Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/494

* NEW FOREST. 436 NEWFOUNDLAND. man Conquest, wlieu the district was afforested and protected by severe laws by illiam the Con- querer. It is a Crown possession managed by the Court of Verderers as a public pleasure ground. NEWFOUNDLAND, iiu'fund-land'. A Brit- ish colouy in Niirth Aiiicrica. comprising the island of Newfoundland and its dependency, Labrador. The island lies across the entrance to the Ciulf of Saint Lawrence between latitudes 46° 35' and 51° 40' X., and between longitudes 52° 35' and 5'J° 25' V. It is separated from the eastern ex- tremity of Labrador in the north by the Strait of Belle Isle, 10 miles wiile, while Cabot Strait separates it from Cape Breton Island. 65 miles to the southwest. Newfoundland is that part of North America which lies nearest to Rurope, its distance from alentia in Ireland being 1640 miles. It is roughly triangular in shape, meas- uring .317 miles from Cape Kay. its southwestern, to Cape Norman, its northernmost point, while the distance from Cape Anguille in the extreme west to Cape Spear in the east is 316 miles. The total area of the island is 42.200 square miles. The coastline is extremely irregular, being in- dented with numerous large bays studded with countless islands, and ramifying into narrow tiords which run far into the interior. In the southeast the Bay of IMacentia and Trinity Bay run iu from op])Osite sides of the island, cutting off the Avalon Peninsula, which is connected with the mainland by a very narrow isthmus. In the northwest there is a corresponding jH-ninsula, though less detached, known as Le Petit Nord, at the head of which the coast is deeply indented by hite Bay. Many of the bays form com- modious and well-sheltered harbors with deep water close to shore. Top<)(bapiiy. The coasts are nearly every- where bold and rugged, presenting a line of rocky cliffs from 200 to 400 feet liigh. broken by the tissures which form the entrances to the fiords. In the Bay of Islands on the west coast, the small rocky islets are 1000 feet high, while the shores of "the bay rise in Blomidon Cliff to a sheer height of 2125 feet from the water's edge. The interior is an imdiilating ])l:iteau of mod- erate elevation traversed by a number of ridges which terminate in the headlands, and which, like all the chief physical features, river valleys, headlands, and geological formations, run di- agonally across the island from southwest to northeast. The principal ridge is the Long Range, which runs along the entire western coast, and has numerous peaks from 1.500 to 2000 feet high. Avalon Peninsula is rugged and hilly, and scattered over the interior plateau are a number of isolated peaks known as 'tolts.' HydRgr.piiy. Newfoundlanil has an abun- dance of lakes, ponds, and streams. The prin- cii>al rivers Mow toward the northeast coast, ex- cept the Iliiniber, which breaks through the Long Kange and enters the Bay of Islands. The larg- est stream is the Exploits River, which flows through a chain of long lakes stretching almost across the island, its length being 200 miles. The rivers, however, cannot be used a.s means of communication except as canoe routes for hunt- ers. The largest lake is (inind Pond, 56 miles long, with an area of 102 scpiare miles, and there arc several others almost injualing this in size. Climate. The winters are not as cold, nor are the summers as uarm as iu Cauada, the annual extremes of temperature being 7' and 83°. The Arctic current, which skirts the eastern coast, and the east winds, which drive the lloatiug ice into the bays along that coast, prolong the win- ter and spring, and render the climate here raw and chilly iu winter and cool in summer. The moisture-laden east winds, moreover, bring fre- quent fogs. UEOLOCiY AND JIiXER-VLS. The bulk of the isl- and consists of Archican rocks, among which the Huronian system predominates in the south- eastern tliird. and the Laurentian in the re- mainder of the island. There are, however, beds of Paleozoic and Lower ilesozoic, reaching as far as the Lower Carboniferous .svstem. These are found chiefly in the troughs forming the river valleys, the valley of the Exploits following a bed of Upper Silurian rocks, 20 miles wide. The chief mineral is copper, while some lead and silver and a little gold have been found. There are large beds of gypsum on the western coast, and a small coal field exists near Saint George's Bay. Soil and Flora. Large portions of the inte- rior consist of marshes, and there are barren areas of rock covered with lichens and low shrubs of pine and larch. Some parts, however, are heavily timbered, especially at the heads of the bays, and along the river valleys. The latter also afford large tracts of good arable land. The prin- cipal trees are white and yellow pine, white, black, and red spruce, fir. tamarack, birch, and red maple. Among the wild animals arc the black bear, wolf, and several species of fox. Agriciltire and Mining. Although there are probably 5.000.000 acres of land on the island suitable for agriculture, only 64.404 acres had been improved in 1801. Since that time the Gov- ernment has offered a bonus for cleared land, and the area under cultivation now amounts to about 100.000 acres, located almost wholly along the southeast coast. The principal crops are pota- toes and turnips; hay and oats are also raise<l. The naist imjiortant mineral exploited is copper, the output of which has increased considerably in recent years. The value of the exports of copper ore in 1000 was •'?616.170. Pyrites and iron ore follow with a combined value of .$415,- 764. Fisheries. Fishery far exceeds all other occu- pations, and the only manufactures worthy of mention are sulisiiliarv to the fisheries. sich as the manufacture of cordage, liiseuits. etc. More than 50.000 inhabitants of Newfoundland are engaged in the fisheries, and the fishing fieet in 1000 consisted of 1440 vessels and over 20.000 boats. The fi.sheries on the Grand Bank (q.v. ) have ilecllned. and are no longer important for Newfoundland, whose inhabitants are engaged chiefly along the coast and off the coast of Labrador, .long the west coast of the island, known as the French Shore (see flintnrii below), the French still enjoy the exclusive right to fish, and the I'nitcd States enjoy similar rights on the southwestern coast. The eod-fishcries are the most important, the quantity caught annmilly in the waters of Newfoundland being valued at .$0,000,000, about two-thirds of which are caught by Newfoundland fisliormen. Next in importance come the seal, lobster, herring, and salmon fish- eries. Seal fishing is conducted from steamers which enter the solid drift ice upon which the