The staple article of export of the Turkish Empire to the United Kingdom, in recent years, has been corn. The corn exports in 1876 were 3,775,5287.; in 1880, 171,4227.; in 1882, 747,9397.; in 1883, 1,339,4317.; in 1884, 1,474,0427.; in 1885, 960,4017.; in 1886, 386,7741. Next to corn in value stand wool and goat'shair, valonia, opium, and raisins. Of wool and goat's hair, the exports to the United Kingdom in the year 1883 amounted to 1,045,1777., to 1,289,1157. in 1884, to 925,3087. in 1885, to 1,326,148/. in 1886; of valonia (dye-stuff), to 432,4231. in 1883, 462,0527. in 1884, 395,8851. in 1885, 389,541l. in 1886; of opium, to 455,563l. in 1883, 291,4227. in 1884, 420,4617. in 1885, 239,662 in 1886; and of fruit, chiefly raisins and figs, to 850,8821. in 1884, 787,1627. in 1885, 651,5597. in 1886.

The most important article of British export to Turkey is manufactured cotton. The exports of cotton and cotton yarn amounted to 4,875,0087. in 1876; to 6,087,6377. in 1878; to 4,823,9037. in 1884; to 4,669,8697. in 1885; to 4,426,9267. in 1886. Besides cotton goods, the only notable articles of British export were woollens, of the value of 365,6831.; iron, wrought and unwrought, of the value of 160,375l.; copper, wrought and unwrought, 143,3197.; coals, 159,4231.; machinery, 78,5997., in the year 1886.

The mercantile navy of the Turkish Empire is comparatively small. In 1883 it consisted of 10 steamers of 8,866 tons, and 391 sailing vessels of 63,896 tons; besides a considerable number of small coasting vessels. In 1882-83 the Ottoman ports of the Mediterranean and Black Seas were visited by 191,147 vessels of 20,777,000 tons; those of the Red Sea and Persian Gulf by 6,641 vessels of 655,464 tons. In 1886-87, 15,519 vessels of 7,099,012 tons entered the port of Constantinople; of these, 3,788 vessels of 3,663,467 tons were British.

On the next page is a list of the various lines in Europe and Asia which were open for traffic in 1887.

The connection between Saremby and Sofia was effected in 1887; that between Sofia and Nish, which will connect Turkey with the rest of Europe, is expected in April 1888.

The length of telegraph lines in Turkey in 1884 was 14,617 miles, and the length of wires 26,060 miles. The total number of despatches carried from March 13, 1882, to March 12, 1883, was 1,259,133, of which 475,991 were official despatches, 1,009,322 internal, and 249,811 international. There were also received in transit 44,736 despatches. The number of telegraph offices amounted to 464, of which 358 were internal, 105 for internal and external purposes, and 21 for railway uses. The clerks in the Telegraph mustered 3,281.

There are 700 Turkish post-offices in the Empire, but owing to the fusion of many of them with the telegraph office the staff consists of 544 clerks only. Of these offices 215 are wayside stations, and stable 1,600 horses. During the year 1882-83 the number of objects which passed through these offices was 2,578,030, of which 656,325 were official and 424,268 destined for abroad, leaving, for general circulation in the interior, 1,500,000, or about one letter a year for every 15 inhabitants. The number of objects received from abroad by these offices is put down at 335,703. By far the larger number of objects for and from foreign destinations, and from ports to ports in the Empire, pass through the foreign post-offices belonging to Great Britain, Austria, Germany, France, and Russia.

TRIBUTARY STATES.

I. EGYPT.

(SEE PART II.-Africa.)

II. BULGARIA.

Ferdinand, Duke of Saxony, youngest son of the late Prince Augustus, Duke of Saxony, and Princess Clementine of BourbonOrleans (daughter of King Louis Philippe), born Feb. 26, 1861, was elected Prince of Bulgaria by unanimous vote of the National

Assembly, July 7, 1887; assumed the government, August 15, 1887, in succession to Prince Alexander, who abdicated Sept. 7, -1886. The election of Prince Ferdinand has not yet (January 20, 1888) been confirmed by the Porte and the Great Powers. On January 31, 1886, Prince Alexander was appointed Governor of Eastern Roumelia, which was thus united to Bulgaria, though the union has not yet been recognised by the Powers.

It is enacted by the constitution of 1879 that the Prince must reside permanently in the Principality. In case of absence, he must appoint a Regent, who will have his rights and duties determined by a special law. The Princely title being hereditary falls on the eldest son. In case the Prince succeeds in his minority, a Regency will be appointed until his majority.' By amendments to the Constitution adopted by the Assembly in 1883 a regency is to consist of three regents, two to be elected by the National Assembly. When the heir-apparent comes of age the National Assembly is to fix the amount of the civil list.

Constitution, Revenue, and Government.

The Principality of Bulgaria was created by the Treaty of Berlin, signed July 13, 1878. It was ordered by Art. 1 of the Treaty that Bulgaria should be 'constituted an autonomous and tributary Principality under the suzerainty of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan. It will have a Christian Government and a national militia.' Art. 3 ordered, "The Prince of Bulgaria shall be freely elected by the population and confirmed by the Sublime Porte, with the consent of the Powers. No member of any of the reigning Houses of the Great European Powers can be elected Prince of Bulgaria. In case of a vacancy in the Princely dignity, the election of the new Prince shall take place under the same conditions and with the same forms.'

By the constitution of 1879, the legislative authority was vested in a single chamber, called the National Assembly of Bulgaria. The members of it are elected by universal manhood suffrage at the rating of one member to every 10,000 of the population, counting both sexes.' The duration of the Assembly is three years, but it may be dissolved at any time by the Prince, when new elections must take place within four months. The Assembly in 1883 assented to a proposal for the creation of a second Chamber.

The executive power is vested, under the Prince, in a Council of six ministers—namely, 1. Minister for Foreign Affairs and Public Worship; 2. Minister of the Interior; 3. Minister of Public Instruction; 4. Minister of Finance; 5. Minister of Justice; and 6. Minister of War.

The

The budget for 1887 was estimated at 47,218,266 lei (francs) revenue, and expenditure 47,374,414 leii; that for 1888 at 53,708,046 leii revenue, and 69,047,770 leii expenditure. chief items of expenditure are war 23,223,340 leii, interior 7,513,694 leii, public debt 6,373,438 leii, finance 5,763,112 leii, public works 5,114,484 leii. In December 1887 the Sobranje authorised the Ministry to contract a loan of 50,000,000 leii, to be applied, (1) 19,000,000 leii to the cost of laying the Tzaribrod-Sofia-Vakarel railway; (2) an equal sum to the purchase of the Varna line; (3) 2,000,000 leii to the discharge of the debt of Prince Alexander; and (4) payments to the Ministry of War in respect of the provisioning and equipping of the army. Bulgaria has also undertaken to pay £T140,000 as the annual amount of the Eastern Roumelian Contribution, and £T21,000 in settlement of arrears under this head.

By the Treaty of Berlin the amount of the annual tribute and the share of the Turkish debt which Bulgaria should pay to Turkey should be fixed by an agreement between the Signatory Powers. So far (Dec. 1887) no amount has been fixed upon.

Military service is obligatory. The army, which since the revolution of Philippopolis of 1885 includes the Eastern Roumelian forces, is composed of 12 regiments of infantry, of 4 battalions, and 1 depôt battalion each; 3 regiments of cavalry, besides the Prince's escort, 3 regiments of artillery, having 6 field-batteries of 4 guns and 120 men, and 1 mountain battery of 2 guns and 60 men, and a pioneer force of 7 companies. The army is divided into 3 divisions, consisting of 2 brigades each. The peace strength is about 29,000 men, and the war strength about 100,000. The fleet consists of 3 ships of war, 10 steam sloops with guns of small calibre, 1 steam cutter, and 3 transports. The personnel consists of 8 officers and 233 men.

Area and Population.

The estimated area of the Principality of Bulgaria (excluding Eastern Roumelia) is 24,360 English square miles, and the population, according to a census taken on January 13, 1881, was 2,007,9191,027,803 males and 980,116 females. Bulgaria has been redivided into 17 districts (besides the six districts of Eastern Roumelia), 56 arrondissements or circles, and 76 municipal and rural communes. The present capital of the Principality is the city of Sofia, with a population of 20,501. The other principal towns are Varna, with a population of 24,555; Shumla, with 23,093; Rustchuk, with 26,163; Razgrad, 11,625; Sistova, 11,540; Plevna, 11,474; Tirnova, the ancient capital of Bulgaria, with 11,247; and Widdin,

with 13,714 inhabitants. Besides these, there are 15 to 20 small towns of from 2,000 to 3,000 inhabitants each. The great majority of the population live by the cultivation of the soil and the produce of their flocks and herds.

In the middle of the fourteenth century Bulgaria became subject to Hungary, until it was conquered by the Turks in 1392. Of the population 70 per cent. are of the Orthodox Greek Church, 28.79 per cent. Mahometans, and 0.72 per cent. Jews. Ethnically, according to language, 67 per cent. are Bulgarians, 26-26 per cent. Turks, 2-44 Wallachians, 1·87 Tziganes, and the remainder chiefly Greeks, Jews, and Tartars.

Trade and Industry.

The principal article of trade is corn, of which 1,500,000 tons are exported annually. The other exports consist of wool, tallow, butter, cheese, hides, flax, and timber. The principal imports are textile manufactures, iron, and coals. The value of the imports in 1884 was 46,351,280 leii, and exports 48,867,235 leii (excluding Eastern Koumelia). The number of sheep kept is very large, and their wool is exported chiefly to Austria, while the finer qualities are shipped to France. The principal mineral productions of the Principality are iron and coal. Deposits of coal have been discovered in the neighbourhood of Widdin, Travua, and between Varna and Balchick on the Black Sea.

In 1885 the total imports (Eastern Roumelia being included from November) were valued at 38,843,517 leii, and exports at 42,017,984 leii. The following table shows the trade by countries for 1886: