FRANCE. 



FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH. 



t ->0 392 francs went to France and 748 francs to 

 1 u-iich colonies. The exports of minerals were> 

 7^81.093 francs, and the next largest export was 

 canned meat for the French army of the value of 

 $01.579 francs. Noumea was visited by 127 ves- 

 sels, of 177,057 tons, in 1899. Progress in both 

 minino- and agriculture has increased the pros- 

 perity of New Caledonia. Increased exports of 

 ore and cotfee have led to a corresponding increase 

 in imports. The climate is favorable to settlers, 

 and the population is steadily increasing. Ihe 

 French colonists raise large families. The em- 

 ployment of convicts in the mines has ceased, and 

 they now are employed only on public works. 

 Labor for the mines' was imported from Asia, 

 but found to be costly. Immigration from Dai- 

 ma tin has furnished some laborers who are pre- 

 ferred to Asiatics. It is proposed to bring Malays 

 from Java to work on the plantations. The de- 

 mand for nickel and cobalt was greater than the 

 supply in 1901. Hitherto only mines near the sea 

 have been worked with profit; now mines of re- 

 markable richness have been opened in the in- 

 terior. 



The Isle of Pines, close to Noumea, having an 

 area of 58 square miles and a population of 600, 

 is now used as a penal colony, where recidivists 

 are detained. The Wallis Islands, with an area of 

 40 square miles and 4,500 inhabitants, are at- 

 tached to New Caledonia; also the Loyalty 

 Islands, with an area of 800 square miles and 

 14,800 inhabitants, who raise bananas and cut 

 sandalwood for export. The Huon Islands and 

 the small islands of Fntuna and Alaft, which have 

 about 1,500 inhabitants, have been annexed in re- 

 cent times. The New Hebrides by agreement with 

 England are neutral territory, and a mixed com- 

 mission of naval officers decides what action must 

 be taken when European lives or property are at- 

 tacked by the natives or when natives are kid- 

 naped by labor vessels. 



The French establishments in Oceania have a 

 total area of 1,520 square miles and about 29,000 

 inhabitants. They consist of several scattered 

 groups of islands in the western Pacific which are 

 united for administrative purposes under the au- 

 thority of a single Governor, G. P. T. Gallet, re- 

 siding in Tahiti. The island of Tahiti has an area 

 of 401 square miles and 10,750 inhabitants. Pa- 

 peete, the chief town, has a population of 4,282, 

 of whom 2,490 are French. The local revenue in 

 1900 was 1,237,456 francs. The contribution from 

 the French Government in' 1901 was 818,137 francs. 

 Coconuts, oranges, sugar-cane, vanilla, cotton, 

 coffee, and tobacco are grown on the fertile coast 

 lands of the island of Tahiti. The value of im- 

 ports in 1899 was 2,893,433 francs; of exports, 

 3,528,432 francs. The export of copra was 1,468,- 

 144 francs, of mother-of-pearl, 777,547 francs; of 

 vanilla, 850,957 francs. Food substances and cot- 

 ton goods are the chief imports. The value of 

 1,323.327 francs came from the United States, 525,- 

 116 francs from New Zealand, and only 329,081 

 francs from France and the colonies. Of the ex- 

 ports 1,484,402 francs in value went to the United 

 States, 623,761 francs to Great Britain, 432,229 

 francs to France and French colonies, and 243,501 

 francs to New Zealand. The number of vessels 

 entered at Papeete during 1899 was 49, of 22,105 

 tons; cleared, 48, of 23,019 tons. Moorea, the 

 next largest of the Society group, has an area of 

 50 square miles and 1,596 inhabitants. The 

 islands of Rain tea, Tahaa, Huakine, and Bora 

 Bora constitute the Windward Islands, which 

 have a population of 4,400. The Tiibuai and 

 Raivarac islands contain about 100 square miles 

 and 1,700 inhabitants. Rapa has an area of 15 



square miles with 15 inhabitants. The population 

 of the Tuamotu Islands is about 5,000; Of the 

 Gambler Islands, with an area of only 6 square 

 miles, 580; of the Marquesas Islands, with an 

 area of 480 square miles, 4,280. 



In America France possesses the islands of Mar- 

 tinique and Guadeloupe (see WEST INDIES), the 

 small islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon near 

 the south shore of Newfoundland, and French 

 Guiana on the northern coast of South America. 

 St. Pierre and Miquelon are groups of small 

 islands, the former having an area of 10 square 

 miles and 5,700 inhabitants, the latter an area of 

 83 square miles and 550 inhabitants. The people 

 are engaged in the cod fishery. In 1899 there 

 were 184 boats, which caught 448 quintals of 

 fish, valued at 7,404,127 francs. The local revenue 

 in 1900 was 475,708 francs. The contribution from 

 the French treasury for 1901 was 259,178 francs. 



French Guiana has an area of about 50,000 

 square miles and a population estimated at 30,- 

 300, including 4,360 convicts undergoing sentence, 

 80 liberated convicts, and 2,650 on parole. The 

 native Indians number about 1,500. Cayenne, the 

 capital, has a population of 12,300. The military 

 force consists of 371 French soldiers. Not over 

 8,800 acres are cultivated, although rice, corn, 

 manioc, cacao, coffee, sugar, indigo, and tobacco 

 are grown. Gold-mining has become the most 

 important industry. There are silver, iron, and 

 phosphate mines also. The exports, besides min- 

 erals, are rum, coffee, cacao, and cabinet woods. 

 The total value of imports in 1899 was 10,099,731 

 francs, and of exports 6,844,076 francs. The rev- 

 enue collected in the colony in 1900 was esti- 

 mated at 2,498,439 francs. The expenditure of 

 France in 1901 was 6,857,057 francs, including 

 5,585,700 francs for the penal establishment. The 

 Governor is L. Mouttet. There is an elective 

 Council-General of 16 members. The colony sends 

 a Deputy to the French Chamber. A large region 

 on the southern frontier was claimed by both 

 France and Brazil after the discovery of gold had 

 been made. The dispute was settled by Swiss 

 arbitrators, who gave their decision on Dec. 1, 

 1900. The boundary is the Oyapoc river up to 

 its source, and from there westward the watershed 

 of the Tumuc Humac mountains. By this award 

 only a small part of the disputed territory falls 

 to France. 



FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH. The 

 statistics of this Church, given in the Free- Will 

 Baptist Register for 1901, furnish the following 

 summary: Number of quarterly meetings, 191; 

 of churches, 1,486; of ordained ministers, 1.407; 

 of licensed ministers, 212; of members. 85.109; 

 value of church property, $3,034,945; amount of 

 contributions for the year, $30,060. Five local 

 bodies or associations not connected with the 

 General Conference are enumerated, which have to- 

 gether 2,559 members. The educational institu- 

 tions comprised 3 colleges, 6 schools of academical . 

 grade, and Storer Institute for the Colored. People, 

 at Harpers Ferry, Va. 



The mission in India returned 13 churches, 81$ 

 members, a native Christian community number- 

 ing 1,708, 55 added by baptism during the year, 

 13 Sunday-schools, 241 teachers, and 3.171 pupils, 

 1,984 of whom were non-Christian. A gain of 

 22 church-members and 386 pupils in Sunday- 

 schools was shown. The missionary force con- 

 sisted of 27 missionaries, of whom 19 were on the 

 field, and 67 native helpers, of whom 6 were or- 

 dained ministers, 8 licentiates, and 12 lay 

 preachers; 99 Christian and 66 non-Christian 

 teachers; and 261 members of Christian Endeavor 

 Societies. 



