Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/618

* NEZ PERCE. 526 NIAGARA FALLS. selves Shaptin, whence the stock name, but they vvei'e known as L'hopuimish to some of tlie neigli- boring tribes, and were calleii Sez-perci-, "Pierced Nose,' by the !• reiich, in allusion to their forniir custom of wearing nose jjundants. They formerly claimed a large territory in eastern W asliington and Oregon and central Idaho, bounded on the east by the main divide of the Bitter lioot Alountaius and including the lower Cirande Konde and Salmon rivers, with a large part of the Snake and all of the Clearwater River districts. Lewis and Clark traversed their country in 1805. In 1S32 they sent a delegation to Saint Louis to ask for Christian missionaries and teachers. In response to their request a Prot- estant mission was established among them at Lapwai, Idaho, in 1837. Soon afterwards they entered into governmental relations, and they made their tirst treaty with tlie United States in 1855. By this they ceded the greater portion of their territory and were conhrmed in the pos- session of a reservation including Wallowa Val- ley in Oregon. On the discoveiy of gold in the country, however, the miners rushed in. and in consequence a new treaty was forced upon the Indians by which they agreed to surrender all but a reservation at Lapwai in Idalio. Joseph, who occupied Wallowa VaUey with his band, refused to recognize the treaty or remove to Lapwai. This refusal led to the Nez Perce War in 1877, in which, under .Joseph's leadership, sev- eral severe defeats were inflicted upon succes- sive detachments of regular troops. .Joseph final- ly almost accomplished a masterly retreat to- ward Canada through Idaho and Jlontana, which was frustrated only by the arrival of Colonel (General) ililes, when the Indians were within 50 miles of the British line. Joseph surrendered on assurance of being allowed to return to his own country, but the promise was not kept. He and his band were deporteil to the Indian Ter- ritory, where in seven years they were leduced by disease from about 450 to :i80. Their condi- tion compelled attention, and in 1884 they were returned to the north, not however, to tlieir old country. hut to the Colville reservation in northern Washington, where they now reside. From an estimated total population of 2800 in 18G3 the tribe has decreased to less than 1700, of whom about 1570 are on the (allotted) I.ajiwai agency, in northwestern Idaho, the rest under .loscph be- ing at Colville. Wash. The general report of cundi- tions in either band is not encouraging. Consult Mooney, ""Ghost Dance Religion," in Fnnrlcruth .»»ual Ucporl of the liiirenu of Ethnoloi/y (Vashington, KSOG). See Plate of AmebiCAN Ln- DlA.ws, under Indians, Amekican. NGAMI, n'g;i'm, Lake. . lake in SouthCen- tral Africa, situated in Western Rhodesia, north of the Kalahari Desert (Map: Africa, G 7). It is one of the last remnants of the great inland sea which formerly seems to have occupied the vast lacustrine basin of which the Kalahari is a part. A gradual desiccation is still going on in this region, and Lake N'gami has diminished consid- erably since it was discovered by Livingstone in 1S40. It is now little more than a marsh in the dry .season, while during floods it "may reach the dimensions of 10 by 30 miles. It re- ceives the waters of the Kubanga, and discharges periodically castwanl into the JIakarikari Salt Basin. NGAN-HWEI, n'giin'hwa'e ("Chin., peace, l)lciit ). Uue of the eastern provinces of China, bounded on the north by the Province of Kiang- su, on the east by Kiang-su and Che-kiang, on the south by K.iaug-si, and on the west by llu-peh and Ho-nan (Map: China, K 5). Its area is esti- mated at from 53.000 to 55,000 square miles. It is divided into three parts, the hilly region in the soutli around Hwei-chow and Ning-kwoh with the Tsieu-tang River, the central plain of the Yang-tse, and the northern part, drained by the River Hwai. The southern districts are famed for climate, fertility, and productions. The staples are fruits, cotton, hemp, silk, and iron. The numerous streams are used for navigation and for irrigation, their control showing great engineering ability. The province contains some of the most productive and beautiful jiarts of the Empire and is >mder a high state of cultivation. It sulfered greatly in the Tai-ping rebellion, los- ing nearly half its population. Us ju-esent popu- lation is estimated at over 20,000,000. Capital, Xgan-kiug-fu (q.v.). NGAN-KING-FU, ngiin'klng'foo'. the cap- ital of the Province of Ngan-hwei (q.v. ), China, situated on the Yang-tse river, about 175 miles east of Hankow (ilap: China, E 5). It still shows traces of its occupation during the Tai- ])ing Rebellion. It was opened to foreign trade in 1807. Its population is estimated at 40,000. NGORNXJ, n"gor'nnr;, or ANGORNTJ, an-gor'- niiTi. A town of Bornu, Cctitral .frica, on the southwest bank of Lake Chad, 15 miles south- east of Kuka. Owing to its low position, the town is occasionally ll(]0(led by the rising waters of the lake. Ngornu is an important commercial place and through its fairs an extensive trade is carried on in cotton, amber, and metals. Its population is estimatcil at from 20,000 to 50.000. NIAG'ARA, B.VTTLE of. See Lundy's L.vne, Baiti,!'; of. FALLS. FALLS. See Niagara Riveb NIAGARA AMI l'".I.I.S. NIAGARA FALLS. A city in Niagara County. . v., 22 miles imrtli by west of Buffalo; on the Niagara River, and on the lOrie, the Mielii- gan Central, the Li'high N'alley, the New York Central and Hudson Kiver, the West Shore, the (irand Trmk, and the Wabash railroads (Map: New York, B 2). It is the seat of Niagara Cniversity (Roman Catholic), opened in ISSO, and De Veaux College (Protestant Episcopal), and has a public library, for which a .$511.1100 building was given by . drew Carnegie. The New York State Reservation here, which includes Prospect Park, is 107 acres in etent : and there are tliree notable bridges connecting with Canada, one cantilever and two steel arch bridges. (See Bkidce.) The vicinity possesses much of historic interest. Niagara Falls has long been noted as the foremost scenic resort of .merica. It is de- veloping also into an im])ortant manufacturing centre, its growth being <lue to the utilizallnn of the extra(U'dinarv power of (he Niagara River anil Falls (q.v.). .Among the industrial e-tab- li-hments are Hour and jiaper mills, idniiiiig mills, a foundry ami machine-shop, a plant for the prodiietioM of wlieat bi-^euit. aliiminnm. enr- bide. and carborundum works, and electro chemi- enl works. Niagara Falls was chartered as a citj- in 1802, the former villages of Niagara Falls