Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 17.djvu/437

Rh N E W N E W 407 tains an old tower, supported on round arches, which has been one of the greatest antiquarian puzzles in the United States some considering it a monument of the Norsemen who visited America before Columbus, and others maintaining that it is only an old windmill dating from the 17th century. At one time, previous to the War of Independence, Newport was the seat of great com mercial activity, but it now holds a very secondary posi tion both in trade and manufacturing industry. Its ex ports and imports in 1882 made a total of only $17,513; and one or two cotton-mills and a brass foundry are almost its only public works. The population of the city was 12,521 in 1870, and 15,693 in 1880. The harbour of Newport was visited by Verezzani in 1524, and the first settlement was made in 1639 by a party under the lead of William Coddington. Rapidly increasing from 4640 inhabitants in 1730 to 12,000 in 1774, the town soon took rank immediately after Boston in the matter of trade. But it suffered severely during the Revolution, being occupied by the British forces from 1776 to 1779, and on their evacuation having its wharves and fortifications destroyed and its library and records carried off. In 1788 Brissot de Warville found houses falling to ruin and grass growing in the public square, and its inhabitants were at that time less than 6000. During the first half of this century the recovery of the city was comparatively slow. NEW PEOVIDENCE. See BAHAMAS. NEW KOSS, a market-town and parliamentary borough of Leinster, Ireland, partly in Wexford and partly in Kilkenny, is situated on the acclivity of a hill on the east bank of the Barrow, 2 miles below its junction with the Nore, 85 miles south-south-west of Dublin and 24 west- north-west of Wexford. The Barrow is crossed by an iron bridge, erected at a cost of 50,000, with a swivel pillar in the centre on which a portion of the bridge is turned to admit the passage of vessels. The principal buildings are the tholsel surmounted by turret with clock, the court house, the fever hospital, Trinity hospital, and the poor- house. There is a brisk trade by means of the Barrow, the principal exports being grain, flour, butter, bacon, and wool. In 1882 the number of vessels that entered the port was 1670 of 260,578 tons, the number that cleared 1635 of 281,101 tons. There is inland communication for ships by the Nore to Inistiogue, and by the Barrow to St Mullins, while barges can proceed as far as Athy, where the Barrow joins the Grand Canal. New Eoss possesses breweries and tanyards. There is a salmon fishery above and below the town. The population of New Ross in 1871 was 6772, and in 1881 it was 6626. It is stated that St Abban built the abbey of Rossmactreoin, which gave rise to an ancient city formerly called Rossglas. According to Camden, New Ross was founded by Isabella, daughter of Strongbow and consort of William le Mareschal, afterwards Earl Pembroke. A charter was granted to it by Roger Bigod in the reign of Edward I., which was extended by James I. and James II. From 1374 it enjoyed the privilege of returning two members to parliament, but at the Union the number was reduced to one. In 1269 the town was surrounded by walls. The fortresses were dis mantled by Cromwell, but some of their remains are still extant. NEWRY, a seaport, market-town, and parliamentary borough, partly in Armagh but chiefly in Down, province of Ulster, Ireland, is situated on the Newry navigation at the head of Carlingford Lough, and on two railway lines, 18 miles south-east of Armagh and 63 north of Dublin. The western part, called Ballybot, is connected with the eastern part or old town in Down, situated on the acclivity of a hill, by four stone bridges and a swivel bridge. The more modern streets are wide and well-paved, and there are many handsome houses and shops. The principal build ings are the infantry barracks, the town-hall, the market- house, the court-house, and the assembly rooms. Newry is one of the most important ports of Ulster, and in con nexion with several supports farther down the river is the outlet for the trade of a very extensive district. In 1882 the number of vessels that entered the port was 676 of 80,586 tons burden, the number that cleared 654 of 65,262 tons. The principal exports are grain, provisions, eggs, cattle, linen cloth, and flax, and the imports include timber, manufactures, groceries, and provisions. In the neigh bourhood granite of a fine quality is quarried, and the town possesses rope and sail works, breweries, distilleries, flour- mills, and tanneries. The population of Newry in 1861 was 13,108, which had increased in 1871 to 14,158, and in 1881 to 15,085. Newry is very ancient. In 1175 an abbey was founded there by Maurice M Loughlin, king of Ireland, which possessed extensive endowments and privileges. The abbey was converted in 1543 into a collegiate church for secular priests, and was dissolved by Edward VI., who granted it to Sir Nicholas Bagnal, marshal of Ireland. He made it his private residence, and by his enterprise and energy kid the foundations of the prosperity of the town. In 1689 Newry was set on fire by the duke of Berwick when in retreat before Schomberg. Charters were granted to the town by James I. and James II. By the charter of James I. it received the privilege of sending two members to parliament, but at the Union it was restricted to one member. NEW SHOREHAM. See SHOREHAM. NEW SOUTH SHETLAND, or simply SOUTH SHET LAND, a group of islands on the borders of the Antarctic polar regions, lying about 600 miles south-south-east of Cape Horn, between 61 and 63 10 S. lat. and between 53 and 63 W. long., and separated by Bransfield Strait from the region composed of Palmer Land, Trinity Land, Louis Philippe Land, &c. The more considerable islands are those of Smith (or James), Jameson (or Low), Snow, Livingston, Deception, Greenwich, Nelson, King George, Elephant, and Clarence. Deception Island is particularly remarkable as of purely volcanic origin. On the south-east side an opening 600 feet wide gives entrance to an internal crater-lake (Port Forster) nearly circular, with a diameter of about five miles and a depth of 97 fathoms. Steam still issues from numerous vents, and hot springs bubble up from beneath the snow-clad surface (E. N. Kendall in Jour. Roy. Geog. Soc., 1831). Most of the islands are rocky and mountainous, and some of their peaks are between 6000 and 7000 feet in height. Covered with snow for the greater part of the year, and growing nothing but lichens, mosses, and some scanty grass, the South Shetlands are of interest almost solely as a great haunt of seals, which share possession with albatrosses, penguins, and other sea fowl. The capture of the seals, which began shortly after the islands were rediscovered by Captain William Smith of the brig &quot;William&quot; in 1819, has been carried on to the present time. Dirck Gheritz was prob ably the first discoverer, in 1598. Edward Bransfield, of the frigate &quot;Andromache,&quot; ascertained the extent of the group in 1820 ; and Captain Weddell (1820-21), D Urville (1838), and Wilkes (1839) explored the islands in detail. A smaller group of islands Coronation Island, Laurie Island, &c. lying 200 miles east of the South Shetlands, bears the name of New or South Orkney. NEW SOUTH WALES. This was the name given by Plate X. Captain Cook, in his exploratory voyage in 1770, to the southern portion of the eastern coast of Australia, from some imagined resemblance of its coast-line to that of South Wales. The name was afterwards extended to the eastern half of Australia, but by subsequent subtractions has gradually received a more limited meaning. It is still, however, three times the size of Great Britain and Ireland, and larger than any state in Europe except Russia. The present British colony of New South Wales is bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the E., by Queensland on the N., by South Australia on the W., and by Victoria on the S. It lies between 28 and 38 S. lat., and 141 and 154 E. long., extending over about nine degrees of latitude and about twelve and a half degrees of longitude. The coast-line,