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 FEENOH EQUATORIAL AFRICA (FRENCH CONGO) 829

chiefly from customs duties ; there are native hut and poll taxes. The sale of alcohol to natives is restricted, and in some areas prohibited. For 1911 the colonial budget gave the following figures : General budget, 5,542,900 francs ; loan fund, 6,046,700 francs. The colonial budgets were as follows : (labun, 1,884,300 francs; Middle Congo, 2,087,000 francs; and Ubangi, 1,401,000 francs ; Chad Military District, 7,506,000 francs. The estimated expenditure of France on the French Congo for 1913 was 8,583,802 francs. In the colon}' there are 43 mission schools for boys and 10 for girls, with about 3,600 pupils (724 being girls). There is considerable shipping at Loango, but Libreville is not accessible for large vessels. Both these ports are visited by the vessels of the Chargeurs Renuis. The total imports wer3 valued in 1910 at 11,119,000 francs, and the exports at 17,454,000 francs. The military force of the colony (1912) consists of 4,832 men, of whom 357 are Europeans. The development of the Ubangi Colony has progressed, but trade is in an indiff"erent state in Middle Congo, and is in a bad state in Gabun, owing to the critical condition of the concession companies. The natives cultivate manioc. Europeans successfully grow coffee, vanilla, and cocoa. The forests contain valuable woods, and rubber is collected. The mineral resources of the territory include gold, copper, and iron. The exports comprise rubber, ivory, various woods, palm oil, palm kernels, coffee, cocoa, kola nuts, piassava and other produce. In 1909, 115 vessels of 244,829 tons entered, and 116 vessels of 246,537 tons cleared the ports of the French Congo. The chief port is Libreville. The tenure of conceded land by concession companies now (since July, 1910) depends on actual cultivation or exploitation of the soil. A decree came into force on January 1, 1911, forbidding the manufacture and exportation of impure caoutchouc, it being expected that an improvement of the quality produced will soon have beneficial effects upon the trade of Gabun. The Central African telegraph line connects Brazzaville with Loango, and i.s in communication Avith the English Atlantic cable. Wireless telegraphy connects Brazzaville and the head of the Southern Railway in the Loango Region, a distance of 300 miles, and also Brazzaville and Leopoldville. A line is being laid to connect Brazzaville with Stanley Pool in the Belgian Congo, and ultimately with the German East African telegraph system at Lake Tanganyika. The total length of line in operation (end of 1911) is about 900 miles.

On the north-east of Lake Chad is the state of Kanem, which was com- [•letcly subjected to France in 1903, and is now only a district of the Shari territory with Ma6 for its capital. Wadai, to the east of Kanem, with an area of about 170,000 square miles, and a semi-civilised population of about 2,000,000, accepted the French Protectorate in the summer of 1903. In 1911 a French force occupied Aradpa, some miles to the north of the capital, Abeshr, which is in communication with Benghazi, on the coast of Tri])oli, by caravans.

British Consul. — W. J. Lament.

References.

Chevalier (A.), Mission Chari-Lac Tchad, 1902-1904. Paris, 1907. De Chavannes, La Mission de Brazza. Paris, 1S86.

Foci (E.), La Traversee de I'Afriqne du Zambeze au Congo francjais. Paris, 190(». Foureaxi (F.), De I'Algerie au Congo par le Tchad. Paris, 1902, Gentil{^.), La Chute de I'Enipire de Rabah. Paris, 1902.

Mezieres (A. B. de), Rapport de Mission ^ur le Haut Oubangui, le M'Boniou ct !e Bahr-el-Ghazal. Paris, 1903.

Morel (E. D ), The British Case in French Congo. London, 1903. Oppenheim (M. F. von), llabeh luid das Tschadsee Gcbie*" Berlin 1902. /•/n"Hs(Dutreuil de), Le Congo. Paris, 1SS5. Rou.fjct (F.), L'Expansion Coloniale au Congo fraii(ai.s. I'aris, 19U0.