The population generally is industrious and apparently in comfortable circumstances. The far larger proportion of it is rural; and though landed property is very much subdiyided, the Belgians manage, by a happy combination of agricultural with other industrial employments, to derive from their little holdings all the nec essaries and not a few of the comforts of life. It is not to be denied, however, that in sorne of the provinces, particularly in Flanders, pop ulation, in so far at least as it can be main tained by agricultural resources, had reached its limit and that a deficiency of other employ ment, particularly spinning and weaving, had placed large numbers on the verge of pauperism.
Physical Features.— The surface of Bel gium may be described as a rugged, inclined plane, elevated in the southeast and sloping gradually toward north and west till it sinks into low plains only a few feet above the sea level. In some parts the land is even several feet below that level. The coast line is about 42 miles; a frontier of 60 miles faces German territory; 384 miles borders on the northeast of France, and a curve of 80 miles separates Belgium from the grand duchy of Luxemburg. The elevated districts are formed by ramifi cations of the Ardennes, which, entering Bel gium from France, stretch along the south of Namur, occupy the greater part of Luxemburg, and attain their culminating point in the south east of Liege at Stavelot, near Spa, where the height exceeds 2,000 feet. The rocks appear to rest on primary formations; but those which reach the surface generally consist of slate, old red sandstone and mountain limestone. Proceeding northwest, in the direction of the dip, these rocks take a cover and the coal for mation becomes fully developed. This coal field is a continuation of that of the north'of France and stretches through Belgium in a northeasterly direction, occupying the greater part of the province of Hainaut and a consid erable part of that of Liege, and skirting the provinces of Namur and Luxemburg. It con tains numerous workable seams of coal and iron. North and west, beyond the limits of this coal field, are deep beds of clay and sand. In parts the clay is suitable for the manufacture of fine pottery; in others, for coarser earthen ware or bricks.
The main streams of Belgium have a northern direction; and the whole country lies within the basin of the North Sea. In the ele vated and broken surface of the southeast numerous torrents descend with rapidity; be coming confined within rocky, precipitous and richly-wooded banks, they often furnish en chanting landscapes. Their speed slackens on
reaching the lower country and their augment ed volume flows along in a slow, winding course. Only two of them are entitled to the name of rivers — the Meuse and the Scheldt — and their importance is greatly enhanced by numerous tributaries, so that no country in Europe is more lavishly provided with internal water communication. Other navigable streams are the Ambleve, Demer, Dender, Darme, Dyle, Lys, Great Nethe, Little Nethe, Ourthe, Rupel, Sambre, Yperlee and Yser. Though subject to sudden changes, the climate of Belgium is on the whole temperate and agreeable, resembling that of the same latitudes in England. In the higher regions of Namur and Luxemburg the air is keen, pure and healthy ; on the low flats which occur in Flanders and over the reclaimed tracts in Antwerp, a humid and sluggish atmos phere prevails.
Woods and Forests.— Nearly one-fifth of the whole surface of Belgium is covered with wood, though unequally distributed. Whereas East and West Flanders fall far below the aver age amount, Luxemburg and Namur rise far above it. In the two latter are extensive tracts of natural forest, still sheltering wolves and wild boars. They are the remains of the an cient forest of Ardennes which Cesar de scribed as stretching far out into France from the banks of the Rhine. They yield large quantities of valuable hard wood, principally oak By the most scientific methods of sylvi culture and unremitting industry the Belgians exploit these natural resources to their fullest capacity. The total value of timber produced annually is about 22,000,000 francs ($4,400,000). The less valuable grades of wood are converted into charcoal and the bark is largely exported to England.
Agriculture.— It would be more appropriate, in describing the trade, commerce and domestic industries of Belgium, to employ the past tense in all verbs. At the present moment, 1917, Belgium is a devastated, war-ravaged land, bleeding under the heel of an invader; her commerce and industries have vanished; her former prosperity no longer exists: fire, desti tution and starvation have taken its place. The physical—if not the spiritual — activities of Belgium to-day are one with those of Nineveh and Tyre. Hence the following chapters on the life and labor of the Belgian people should be read— for the time being, at least— as a record of things that once were; of the bright er days before the plow and the artisan's tools yielded to the overwhelming strength of can non and bayonet.