Page:The empire and the century.djvu/862



British Empire extends over some 16,000,000 of square miles, or about a quarter of the habitable territory of the world. About 4,000,000 square miles, or a quarter of the Empire, lies within the tropics, and this portion of British territory is so much more densely occupied than the remainder, that of the 413,000,000 who are estimated to comprise the population of the Empire, something more than 350,000,000 are counted as inhabiting it. These figures are only approximate, but they serve to indicate the importance of the relation which the tropical part of the Empire bears to the whole. A territory so vast, a soil so fertile, a population so numerous, are factors in the Imperial position which we cannot afford to ignore.

The first fact which we have to face in regard to the tropical Colonies—the fact, indeed, which has generally determined our acquisition of them—is that, if they were not British, they would almost of necessity belong to some other Western Power. There is no such thing as the possibility of leaving them neutral and independent. They must by their nature be either for us or against us. That being so, circumstances, directed by British energy, have settled the question that some 4,000,000 square miles of them shall be for us. There has been very little theorizing about it; but an East India Company in one direction, West India Companies in another direction, Royal African Companies of the South and West and East, North Borneo Companies, 817