THE BRITISH COLONIES. 



211 



10,000,000 Budhists or Jains, a small number of the 

 Zoroaster creed, and the remainder are idolaters of various 

 descriptions. * * * * * * * 



Estimating the whole population of the British empire 

 at 130,000,000, not more than 26,000,000 consume flesh 

 abundantly; about 10,000,000 eat of it sparingly; 

 24,000,000 occasionally partake of it, and 70,000,000 

 live principally on vegetables and fish. Wheat, oats, and 

 barley constitute the principle gramnivorous food of about 

 34,000,000 ; potatoes, pulse, and other vegetables, of 

 about 16,000,000 ; and rice, maize, millet and several 

 minor grains, of about 80,000,000 people. With regard 

 to fermented or distilled drink, about 10,000,000 use wine 

 frequently, 25,000,000 malt liquors, 35,000,000 distilled 

 liquors, and about 60,000,000 confine themselves chiefly 

 to aqueous beverages. About one half the population of 

 the British empire reside within the temperate, and the 

 other half within the torrid zone. * * * * 



The whole sums voted by Parliament for the civil ex- 

 penditure of the colonies in 1849, derived from the reve- 

 nues of Great Britain, were, in round numbers — Bahamas, 

 £300; Bermuda, £4,000; Prince Edward Island, £2,- 

 000; Western Coast of Africa, £13,000; Western Aus- 

 tralia, £7,400 ; Port Essington, or Northern Australia, 

 (about to be abandoned,) £1,700; New Zealand, £20,- 

 000; Heligoland, £1,000; Falkland Islands, £5,700; 



