition. In the Message f August 1883 the President stated that during the last three months the Treasury Department has been in such a state of penury that it has been impossible to attend, with the ordinary resources of the revenue, to even the most urgent expenses. We find a deficit which it is impossible to meet with the present resources of the Treasury. The revenue from the salt mines has entirely disappeared; the revenue from stamps has only reached 50,000 dols.; and the Post-office, telegraphs, and coinage have produced next to nothing. We can only reckon upon that part of. the Customs revenue which is free, and which is estimated at 2,000,000 dols., to attend to unavoidable expenses of the public service, which are calculated to require 3,500,000 dols. It will be therefore impossible to attend to the expenses of the public administration. It is necessary that we should seriously meditate as to the best remedy to apply to the ruin which threatens us with near bankruptcy, either by raising urgent fiscal resources, or by suppressing the Central Goverment and delivering to the various states the future of the republic.' The balance of the public debt on August 31, 1882, was reported to amount to 4,590,8587., of which 1,914,1007. was external, and 2,676,7587. internal. Most of the foreign debt is due to British creditors. The interest has been paid very irregularly, and in October 1883 there were four years' arrears due.

The strength of the Federal Army is determined by Act of Congress each year. According to the Act of August 18, 1882, the peace-footing for 1882-3 was 4,000. In case of war, the Executive can raise the army to the strength which circumstances may require.

Area and Population.

The area of the republic is estimated to embrace 504,773 English square miles, of which 330,756 square miles are north of the equator, and the remainder south of the equator. According to census taken in 1870, the population at that date was 2,951,323, and an official estimate of 1881 gives it as follows:

a

There

This includes 220,000 uncivilised Indians and the population, 80,000, of the extensive territories attached to each state. were 1,434,129 males and 1,517,194 females in 1870.

The most important of the nine states of Colombia, the state of · Panama, comprises the whole isthmus of that name, known historically as the Isthmus of Darien. The extreme length of the state from east to west is about 360 miles, but the sinuosities of the coast give about 400 miles on the Atlantic and 600 on the Pacific Ocean. The capital, Bogotá, has 100,000 inhabitants, Medellin 40,000, and Panama 25,000 in 1881, according to official estimates.

Trade and Commerce.

The total imports and total exports were as follows in each of the five financial years, ending June 30, from 1878 to 1882 :

Nearly two-thirds of the exports consist of cinchona and coffee, and one-sixth of the precious metals. Tobacco and hides are also important.

The foreign trade of Colombia is mainly with Great Britain and the United States. Far more important than the direct commerce is the transit trade, passing through the two ports of Panama and of Colon, or Aspinwall, which, united by railway, connect the Atlantic with the Pacific Ocean. The transit trade across the Isthmus of