Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/551

 SHIPPING — BOOKS OF llEFERENCE

207

and the exports from Great Britain of domestic produce and manufactures to Natal for six years, according to the Board of Trade Returns : —

—

1892

1893

1894

1895

1896

1897

Imports from Natal

Exports of British

produce to Natal

£ 867,954

1,913,028

£ 750,405

1,352,047

£ 688,055

1,420,972

£ 716,745

1,604,209

£ 793,557

3,134,184

£ 752,254

3,407,088

The wool imports into Great Britain from Natal amounted in 1897 to the value of 527,315Z.; hides, 51,991Z. ; coffee, 32,044Z.-; bark, 33,239^. ; skins and furs, 15,785/. Much of the wool and other articles are from the neighbour- ing Dutch Republics, which also take one -third of the merchandise imported into Natal.

The chief articles exported from Great Britain to Natal in 1897 were apparel and haberdashery, 597, 137^. ; cottons, 187,978/. ; iron, wrought and unwrought, 485,271/.; leather, 225,610/.; machinery, 241,094/.; woollens, 122,308/.; hardware and cutlery, 71,213/.; spirits, 56,888/.; beer and ale, 31,941/. ; carriages, &c., 129,485/. ; cycles, 53,121/. ; furniture, 78,517/.

Shipping and Communications.

In 1897 the registered shipping of the colony consisted of 14 sailing vessels of 699 tons, and 15 steamers of 2,954 tons ; total, 29 vessels of 3,653 tons.

In 1897, 780 vessels of 1,246,390 tons entered, and 789 vessels of 1,248,073 tons cleared. Of the former 86 of 92,998 tons were from the United Kingdom direct ; 290 of 614,035 tons from Cape Colony, including 191 of 485,674 tons from the United Kingdom. Of the vessels cleared, 58 of 80,947 tons cleared for the United Kingdom direct, and 198 of 450,933 tons for Cape Colony.

There are 487 miles of railway oj^en, all constructed and worked by the Government. The main line extends from the Port of Durban to Pieter- maritzburg, and from thence to the border of the South African Republic, 307 miles distant from the Port, with an extension, now open, from the border to Johannesburg and Pretoria, the total distance by rail from Durban to Johannesburg being 483 miles, and from Durban to Pretoria 511 miles. There are branch lines as follows : — one extending northwards from Durban to the Tugela River, 69 miles ; another from South Coast Junction to Park Rynie 36 miles ; and the last but longest from the main line to Harrismith (Orange Free State) with a mileage of 59i miles, 2dh of which run through the Orange Free State. The total cost of construction of the railways up to the end of the year 1897 was 6,588,507/. The revenue for 1897 was 1,051,359/. ; expenditure, 583,088/. The net receipts for the year were equal to 71. 2s. l^d. per cent, upon capital.

Agent-General in London. — Sir Walter Peace, K.C.M.G.

Secretary. — R. Russell.

Statistical and other Books of Reference.

Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kiiigduiii with Foreign Countries and British Possessions. Im}!. 4. London.

Colonial Office List. Annual. London.

Illustrated Official Handbook of the Cape and South Africa. Edited by J. Noble. London, 1893.

Offieial Illustrated Handbook and Railway Guide of the Colony of Natal, by J. Forsyth Ingram. London, 1895.

Johnston (Sir Harry), The Colonisation of Africa. Cambridge, 1899.

Keane (A. H.). Africa, Vol. II. South Africa. Loudon, 1895.