POPULATION 135 



the prazoes, and formed, perhaps, an estimate of 

 what is being done within their borders, all too 

 little, some will say, in view of the immensity of 

 their value, and the responsibilities which their 

 occupants undertake ; but there is one point of 

 which we should not lose sight in criticising the 

 comparatively insignificant measure of productive- 

 ness they have hitherto attained to. That is the 

 consideration of native labour. In a reliable 

 statistical table which lies before me as I write, 

 the entire native population of fifty prazoes, whose 

 area would probably somewhat exceed that of 

 England and Wales, is returned at 249,000, giving 

 an average per prazo of some 4,980 souls ; but so 

 unequally are these divided that, according to the 

 list mentioned, it is noticeable, whilst some of the 

 larger areas possess as many as 80,000 natives, 

 others can lay claim in some cases to no more than 

 forty or fifty. We therefore see at a glance the 

 unfortunate position thereby created. It is this. 

 So long as the remote prazo-holder is satisfied with 

 the amount of income he derives from the propor- 

 tion of the native hut-tax which he is allowed to 

 retain, and makes no attempt to employ the people 

 residing upon his concession, an assured income is 

 his ; but from the moment that he insists upon 

 utilising their labour, in no matter what branch of 

 industry or agriculture, his tax-payers immediately 

 cast about for a prazo where life flows more peace- 

 fully, and in a short time the man of action finds 

 his native locations deserted, with the inevitable 

 consequence that his revenues are proportionately 

 reduced. It is clear, therefore, that the present 



