Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/546

 202 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — MAURITIUS

The chief articles of import from Mauritius into the United Kingdom are unrefined sugar, the value being 154,568Z. in 1894 ; 16,731Z. in 1896; 20,90Ql. in 1897 ; drugs, 30,589Z. in 1896 ; 50,730Z, in 1897 ; hemp and other fibres, 21,767^. in 1895; 15,107/. in 1896 ; 12,607/. in 1897. The British exports to Mauritius in 1897 consisted principally of cotton goods, value 69,823/. ; coal, 23,647/.; machinery, 16,648/.; iron, 24,015/.; manure, 25,865/.; apparel and haberdashery, 13,874/.; beer and ale, 8,809/.

Shipping and Communications.

The registered shipping in 1897 consisted of 64 sailing vessels of 7,159 tons (net), and 4 steamers of 131 tons ; total, 68 vessels of 7,290 tons.

The number of vessels entered in 1897 was 332 of 328,708 tons, and cleared 342 of 338,683 tons.

The colony has two lines of railways with two branches, of a total length of 105 miles, the revenue from which in 1897 was 1,712,322 rui)ees, and expenditure 1,166,439 rupees.

There exists a complete system of telegraphs throughout the island of Mauritius, and a telegraph cable from Zanzibar to the Seychelles and thence to Mauritius. The number of letters, postcards, and newsjmpers which passed through the post office in 1897 was 2,698,175.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

The standard coin of Mauritius is the Indian rupee, with its subdivisions. All accounts are kept in rupees. The metric system is in force.

Dependencies.

Seychelles. — Population, according to census of 1891, 16,440 (8,302 males, 8,138 females). Revenue 1897, 296,171 rupees ; expenditure, 259,056 rupees; imports, 1,122,411 rupees; exports, 1,503,701 rupees. Principal exports : coco-nut oil, soap, vanilla, tortoiseshell, coff'ee, and cacao. Ships entered 1897, 61, including 10 men-of-war. There are 28 schools, with 2,332 pupils. Grants in aid 8,000 rupees. Administrator: H. Cockburn Stewart, C.M.G.

RoDRiGUES (under a Magistrate). — 18 miles long, 7 broad. Population (census 1891) 2,068 (1,154 males, 914 females) ; estimated population in 1897, 2,772 ; revenue, 1897, 8,007 rupees ; expenditure, 23,502 rupees ; imports (1897), 96,263 rupees; exports, 127,687 rupees.

Other dependencies are the St. Brandon or Cargados Islands, between 16° 50' and 16° 20' S. lat., and 56° 26' and 59° 41' E. long., mostly sand- banks ; the Oil Islands, including the Chagos Islands, the Trois Freres, or Eagle Islands, and the Cosmoledo Islands, between 6° 40' and 9° 40' S. lat., and 72° 22' and 47° 48' E. long. There are besides the detached islands of Assumption, and Aldabra, none of them permanently uninhabited.

Diego Garcia, the largest of the Chagos group, in 7° S. lat., 72°-73° E. long., is 12^ miles long, 6^ miles wide, with 700 inhabitants, a large pro- portion negro labourers from Mauritius. 4,813 hectolitres of coco-nut oil exported annually.

Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Mauritius.

Annual Statement of tlio Trade of the United Kingdom with Foreign Countries and British Possessions. Lundon.

Colonial Office List. Annual. London.

Reports on Mauritius, and on Seychelles, Rodrigues, and Aldabra, in Colonial Reports Annual. Loudon.