This excess of expenditure some unkindly critics in this country attribute to extravagance, ambition, and what not; but the King justifies his policy by comparing himself to one who had come to a great but wholly undeveloped estate, which was bound to remain unproductive unless a liberal expenditure was incurred for such improvements as would expose its resources and make all parts of it accessible. Now what the Congo State was in 1879 can best be seen by Chapters XXIV.-XXIX. To the ordinary white man it was what may well be termed impenetrable, except at constant peril of his life. It was ravaged by cannibals, fierce warlike tribes, and slave-raiders, and destructive influences of every kind tended to maintain its humanity in an eternal struggle for life and liberty. There were no roads, or means by which the country could be explored. Every tribe barred the ingress of the traveller; and its frontiers on all sides lay exposed to any white stranger who took the trouble to plant a flag; and finally it was made incumbent on every Power owning African possessions to make its occupation effective. Such primary necessities of the State involved large and endless expenses, and few men other than King Leopold would have so long sustained the great undertaking from his private purse. From 1879 to 1890 His Majesty spent about £900,000, and since then the total expenditure of the State has been nearly £3,000,000. To meet this His Majesty’s subsidies, amounting to £360,000, the aid from Belgium, £200,000, the Belgian annual subsidies, £720,000, customs duties and taxes, £1,900,000, make a total revenue of £3,180,000, and prove a deficit of £720,000.