334 



FRANCE. 



FRIENDS. 



object. The import trade is largely in British 

 and German hands, while the export trade and 

 the internal commerce is almost monopolized by 

 the Chinese, whose immigration is not checked 

 by a heavy capitation tax. Production and com- 

 merce have been greatly stimulated under French 

 dominion, though other nationalities reap the 

 benefits. The "foreign trade of Tonquin in- 

 creased from 10,000,000 francs in 1876 to 48,- 

 000,000 francs in 1892. In 1893 it was expected 

 to reach 62.000,000 francs. The staple product 

 of the deltas of the Red river and the Mekong 

 is rice, of which two crops are gathered in the 

 year. The fertility of the country, owing to its 

 rich alluvial soil and moist, hot climate, is ex- 

 traordinary. Indian corn, tobacc<J, and indigo 

 are cultivated for export, and beans, yams, and 

 onions for food. The areca palm, bamboo, banana, 

 cocoanut palm, tamarind, letchi, bread tree, 

 mulberry, mango, orange, lemon, and pineapple 

 abound. The cultivation of cotton, tea, coffee, 

 and sugar has been introduced. Tonquin is ex- 

 ceedingly rich in coal, and elsewhere antimony, 

 the precious metals, and other valuable minerals 

 are found. French companies have recently 

 been formed for working the coal deposits, and 

 mills for manufacturing paper, matches, and cot- 

 ton cloth have been started at Hanoi. There is 

 a railroad 215 miles in length, from Saigon to 

 the mouth of the Mekong, which is operated at 

 an annual loss to the Government of 600,000 

 francs. In Tonquin a line is being constructed 

 from Phu-Lang-Thuong, at the head of naviga- 

 tion on the Red river, to Langson, oathe Chinese 

 frontier, but the work has been much hampered 

 by attacks of the pirates. The Annamite court 

 has agreed to share the expense with the French 

 Government of the construction of a railroad, 

 400 miles long, from Hue to Hanoi. 



Cochin-China and Cambodia raise enough rev- 

 enue for their administration, and a surplus, 

 which is taken against their will to diminish 

 the annual deficit in Tonquin. This deficit, 

 which was 27,000,000 francs in 1887, was re- 

 duced to 6,000,000 francs in 1891. It is caused 

 by the military operations necessary to combat 

 the pirates of the Red river, for which the 

 French Government is obliged to bear the chief 

 part of the expense, contributing in no year less 

 than 25,000,000 francs. The military estimate 

 for 1892 was just that figure. The robbers, who 

 are called pirates although they have been driven 

 from the river and the coasts, descend from the 

 mountainous districts near the Chinese frontier 

 to seize food for themselves and women and 

 children to sell as concubines and slaves in China. 

 The military administration, which was abolished 

 in 1888 on account of the cost in lives and money 

 of incessant fighting, has been partly restored by 

 M. de Lanessan in the districts north of the 

 Delta, which have been placed under military 

 commandants who also exercise civil powers. In 

 the districts of the delta European troops have 

 been replaced by a native civil guard. M. de 

 Lanessan went to Indo-China. having previously 

 made an official investigation for the purpose of 

 putting into operation the policy that he sug- 

 gested of governing with the aid of native offi- 

 cials, and with special regard to the customs and 

 feelings of the inhabitants. This plan has worked 

 well, and the delta is now completely pacified. 



The European soldiery in Tonquin and Annam 

 in 1893, consisting of some regiments of the 

 regular army belonging to the foreign legion, 

 some regiments of marine infantry, and several 

 batteries of marine artillery, number 7,600 men. 

 There is a well-disciplined force of 14,000 An- 

 namite tirailleurs, organized like French troops 

 and commanded by 177 French officers. The 

 native militia or civil guards number 2.500 in 

 Annam and 4,800 in Tonquin. The naval divi- 

 sion of Indo-China has been withdrawn, and a 

 few gunboats now constitute the naval force. 



FRIENDS. Iowa Yearly Meeting. The 

 Iowa Yearly Meeting met in Oskaloosa, in Octo- 

 ber. Twelve quarterly meetings in Iowa, 1 in 

 Minnesota, 1 in South Dakota, 2 in Nebraska, 

 and 1 in California, with more than 100 church- 

 es in Wisconsin. Colorado, Texas. Louisiana, and 

 Jamaica, were represented. Two or three quar- 

 terly meetings sending an excess of delegates, 

 it was decided that in reducing the number the 

 resultant delegations should be equally divided 

 between the sexes. Heretofore the men's meet- 

 ings and the women's meetings have been held 

 separately, although in the Ohio and New York 

 Yearly Meetings the two had already been united. 

 Propositions for union in this meeting also, 

 which had been under discussion for several 

 years, were again considered, with a final affirm- 

 ative result. Joint sessions were held during 

 two days, and it was decided to meet in 1894 as 

 one body, with a single presiding officer and as- 

 sistants of both sexes. In accordance with 

 recommendations from the General Conference 

 of Friends, which met in Indianapolis, Ind., in 

 1892 (see " Annual Cyclopaedia " for 1892), com- 

 mittees were appointed to co-operate with com- 

 mittees from other yearly meetings in measles 

 for the foundation of a central publishing house 

 and the formation of a general board of mis- 

 sions, which last body is, however, intended to be 

 little more than a Bureau of information. A 

 favorable report was made of the Bible schools 

 (Sunday schools), which are now organized under 

 a department with a yearly meeting superin- 

 tendent. The Department' of Education in- 

 cludes Penn College, with several academies. The 

 evangelists laboring under the department of 

 evangelistic work had held 109 series of meet- 

 ings, at which 1,337 persons had professed con- 

 version, and 700 had united with the Friends ; 

 while several new churches had been organized. 

 The meeting resolved that " no political party 

 that in any way upholds or is committed to the in- 

 terests of the liquor traffic is entitled to or should 

 receive the support of Iowa Yearly Meeting or 

 the Church at large ; and our duty as a Church 

 is to stand for the enforcement of every prohib- 

 itory liquor law." The statistical report showed 

 that there were connected with the Yearly Meet- 

 ing 103 churches, of which 66 were regularly 

 organized, with monthly meetings, and 37 were 

 small congregations and missions, with 11,415 

 members. Of the whole number of churches, 85 

 had ' pastors " receiving partial or entire sup- 

 port. 



London Yearly Meeting. The reports pre- 

 sented at the London Yearly Meeting showed 

 that there were in Great Britain 343 meetings or 

 congregations of Friends, or 3 more than in 

 1892. In those meetings were 16,244 members, 



