Hobart of 25 men for the purpose of keeping barracks and batteries in order and to form the nucleus of a body for the instruction of the other branches of the volunteer system, including the country rifle clubs scattered throughout the island.

There are four batteries on the river Derwent and one on the Tamar.

Church and Education.

More than half of the population belong to the Church of England, and about 22 per cent. to the Roman Catholic Church. There are also Presbyterians, Methodists, and Wesleyans, and a few Jews. There are 16 superior schools or colleges in the colony with an average attendance of 1,693; 209 public elementary schools with 16,014 scholars on roll, and 149 private schools with 3,802 scholars. Education is compulsory. The higher education is under a Council, who hold examinations and grant degrees; elementary education is under the control of a Director working under a ministerial head. There are several valuable scholarships from the lower to the higher schools and from the higher schools to English universities. At the census of 1881 the number of persons returned as unable to read and write was 31,080, or 27 per cent. of the population.

Revenue and Expenditure.

Of the total yearly revenue for 1886, 65-31 per cent. was derived from taxation, chiefly customs; 18.53 per cent. from railways, postal, telegraph, and other public services; and the remainder principally from the rental and sale of Crown lands. The subjoined statement shows the total general revenue and expenditure during each of the five years from 1883 to 1887 :

Not included in the above receipts and disbursements are certain sums raised and expended for 'redemption of loans,' under the name of Territorial Revenue.'

The revenue for 1888 is estimated at 593,9867., and expenditure 657,0291.

The public debt of Tasmania amounted, December 1886, to 4,026,7207 The entire debt, consisting chiefly of 4 per cent

debentures, redeemable from 1876 to 1920, was raised for the construction of public works. The interest on the amount realised on the last 4 per cent. loan floated was equivalent to 3.98 per cent. at par. The following is an abstract of loans expenditure up to 31st December, 1886 :-Public works: railways, 1,307,5801., or 38-42 per cent.; telegraphs, 89,7361., or 2.64 per cent.; roads, bridges, jetties, &c., 940,0071., or 27 62 per cent.; public buildings, 389,2087., or 11.44 per cent.; defences, 85,2221., or 2.50 per cent.; other public works, 74,235l., or 2.18 per cent.-total public works, 2,885,9891., or 84.80 per cent. Other public services, 517,3601., or 15.20 per cent.—total, 3,403,3497., or 100 per cent. Balance of loans, raised chiefly for railways now being constructed, 638,7687.

Area and Population.

Tasmania, once known as Van Diemen's Land-in honour of a governor of the Dutch East Indies-was discovered by the navigator Tasman in 1642; and afterwards partially explored by Captain Cook. The first penal settlement formed here was in 1804; and till 1813 it was merely a place of transportation from Great Britain and from New South Wales, of which colony it was a dependency until 1825. Transportation to New South Wales having ceased in the year 1841, Tasmania, to which had been annexed Norfolk Island, became the only colony to which criminals from Great Britain were sent; but this ceased in 1853, when transportation to Tasmania was abolished. During the year 1886 the number of persons in prison was reduced to 17 per 10,000 persons.

The area of the colony is estimated at 26,215 square miles, or about 16,778,000 acres, of which 15,571,500 acres form the area of Tasmania Proper, the rest constituting that of a number of small islands, in two main groups, the north-east and north-west. The colony is divided into eighteen counties.

The census of February 7, 1870, showed the population of Tasmania as follows:-52,853 males, 46,475 females; total, 99,328. The population at the census of April 3, 1881, was 115,70561,162 males and 54,543 females. These figures show an increase on the previous census of 16,377, or 16.5 per cent. Of the total population 79,991 were natives of Tasmania, 28,243 natives of the United Kingdom, 3,987 natives of other Australasian colonies, 844 Chinese, 782 German. The estimated population on December 31, 1886, was 137,211. The aborigines of Tasmania are entirely extinct. During 1886 there were 4,627 births, 1,976 deaths, and 985 marriages.

The number of immigrants and of emigrants was as follows in each of the five years from 1882 to 1886 :

The direct movement of population is mainly between the Australian colonies and Tasmania.

Of the population in 1881, 19,408 were directly engaged in agriculture, 14,484 in industry, including mining, 3,884 in commerce. The population of the capital, Hobart, was 21,118 in 1881, and of Launceston 12,752.

Trade and Industry.

The total imports and exports of Tasmania, including bullion and specie, were as follows, in each of the five years 1882 to 1886:

The commerce of Tasmania is almost entirely with the United Kingdom and the neighbouring colonies of Victoria and New South Wales. The exports are chiefly wool, gold, tin, timber, fruit and jam, hops, grain, hides and skins, bark. The following are the values of the more important of these for the five years from 1882-86:

The following gives, according to Tasmanian returns, a synopsis of the general direction of trade during the year 1886

It is difficult to ascertain the exact value of the trade in respect of any one country, the custom still prevailing to refer all exports to the port to which the vessel has cleared for, and imports to the last port of clearance. It is estimated that the true extent of intercolonial trade in itself does not greatly exceed 25 per cent, of the whole, the balance being principally trade with England.

The total value of the exports from Tasmania to the United Kingdom, and of the imports of British produce into Tasmania direct, in each of the five years from 1882 to 1886 was as follows, according to the Board of Trade returns:

The staple article of export from Tasmania to the United Kingdom is wool. The value amounted to 342,6527. in 1882, to 349,1047. in 1883, to 318,5257. in 1884, to 256,5337. in 1885, to 214,2157. in 1886. In 1882 tin of the value of 18,3571. was exported to Great Britain; in 1883, 10,7701.; in 1884, 9,203l.; in 1885, 24,2977., in 1886, 3,7471. The principal imports from Great Britain are apparel and haberdashery, of the value of 79,8947. in 1886; iron, wrought and unwrought, 45,8421.; cottons, 51,3867.; woollens, 49,6951.

In 1886, 1,405 vessels of 692,429 tons entered and cleared Tasmanian ports. The number of registered vessels belonging to Tasmania in 1886 was 200 vessels of 17,424 tons, 28 of which are steamers of 7,008 tons.

In 1887 there were 446,391 acres under cultivation. Of the total area 4,513,454 acres have been sold or granted to settlers by the Crown; while 1,106,111 acres have been leased as sheep runs.

The principal crops are wheat, oats, and barley; hops are also largely grown, and great quantities of fruit, much of which is preserved and exported.

There were in the colony 29,684 horses, 148,665 head of cattle, 1,608,946 sheep and lambs, and 73,118 pigs, on March 31, 1887. The soil of the colony is rich in iron ore and tin, and there are large beds of coal. Gold to the amount of 41,241 oz., valued at

155,3091., was raised in 1886.

The first line of railway in Tasmania was opened in February, 1871. At the end of 1886 there were open for traffic 303 miles of railway completed, consisting of a main line connecting the two principal ports, Hobart and Launceston, and a line connecting Launceston and Formby; and lines, 138 miles in length, were in course of construction in 1887.

Tasmania has a telegraph system, belonging to the Government, through the settled part of the colony. At the end of 1886 the number of miles of line in operation was 1,772, and 2,353 miles of wire; the number of stations 144. The number of telegraphic messages sent was 214,738 in the year 1886. On May 1, 1869, telegraphic communication was established with the continent of Australia by a submarine cable, which carried 58,513 messages in 1886. The revenue of the Government telegraph system was 8,9231., and the expenditure 13,1277. in the year 1886.

The number of letters carried by the post office in the year 1886 was 3,806,738; of packets, 493,763; of newspapers, 3,806,738; and post-cards, 84,643. The post office revenue in 1886 was 32,510., and the expenditure 38,4011. There were 251 post offices in 1886, 432 officers, 2,692 miles of post roads, and 802,044 miles travelled.

Acting-Agent-General in London.-Sir Arthur Blyth, K.C.M.G., C.B.