North Borneo.

A territory occupying the northern part of the island of Borneo, and situated nearly midway between Hong Kong and Port Darwin in Australia. The interior is mountainous, one point being 13,700 feet high, but most of the surface is jungle.

Area, 27,500 square miles, with a coast line of over 900 miles. Population, 175,000, consisting mainly of Mahometan settlers on the coast and aboriginal tribes inland, with some Chinese traders and artisans. Chief town, Sandakan, on the east coast.

The territory is under the jurisdiction of the British North Borneo Company, being held under a grant from the Sultan of Brunei. The cession was confirmed by Royal Charter in 1881, and the territory is administered by a Board of Directors in London, appointed under the Charter. The appointment of the Governor is subject to the approval of the Secretary of State. For administrative purposes the whole district is divided into four provinces. About 200,000 acres have been alienated by the Government on leases for 999 years. Governor. - [Vacant]; __salary, 7,200 dollars; 2,400 dollars allowance. Sir Rutherford Alcock, K.C.B., is Chairman of the Court of Directors in London. The expenditure in salaries in the Colony is over 50,000 dollars.

For 1887 the estimated revenue is 140,000 dollars; land sales, 9,200 dollars; expenditure, 176,834 dollars.

Sources of revenue: Licences, import duties, royalties, land sales, &c. Most of the trade is carried on through Singapore with Great Britain and the Colonies.

The chief products are timber, sago, rice, gums, pepper, gambier, gutta-percha, tobacco, tapioca, sweet potatoes. Coal and gold have been found. The exports comprise mostly jungle produce, wax, birds'-nests (edible), cocoanuts, gutta. percha, sago, tobacco, rattans, and india-rubber. A flourishing timber trade is stated to have been opened with China.

The Government issues its own copper coinage (cents and half-cents); also notes of one, five, and twenty-five dollars. Accounts are kept in U.S.A.

currency, and English money also circulates.

Shipping entered, 1886, 29,298 tons; cleared, 38,834 tons.

No public debt.

PERIM. (See ADEN, supra.)

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS. (See p. 887.)

AFRICA.

Ascension Island and St. Helena.

Ascension is a volcanic island in the South Atlantic, utilised by the Board of Admiralty and visited by antarctic whaling vessels. Area, 35 square miles. Population, 200. Officer in Charge, Captain R. H. Napier, R.N. ́ Imports from Great Britain (1885), 2,2301.; exports, 3,000l.

St. Helena, also of volcanic origin, is about 800 miles from Ascension Island, the nearest land, and 1,200 from Africa. Its importance as a port of call was greatly lessened by opening the overland route to India, and also by the Suez Canal. Area, 47 square miles. Population, 5,085 (in 1883), but decreasing steadily there were (exclusive of military, 250) 126 English included, and 4,315 natives. Emigrants in 1886, 50. Education, 11 schools, with 876 pupils; 4 of the schools receiving a Government grant of 3701. in 1887. Wm. Grey-Wilson, Esq. (5007.), assisted by a council of four. The following tables give statistics for St. Helena :

Governor,

Revenue from customs, 1886, 6,580. Expenditure: pensions, 2,3304;

salaries, 3,4507.

Public debt, 4,2507.

In 1886 the imports of St. Helena from Great Britain were 28,9497.; from the Cape, 4,3087.; from the United States, 1,678/.

The exports to Great Britain in 1886 were 4297.

There is a valuable whale-fishery at St. Helena, under American management, the results varying from 10,000l. to 30,000l. yearly. There are no industrial products; island mainly pasture.

The tonnage of all vessels entered and cleared, and of British vessels entered and cleared :

The Post-office traffic from St. Helena in 1886: 20,326 letters, 3,048 books and papers. There are 11 miles of telegraph wire.

St. Helena is largely used as a recruiting station for the West African Squadron.

West African Colonies.

These are four in number: Gold Coast, Lagos, Gambia, and Sierra Leone. Gold Coast, north of the Gulf of Guinea, between about 3° 30′ W. long, and 1° 30' E. long., extends along coast about 350 miles, and inland about 50 miles Lagos is an island on the Slave Coast to the east of Gold Coast, but the protectorate extends along the coast between 2° and 6° E. long., and for some distance inland. Area of Gold Coast, 15,000 square miles (including protectorate, 35,000 square miles); Lagos, 1,071. Population of Gold Coast, 400,000; Lagos, 87,165 in 1883 (in 1881, 117 whites, 68 mulattoes, 75,085 blacks). Education: Lagos, 34 schools, 2,566 pupils, Government grant, 6001. Christians, 9,641; Mahometans, 12,023; pagans, 53,606. Governor of Gold Coast, Sir W. B. Griffith, K.C.M.G. (3,500l.). Administrator of Lagos, Capt. C. A. Moloney, C.M.G. (1,7007.), with Legislative Councils. Lagos was in 1886 constituted a colony, independent of Gold Coast, both having formerly been one settlement. (See also below.)

Gambia, at the mouth of the river from which it is named, was subject to Sierra Leone till 1843. Area, 69 square miles. Population, 14,150, including 14,045 natives and 41 whites. Of these, 5,300 are Mahometans, and 2,385 Christians (mostly Wesleyans). Education: 11 schools, with 1,134 pupils ; Government grant, 2001. Administrator, J. S. Hay, C.M.G. (1,300l.). (See also below.) Legislative Council.

Sierra Leone was at first only the peninsula of that name, but now includes the Island Sherbro and much adjoining territory. Area, 468 square miles. Population, 60,546, of whom 271 are whites. Protestants, 39,048; Catholics, 369; Mahometans, 5,178; the rest Pagans. In 1884 there were 63 schools, with 6,139 pupils; grant-in-aid, 5097. Chief town Freetown, 21,930 inhabitants-headquarters of H.M. Forces in West Africa; 400 men of the West India regiment. Governor, Sir Samuel Rowe, K.C.M.G. (3,5007.), assisted by Executive and Legislative Councils, nominated. Leading item of revenue: Customs (Lagos), 44,4277. in 1886.

Leading item of expenditure: salaries (Lagos), 24,402/.; public works,

8,9371.

The public debt of Sierra Leone is 58,000l. The others have no public

debt.

Chief exports from Sierra Leone are seeds, nuts, palm-oil and kernels, hides, ginger; from Gambia (1886), ground nuts (87,1007.), hides (7,280/.), bees'wax (3,0787.), india-rubber (42,179 lbs.). From Gold Coast, gold, palm-oil and kernels, gum; from Lagos, oil, 213,1941.; kernels, 255,4221.; cotton goods, 13,488/.; tobacco, 11,668/.

The chief imports of these colonies are: Cotton goods (Lagos, 139,453/. in 1886); hardware, rum (Gambia, 24,076 gallons in 1886; Lagos, 29,232 gallons); gin (Lagos, 40,964/.); tobaccɔ (Gambia, 183,064 lbs. in 1886; Lagos, 29,232/); provisions, cola nuts (Gambia, 9,4957 in 1886), &c. Total imports (1886) from Great Britain to British West Africa, 793,132.; and exports to Great Britain, 826,8481.

Tonnage of all the vessels entered and cleared at the West African Colonies, and of British vessels entered and cleared, for five years to 1886 :

Post-office traffic in Sierra Leone, 125,000 letters and post-cards. The currency, weights, and measures are the same as those used in Great Britain.

Basutoland.

A territory on the north-east of Cape Colony, of which, till 1884, it formed a part. It has a most fertile soil, with beautiful climate and scenery. Area. 10,290 square miles. Population, 128,176, of whom about 500 are European Schools (1886) 78, with 3,600 pupils; Government grant, 2,1357. Government, by a Resident Commissioner under the High Commissioner for South Africa; salary, 1,400.

Cape Colony contributes 20,000l. to revenue. Basutoland produces wool, wheat, Kaffir cora, &c., also coal to some extent. cattle-rearing. At the last census there were

There are great facilities for over 35,000 horses, 217,400

cattle, 289,800 sheep, 15,200 pigs, &c. Imports of British goods: blankets, ploughs, saddlery, ironware, &c., estimated at 200,000l. Exports: grain, cattle, skins, wool, 100,000.

CAPE COLONY. (See p. 727.)

Bechuanaland.

This territory lies between the South African Republic on the west, Cape Colony on the south, the Molopo River on the west and north, the protectorate extending over the Kalahari Desert to 20° E. long., and 22° S. lat. The total area is 162,000 square miles, and the estimated population (British Bechuanaland only) 44,135 in 1885. It was annexed in 1884, and is under direct Imperial jurisdiction. The country is stated to be well adapted for cattle and for maize; gold, lead, silver, and iron have been found. A telegraph extends from Mafeking, the chief emporium in the Colony, to Barkly West. There is a well-trained force of Border police. Revenue estimated at 20,000l.; expenditure (1885) about 120,000l., made up by grant from Imperial funds.

Niger Protectorate.

By arrangement with Germany, Great Britain in 1884 assumed a protectorate over the Niger districts, extending from the Rio del Rey, in 9° E. long., to the Benin River on the east, and up the Niger and its tributary the Binué. Inland the protectorate includes the whole course of the Lower Niger and Binué up to and beyond the Boussa Rapids on the former, and Jin on the latter, in about 10° N. lat. The administration of this region is conducted by the Royal Niger Company, to which a Royal Charter was granted July 10, 1886. The jurisdiction of the Company includes a belt of 30 miles on each bank of the Niger and Binué, and their operations extend as far as Gando and Sokotoo, with the Sultans of which they have treaties. There is a great export trade in palm-oil and kernels, besides ebony, ivory, india-rubber, ghee, and beni seed. The imports are rum, cotton goods, hardware, guns, gunpowder, salt, &c.

A group of 360 small islands (18 to 20 inhabited) 580 miles east of North Carolina, and 677 miles from New York, noted for their climate and scenery; favourite winter resort for Americans.

Area, 20 square miles (12,000 acres, 4,000 under cultivation). Population, estimated for 1887, 15,177 (including 6,030 whites); 12,000 belong to Church of England. Education, 47 schools, with 1,400 pupils, 22 of the schools receiving Government grants, 1,6507. annually.

Average strength of Imperial troops, 1,500.

Governor.-Lieut.-Gen. Thomas L. J. Galwey (2,9467.), assisted by an Executive Council of nine members appointed by the Crown, and a represen tative House of Assembly of 34 members; 900 electors.