Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/488

* NEWBURYPORT. 430 NEW CASTILE. by wards. The municipality owns and operates the water-works. Population, in IS'JO, 13,947; in 1900, U,47S. Ncwburyport was settled about 1635, w-as a part of Xewbury until 1704, when it was sepa- rately established and intorporatod as a town, and was chartered as a city in 1S51. It was the home of Theophilus Parsons and the birthplace of Trancis C. Lowell, who introduced cotton manufacturing on a large scale into the T"nited States. Consult: Smith, History of Xewhury- port, Mass. (Boston, 1854): and Hurd. nislory of Essex County, iluss. (Philadelidiia, 18S8). NEW CALEDONIA, krd'A-diyni-a. An island in the I'luilic, Ipclun^ing to France, the southern- mo.st of the ilelanesian Islands. It is situated 1200 miles .southeast of Xew Guinea, 8.50 miles from the coast of Queensland, and about the same distance from Xew Zealand (Map: Australasia, J 5). It is elongated in sha])e. extending from north- west to southeast, with a length of 240 miles, an average width of .'JO miles, and an area of f>584 scjuare miles. It is almost entirely surrounded by a coral reef, which is five to fifteen miles from tile shores, and affords a Ijelt of well -protected navigable water inside. The coast it.self is in- dented with numerous bays, forming, especially on the southwestern side, many excellent har- bors. The interior is very mountainous. There are two parallel ranges rimning the entire length of the island and inclosing a longitudinal valley between them. Tbcy are of nearly uniform height, except in the south, where they are broken by marshy lowlands. The highest point is an unnamed peak near the northwest coast, with an altitude of 5570 feet. Mount Humboldt in the southeast is 5300 feet high. The rocks are com- posed chiefly of serpentine, gneiss, schists, and limestone. There are no active volcanoes, but some evidences of ancient volcanic activity, in- cluding thermal springs. The rivers are all short, only one being navigable (25 miles). The proverbially healthful climate is both drier and cooler than "that of the other Melanesian Islands. Perpetual spring reigns. The rainfall (70 inches) is sulTicient to sustain a rerj- rich flora, although large areas arc semi-arid pine barrens in which the Araiicnria Cookii is promi- nent. True forests appear chiefly in the northern part, and contain much valual)le timber, though sandal-wood has now practically disappeared. The fauna. like that of all other Oceanic islands, is very poor in varieties, a single species of bat beini; probably the only inrligenous mammal. while reptiles are also few. The avifauna is the richest, and is related to that of the Australian continent rather than to that of N'ew Zealand. The natives of Xew Caledonia, whom the French style Canaqties ('Kanakas'), are Melanesians. prolmbly of mixed (Papuan-Polynesian) type. The coast tribes seem to be better shaped and more regu- larly featured than the rest. They are above the average in stature, with dolichocephalic bead- form. The absence of large animals on the islan<l has maile them practically vegetarians. but it may account in part for the cannibalism which once prevailed in this part of the world. One of their most interesting institutions is the pilu-pilu. or yam-harvest dance, with its nmek fight. Something like the 'duk-duk' society of Xew Uritain exists among them. Among other things worthy of note are their beehive huts. grotesque carvings of heads, and sling-stones. The bow seems to be little employed, the spear and club being preferred. Traces of ancient aqueducts are reported to have been discovered in some parts of the island. Xumeruus petro- gly|)hs and rock-carvings exist, some of which are considered pre-Kanaka. Since Xew Caledonia luis been made a French ])enal colony, some admixture between the Europeans and the na- tive women has taken place. Some of the tri!)es of the interior are still little known. The Wehias of Central Xew Caledonia, who still live in a state of independence, and have not yet been seriously influenced by the whites, are said to Ije good-natured people and skillful fishermen. Tlie natives are the best agriculturists of all the Oceanic tribes, and irrigate the soil by means of aqueducts. They have even succeeded better than the white farmers, as the latter have been embarrassed for lack of labor, though they have imported Chinese and Xew Helirides islanders. The natives live on reservations from which whites are excluded, but they are rapidly de- creasing in number — 50 per cent, in the last fifty years. Tlie chief agricultural products are cof- fee, maize, tobacco, sugar, grapes, and pine- apples. Wheat and cotton have also been intro- duced. The mineral wealth is considerable, in- cluding gold, silver. lead, copper, nickel, cobalt, chromate of iron, and coal. The last six are mined, and the nickel output is the most valua- ble, amounting in 1809 to 74,G14 tons of ore, valued at about $800,000. The commerce is considerable, amounting in 1899 to about .'f4.000.000, including imports and exports. Of the latter the principal are minerals, canned meats, and cofTce. A railroad is imder construc- tion from Xoumea, the capital, to Bourail (90 miles)'. The island with its dependencies, the isles of Pine, Wallis, Futinia, and Alafi. and the Huon and Loyalty Islands, is administered by a mili- tary governor, who is assisted in civil matters by a privy council. The colony is chiefly used as a penal settlement, and cimvicts constitute the majority of the white inhabitants. In 1898 the total population was 52,751), of whom 5585 were free colonists. 1702 officials, 1714 soldiers, 7477 convicts under sentence, 2515 liberated convicts. 1829 Asiatics, and 31.874 natives. The island was discovered by Cook in 1774. In 1843 the French flag was raised, but the act was disavowed, owing to protests from England. Ten vears later, however, the French took formal possession in onler to put a stop to the canni- balism and excesses committed by the natives. In l.S4 the penal settlement was fiumdi'd. and after the Franco-Prussian War thousands of Conununists were dcqiorteil hither, most of whom have now returned to France. The natives have always been suspicious of the whites, and in 1878 rose in revolt, massacring many of the colonists. Consult: Gamier. 7>a Xoiirelle-CalMonir (3d ed.. I'aris. 1870) : Anderson. Fiji iitul ew Cnh- doiiiii (London, 1880) ; Cordeil. Origines et pro- fir^s dc la yoiirrllt-Cdh'driinc (N'oum^a, 1885) ; Grilfilh. In an Vnlcnoirn I'risnn l.nnd; An Ac- count of Conrirts and Colonists in .Ycif Caledonia (il... 1901.) NEW CASTILE, k.'is-tel'. The southern part of Castile (q.v.).