TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION F. 815 



Then there are 50 millions of Muharnrnadans under the British crown in India, 

 and there are 10 millions more in the Muhammadan countries connected with the 

 British Empire: in all 60 millions. This numher exceeds the nuniher of the 

 Muharnrnadans belonging to any of the Muhammadan States, such as Turkey, or 

 Persia, and in fact comprise half the Muhammadan world. 



The number of Buddhists is not considerable, amounting to about 7,000,000, 

 chiefly in Burmah and Ceylon, with some Chinese in Australia and other divisions 

 of the empire. Then there is a small remainder, about 7,000,000, consisting of 

 Pagans chiefly, the Aborigines of the East Indies, including also the North American. 

 Indians, the Australasian natives, and the African tribes of the Cape. 



In the United Kingdom the proportion of urban to rural population is lar°-e, 

 being more than one-half already, and likely to increase to two-thirds. In England 

 especially, the majority of the people dwell in towns. At present a similar tendency 

 is observable in Australia, where the people are mainly urban. But in the rest of 

 the empire the mass of the population is rural, a certain percentage only beino- 

 urban. In India, especially, it is to be remarked that nine-tenths of the people are 

 in villages, leaving one-tenth only for the towns. 



If the total population were spread over the total area of the empire, the average 

 would amount to only 33 persons to the square mile, which suggests a wonderful 

 sparseness of population in a wealthy and prosperous empire. The sparseness arises 

 from the inclusion in the empire of tracts, either uninhabited or but slightly 

 inhabited, such as the Himalayas, the frigid regions hi the north of Canada, a 

 part of the Rocky Mountains, and the arid desert in the heart of Australia. In- 

 deed it were almost idle to reckon the average of the population in the total area 

 in the Dominion of Canada, or in Australia. Even in India the general average 

 amounts to only 184 to the square mile, nevertheless India contains some of the 

 most densely peopled districts in the world. In some Indian provinces a popula- 

 tion to be counted by tens of millions, average from 300 to 400 the square mile, 

 and in some Indian districts, with a population to be counted by some millions, the 

 average rises to 800, even to 900 on the square mile. As is well known, England 

 (as_ separate from Wales, Scotland, and Ireland) is the only part of the empire 

 which is densely peopled throughout, its average per square mile, 485 souls, being 

 almost exactly the same as that of Belgium, the most densely peopled part of the 

 Continent of Europe. 



Heretofore under the first two headings we may have wondered at the smallness 

 of the proportion which the United Kingdom bears to the empire in respect of 

 area and population. Under the next or third heading we shall be constrained to 

 admire the largeness of the proportion which the United Kingdom bears to the 

 empire in respect of wealth, commerce, and resources. The third and last heading 

 then relates to the works of man, his riches and power, his industrial and com- 

 mercial operations. 



One among the primary tests of national resources is the public revenue. 



The annual revenue and receipts collected in the British empire for the general 

 government or administration amounts to 203,000,000 sterling annually. Of this 

 mighty sum, 89,000,000 pertain to the United Kingdom, 74,000,000 to India, «md 

 40,000,000 to the Colonies, and the Dependencies. This includes British territories 

 only, and not the Native States of India, nor the countries politically connected 

 with the empire. If that could be added, however, the addition would not be very 

 material to so great a total as that above shown. 



The revenue which is raised indirectly from the consumer is less felt than that 

 which is levied directly from the tax-payer. It may therefore be well to observe 

 that of the 203,000,000 not more than one-fourth (or 50,000,000) is obtained from 

 direct taxation, land tax, property tax, and the like, the remainder being obtained 

 from customs, excise, and other sources of indirect taxation. 



But besides the general government and administration, there is a large revenue 

 received throughout the empire for local purposes. This income (including various 

 receipts but excluding loans) amounts to hardly less than 61,000,000 sterling yearly, 

 of which 49,500,000 belong to the United Kingdom, and 5,000,000 to India ; the 

 greater part of this is levied by direct taxation. 



