Courts The Mixed Tribunals are a compromise between the International principles of extra-territoriality (upheld by the Consular Courts) and amenity to the National Tribunals. Their composition and functions will be referred to in another place. (d) The Caisse Another International restraint on the administrative freedom of Egypt is exercised through the powers conferred on the Caisse de la Dette publique, which was established by the Decree of 2nd May 1876. This Decree I have published as an Appendix (III); and any further remarks I have to offer will be made elsewhere. The Powers are represented on the Caisse by six Commissioners. The French, Austrian, and Italian members were constituted in 1876; an English member was elected in 1876; a German and a Russian member were added in 1885. ii THE POPULATION OF EGYPT The people of Egypt cling to and feed on the Nile like so Parasites many parasites in the economy of Nature. They owe their existence to the regime of this great river, which brings to them from distant lands soil for their fields and water for their crops. Like a god, the Nile creates and sustains life The density of popula in the aridity of its desert course. tion in the various Provinces of Egypt necessarily coincides with the areas of highest fertility.1 A Census of the Population was taken in 1897. The Growth and decay previous (1882) Census was unreliable, owing to its occurrence on the eve of the Arábi revolt: but it may be instructive to compare the results, during a period that corresponds with the British Occupation. The total population of Egypt in 1897 was 9,734,405. In 1882 it was 6,813,919. In fifteen years, therefore, the population of Egypt has increased by 2,920,486,—or 43 per 1 The density of population to the square mile may be taken, roughly, as follows:-Egypt Proper, 22; Sennar, 10; Kordofan and Darfur, 9; Upper Nile, (north of Lado), 8. In the surrounding States, the figures are, approximately : British East Africa, 10; Abyssinia, from 2.5 in the extreme South to 23 in the Central regions; Eritrea, 5; British Somáliland and French Somáli Coast, 3; Italian Somáli Coast, 4; Wadai, 27; Tripoli, 3. Census of 1897 cent.-showing a yearly average of 2.76 per cent. At the beginning of the century, the population (estimated during the French Expedition) numbered only 2,460,200.1 (a) Tables (Census of 1897) 2 The following Tables are taken from the Census of 1897 : III.-POPULATION, ACCORDING TO MODE OF Life 1 The population of Egypt, at the time of the Emperor Augustus (27 B.C.), was computed at 25 millions, including Tripoli. It must have been quite 18 millions. And a few centuries later, after the Arab Conquest, it was calculated at about half that number. In 1821, under Mohammed Ali, it was about 2,536,400. In 1846, it was about 4,476,440. The mean annual increase during the present century has been 3 per cent. 2 I received the definite and final results of the Census of 1897 ("Résultats Généraux") too late to make all the necessary corrections, which, for purposes of general comparison, are immaterial. 1 Maltese, 6,463; Indians, 614; Army of Occupation, 4,909. 2 Algerians, Tunisians, 3,901. 3 Bukhariots, etc., 430; Military transport, 1,793. Census of 1897 N.B.-The majority of Copts belong to the Orthodox rite; and the Protestant Copts are more numerous than Catholic Copts. These distinctions were not clearly reported on the Census sheets. N.B.-The number of male children under 7 years who are not of an age to receive education can be put at about 18 per cent. of the total population; and deducting also the Bedwin, who do not attend schools, the proportion is as follows, for the male population : Illiterate, 88 per cent. Able to read and write, 12 per cent. Able to read and write, 29 per cent. Illiterate, 71 per cent. |