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 GEOGRAPHY AND STATISTICS.]

EGYPT 691 mainly with questions affecting the personal status of El-Azhar attracts students to the number of nearly 8000, of Mahommedans; (2) the Mixed Courts, instituted in 1875, whom some 2000 are resident, from all parts of the Mahomdealing with civil actions between persons of different medan world. Including this and the 3 training colleges, nationalities, and to some extent with criminal offences of there are 26 higher or professional schools, with 486 foreigners j (3) the Consular Courts, where foreigners teachers and 12,706 students. In 1897, of the sedentary accused oi crime are tried; (4) the Native Courts, for Egyptian population over seven years of age, there could civil actions between natives or crimes by natives. The read and write in Lower Egypt 7 per cent., in Upper Native Courts, instituted 1884-89, with both foreign Egypt, 4-07 per cent., in all Egypt, 5'8 per cent.; of the and native judges, now consist of 6 courts of first in- foreign population over seven years of age in all Egypt, stance, an appeal court at Cairo, and 42 summary 7 4 per cent, could read and. write. courts for cases of moderate importance. With special reference to these tribunals a British judicial adviser was Agriculture.—The total area of land, either cultivated, under appointed in 1891. A committee of judicial surveillance reclamation, or which may later be reclaimed, is 6,250,000 acres of which 4,690,000 pay full taxes, and 1,060,000 are in course of watches the working of the courts of first instance and the reclamation, paying a proportional tax. The remaining 500,000 summary courts, and endeavours, by letters and discussions, acres are still waste land. The most important crops are those to maintain purity and sound law. There is a Procureur- of cotton and sugar. The seasons for agriculture are— Gendral, who, with other duties, is entrusted with criminal Summer, from 1st April to 1st August. prosecutions. His representatives are attached to each Flood, ,, 1st August ,, 1st December. tribunal, and form the “ parquet ” under whose orders the Winter, „ 1st December ,, 1st April. police act in bringing criminals to justice. The police serThe approximate area and average yield in each season is as vice, which has been subject to frequent modification, was in 1895 put under the orders of the Ministry of the follows:— Interior, to which a British adviser and British inSeason. Area in Acres. Yield. spectors are attached. The provincial police is under the direction of the local authorities, the mvdirs or governors of provinces, and the mamurs or district officials; £E. Summer 2,046,500 15,177,500 to the omdas or village headmen, who are responsible for Flood 1,510,000 6,870,000 the good order of the villages, a limited criminal jurisdicWinter 4,260,000 17,013,000 tion has been entrusted. Religion—religion of the country is essentially The crops cultivated in the different seasons are as follows • Moslem, and its adherents far outnumber those of all other creeds. The Christians are mostly of the Orthodox Greek Upper Egypt. Church. Jews are not very numerous, and are mostly found in the towns. In the following table, under the Season. Crop. Area. Value. heading Orthodox are included Orthodox Copts, Orthodox Greeks, Greek Orthodox Syrians, and Orthodox Armenians; Acres. £E. while with the Catholics are included Roman Catholics, Summer Sugar-cane 75,000 1,200,000 Coptic Catholics, Syrian Catholics, Maronites, and Cotton 110,000 1,100,000 Armenian Catholics : — Vegetables, &c 15,000 150,000 Melons 12,500 127,500 Sorghum. 160,000 960,000 Creed. Lower Egypt. Flood. Upper Egypt. Dates Total. 5,200,000 1,040,000 Sorghum. 510,000 2,040,000 Rice 20,000 80,000 Per Per Per Winter. Wheat 600,000 3,000,000 cent. cent. cent. MahommedBeans 500,000 2,145,000 ans. 5,407,794 95-3 3,569,908 88-0 8,977,702 92-2 Clover 500,000 2,000,000 Barley 250,000 875,000 Lentils 140,000 420,000 Christians— Flax 1,000 Orthodox. 8,000 174,516 3-0 471,259 11-6 645,775 6-6 Onions Catholic. 15,000 56,660 1-0 150,000 4,391 •1 61,051 •6 Vetches. Protestant 11,901 0-2 115,000 290,000 12,508 •3 24,409 •3 Total. Jews. Various

243 077

4-2

24,973 265

0-5

488,158 12-0 227 3

731,235

7-5

Double cropped area = 703,500 acres. Lower Egypt.

25,200 268

Season.

Education.—Under the Ministry of Public Instructio there is now a graduated system of teaching, commencin with the “ kuttabs ” or village schools attached to mosque; passing on to the primary and secondary schools, and finall the two technical schools, and the schools of agriculture medicine, and law. Besides these there are nine missionar er S 0h0 1 a11 °with ® °f 14,700 ^ades. In 1 kuttabs, teachers

Summer Flood.



1898 were pupil in a 9/CL for thethere 183,470 who attend them; but only a few of these, at presen about 100,^ are under Government inspection and receiv the grant in aid to which it entitles them. In the res the education given is of small value. There were 24< higher grade primary schools, and 28 secondary schools besides 3 training colleges for teachers. The University o

Winter.

Crop. Cotton Sugar-cane Vegetables, &c Rice Dates Maize Rice Wheat Barley Clover Beans Vegetables, &c Flax

Area

Value.

Acres. 1,500,000 4,000 70,000 100,000 2,200,000 900,000 80,000 600,000 330,000 955,000 180,000 70,000 4,000

£E. 10,500,000 40,000 700,000 400,000 440,000 3,150,000 120,000 2,700,000 660,000 3,395,000 630,000 700,000 40,000

Double cropped area = 1,363,000 acres.