miles were Government roads, and 5,693 miles private roads.

On March 31, 1875, there were 3,492 postoffices. The number of letters sent in the year

was as follows:

TITLE OF DEBT.

I. CONSOLIDATED DEBT:

1. Payable in India, at 54 per cent... £10,200,670

66

66

5 " 4"

1,095,900 16,0-6,670

Amount.

£107,534,907

7,791,919

£115,326,826 The values of the principal articles of import and exports, for the year 1873-'74, were as follows:

newspapers 9,365,586.

The length of the telegraph-lines on March 31, 1874, was 16,346 miles, and the number of stations, 225. In 1873-74 the number of dispatches sent was 788,048, the receipts £196,820, and the expenditures £318,074.

The official report for 1875 on the moral and material progress of India contains the following facts: The progress in education is generally satisfactory. In the Punjab the number of schools and scholars has increased considerably, although 70 per cent. of the children of school age still receive no instruction. In the north of Bombay the cause of education was affected by the fact that an unusually large number of boys went off to get married. In Bengal the number of schools has also considerably increased, and the desire to learn English is general among the population. In order that other branches besides law and the civil service may be opened for the natives, the Government has decided to open a number of technical and industrial schools of a higher class. The Government measures for the suppression of the prevailing crime of infanticide have been very successful. In the Northwestern Provinces the ratio of the girls to the total number of children rose from 28% per cent. in the beginning of the year to 30% per cent. at the close. Much has been done to develop the coal-mines, the supply having been found to be practically inexhaustible, and the coal itself of a superior quality. A great change is at present taking place in the manufactures of India. The old native industries are gradually dying out in many places, through the introduction of English weaving-looms and ma chinery.

The Oude educational report for 1875-76 gave some interesting information. The number of schools rose during the year from 1,371 to 1,420, and of scholars from 59,391 to 65,211. Of these, 46,071 were in the Government village schools. The average attendance during the year was 50,397. The number of pupils in aided schools was only 3,751. According to the language studied the pupils were divided as follows: 33,388 for Urdu, 30,115 for Hindi 9,580 for Persian, 4,958 for English, and smaller numbers for Sanskrit, Arabic, and Latin. Out of the whole number studying English, only about 650 could read and write it readily enough to be fit for employment. According to the religion the pupils were divided into 48,966 Hindoos, 15,574 Mohammedans, 587 Christians, and 84 others. Of girls, there were only 2,711 receiving any sort of education in the province, and this amount was less than in the preceding years. The total expenditure on education in the province for the year was 540,092 rupees.

The Prince of Wales continued his journey through India during the first part of the year, returning home in March. On New-Year'sday he held a grand chapter of the Order of the Star of India, at which a large number of native princes were present. The general arrangements were similar to those when the Duke of Edinburgh held the first grand chapter. A vast inclosure of canvas was prepared, running southeast and northwest on an open plain about a mile from Government House. The rajahs' tents were ranged on the longest side of a parallelogram opening on the inclosure at one end, on the Maidan on the other. At the northeastern extremity of the inclosure was a dais, with silver pillars and a canopy of blue silk and satin, the color of the order. On the dais were two chairs. The one for the Viceroy was of silver and blue, with a crown behind, and golden lions at the side. The foot

stool was the same, with golden lions. On the right of the Viceroy was a similar chair with the Prince of Wales's plumes at the back and silver arms, with a footstool of blue and silver. Before the dais was a scarlet carpet and a cloth-of-gold tent, carpeted with scarlet and the royal arms in the centre. Behind the dais and on each side rows of seats were arranged. The front rows were for members of the order. Behind were eight compartments for native chiefs, European ladies and gentlemen. Outside the chapter-tent, which is used by the Viceroy for durbars, were seats rising in tiers. At the approach to the grand entrance were lines of marines and sailors. On the left, looking toward the tent, were drawn up infantry in light order as a guard of honor. A large flag-staff with the Union Jack stood in front, where a military band was placed. The prince then continued on his journey, arriving at

Bankipoor on the 4th, at Lucknow on the 5th, at Cawnpoor on the 10th, and at Delhi on the 11th, being every where received with great enthusiasm. At Delhi the prince reviewed the troops stationed there, attended by the Rajahs of Scindia and Bhurtpoor. On January 20th he arrived at Lahore, and was received at the station by the Lieutenant-Governor, the judges, and other high officials. On the plateau facing the fort were a number a feudatory chiefs mounted on elephants, and attended by their sirdars, retinues, and followers, forming a most picturesque spectacle. Among the chiefs present were the Rajahs Kuper, Tulla, Nabha, Mandi, Faridkote, Chamba, Luket, Kalsia, and the Nawabs of Bahwalpoor, Malerkatta, Patondi, Lonara, and Dupina. From Lahore the prince went on to Djumma, the capital of Cashmere. The maharajah had ridden out

VOL. XVI.-26 A

to meet him outside the city, and in the evening of the 20th the procession arrived in the capital. In the streets the troops of the maharajah were drawn up in lines, presenting a magnificent appearance in their new uniforms. A large camp had been placed at the disposal of the prince, near the new palace which had been built expressly for him, and which had cost £500,000. On the 22d the prince took part in a chase, and in the evening was the guest of the maharajah in his own palace. After supper he received the valuable presents of the maharajah, consisting of magnificent shawls expressly made for him, and valuable jewels. On the 28th the prince was in Agra, this being the ninth and most important day of the Muharram, the Mohammedan New-Year's festival, lasting ten days. On this day the subordinate princes generally appeared before the

rajah, bringing with them their contingent of troops, and their part of the tribute. On this occasion the ceremonies were changed into a reception of the Prince of Wales, the native princes tendering him their tributes in person. The parade took place in the afternoon, and was an imposing spectacle, every prince leading his own troops, and then taking his place at the side of the Prince of Wales.

On February 1st the prince arrived at Gwalior. He was met by the Maharajah of Scindia several miles from the city, who accompanied him to the palace, the route of which was lined by 14,000 of the maharajah's picked troops. At the review held by the Prince of Wales on Tuesday, about 8,000 men of Scindia's forces of all arms were present. They all presented an admirable appearance. The march past was followed by an excellent sham fight, in which the maharajah directed the operations personally, the prince and the military officers of his suite acting informally as umpires. The prince arrived at Bunbussa on February 19th, and was met a few miles from the place by Sir Jung Bahadoor and suite and the British resident in Nepaul, all having crossed the river Sarda into British territory the previous day. The prince on reaching his camp received the visit of Sir Jung Bahadoor, who came in state, wearing magnificent jewels and attended by a brilliant suite, bringing with him a letter from the Maharajah Dhirajh of Nepaul. His royal Highness afterward returned the visit, and was received with due ceremony. A picked force of Nepaulese infantry, cavalry, and artillery, was drawn up and paid the prince the usual military honors. Presents were exchanged, Sir Jung Bahadoor presenting the prince, among other things, with a fine collection of living wild beasts and birds. The prince, on leaving Sir Jung Bahadoor's tent, inspected the Nepaulese force, and complimented Sir Jung on their appearance. Sir Jung Bahadoor returned into Nepaul in the evening, and the prince shortly afterward also crossed into Nepaulese territory. Sir Jung Bahadoor welcomed the prince, and expressed the pleasure it gave his master and himself to see him in Nepaul. Everything would be done to render his royal Highness's visit an agreeable one, and to gratify his every wish. The speaker said, in conclusion, that he had never forgotten the visit which he paid to England in 1850, and the reception extended to him by Queen Victoria and the late prince consort. It was his intention to visit England last year, but an accident prevented him, and he hoped to be able to repeat his visit on a future occasion. The Prince of Wales, in reply, thanked Sir Jung Bahadoor for his expressions of good-will, and for the services of the Nepaulese Government to the British cause during the Indian mutiny. His royal Highness had always strongly wished to visit Nepaul, and was glad to have had an opportunity of doing so; Sir Jung Bahadoor assured the

prince that nothing in his career gave him greater satisfaction than to be able to assist the British Government during the mutiny, and, should the necessity arise at any future time, he would feel it his duty to render England the utmost assistance in his power. During his stay in Nepaul the prince gave himself up to the pleasures of the chase, being accompanied by Sir Jung Bahadoor. The visit to Nepaul formed the last stage in the journey of the prince, and he then returned to Bombay, where he left on board the Serapis on March 13th.

An important change took place in the Government of India in 1876. Lord Northbrook, the Viceroy, had already expressed his intention in 1875 of resigning his position. This he did in the beginning of January, and on the 4th of the same month Lord Lytton was appointed his successor, and was confirmed by the India Office. Lord Lytton arrived in Bombay on April 7th, and immediately entered upon his office. In the beginning of the year, Sir William Muir introduced into the Legislative Council a bill to enable the Government of India to declare certain coins of native states to be a legal tender in British India. Hitherto the native states had coined their own money, and, as their rupees varied considerably in value, no little inconvenience and loss were caused to all persons who had business transactions within the feudatory states. The proposed law provides that any chief may enter into an arrangement with the Government whereby he will, for a definite period of not less than thirty years, abstain from coining. The Government, on its part, will undertake to strike coins for him at its own mints, these coins being identical in fineness with the corresponding coins of British India, and it will be careful that each coin shall clearly indicate by its device the chief for whom it has been struck. These coins will then be a legal tender throughout British Indie, while the British rupee will pass in each state which accepts the offer. Two of the native members of Council-the Maharajahs of Benares and Vizianagram-expressed their general approval of the bill; but the former suggested that, instead of asking native princes to abstain from coining, the Government should hold them responsible for the correctness of the weight and value of their coins. It was also mentioned that the little Rajpoot state of Ulwar had signified its readiness to enter into an arrangement such as that proposed by the bill, and that Holkar had opened negotiations for the same purpose.

The financial statement of Sir William Muir was published in April. The budget for 1876'77 estimated the revenue at £50,480,000, and the ordinary expenditure at £50,333,000. The extraordinary expenditure for public works was fixed at £8,759,000, to meet which it was proposed during the financial year 1876-277 to raise £3,000,000 by loans, including £360,000 on account of the Scindia and Holkar Rail