V1LAIXE. 



VIRGIN ISLANDS. 



|OM 



He*, era cultivated. The forests, supply Umber for the 



9 linatsl 



Tbe pB|nih?n is iUted to amount to 200,000 individual*. In the 

 of their bodies the inhabitant* reeamble tho*e of the Frien Jly 



IslesxH sad them 1s no great difference in their language* : they evince 

 a considerable degree of inventive power and ingenuity in the con- 

 motion of their boats and house*, and in making arms, clothes, 

 wicker-work, sad earthenware. They have three kind* of boat* : the 

 largest, eocwUting of two boats united, are sometime* 60 feet long, and 

 arc used to make voyage* which lait several days. Many of them are 

 mad* for sals in the neighbouring islands. In Rewa i* a large 

 manufacture of earthenware, which l* made with great taste, and is 

 al*o an article of export to the neighbouring island*. Of late yean 

 some Wesleyan missionaries bars established themselves on the 



Then iaknds are sometimes visited by American vessels. They get 

 there sandal-wood, tortoite-ahell, anil t repang for the Chinese markets. 

 The Americans bring guns, gunpowder, cochineal, cotton-bluff*, and 

 iron ware. The inhabitants of the Friendly Islands obtain here the 

 beat of their huge boat*, and pay for them with ' topa,' or stuff* made 

 from the bark of the Chinese mulberry-tree, and the teeth of the 

 MfHttr microttpkattu. 



The Tiji lalsudi were discovered by Tasnmn in 1643, but from 

 that time were not visited until 1789, when Captain Bligh, after the 

 mutiny of his crew, sailed through the most eastern group, and in 

 1792 he discover*! the islands farther to the treat 



VILAINB. [ILLI-BT-VILAISK.] 



VILLA DE LEOX. [MKXICO.] 



VILLA DEL FUERTE. [MEXICO.] 



VILLA DO CONDE. [EXTRE Douuo E MIXIIO.] 



VILLA FRANCA. [AZORES, St. Michael's; NICE; TORINO.] 



VILLA HERMOSA. [MEXICO.] 



VILLA RKALE, VILLA RICA. [PARAQUAT.] 



VILLA SAN GIOVANNI. [CALABRIA.] 



VILLA VIEJA. [COSTA-RICA.] . 



VILLACIDRO. [SARDEGXA.] 



VILLAKRANCA DEL VIEHZO. [LEOX.] 



VILLAINES. [MATEN.NK] 



VILLAXOVA DE 1'ORTIUAO. [ALGARVE.] 



V1LLARD. [IsERE.] 



VILLAVICIOSA. [AsTDRiAS.] 



VILLAVICOSA. [ALEMTEJO.] 



VII.LKKORT. [LozERE.] 



VILLEFRANCHE, [AVKYRON; DORDOGNE; GARONNE, HAUTE; 



KlldRB.1 



VII.LEXA. [MURCIA.] 



VILLEXEUVE. [AvETROs ; OARD; LOT-ET-QARONNE ; YONNK.] 



VILLEMUR-SUR-TARXE. [GARONNE, HAUTE.] 



V ILL BUS. [Aisxn; So***.] 

 VILNA. [WitNA.] 

 VILVERDK. [BRABANT, Soum] 

 VIMIERA. [ESTREMADUKA, Portuguese.] 

 VIMOUT1ER. [URXE.] 



VIXAY. llBERE.] 



VIXCA. fPYREXKES ORIENTALS*] 



VI Vi KNNES. [INDIANA; SEINE, Department of.] 

 VINCKXT, ST., one of the islands of the Columbian Archipelago, 



pituated betwe-n 13 10' and 13 25' N. hit, 61" 10' and 61" 20' 

 W. long., having Barbados* on the east, Grenada on the south, and St. 

 Lucia on the north. Th area of St. Vincent is 131 square miles, or 

 a'lout 84,000 acre*, of which about 35,000 acres are under cultivation. 

 It is one of the most beautiful islands of the Caribbee group, of an 

 oval form, 18 mile* long by 11 miles broad; and though the surface 

 U irregular, the valleys, some of which are very beautiful, possess a 

 fertile soil, and are well watered. The coast is bold and rocky, and a 

 ring* of high mountains crosnes the i.lnml from north to south. The 

 Oituadint* consist of several small islet* off the southern extremity 

 of the coast. Bequia, the largest, ho* an area of 3700 acres, and there 

 are seven other*. Itequia possesses a fine harbour, called Admiralty 

 Bay. The most remarkable physical feature of St. Vincent is the 

 Souffrierr. a volcanic mountain 3000 feet high, with a crater half a 

 iinU in diameter, from the centre of which rises a conical hill 300 feet 

 high, and 200 feet in diameter at the base. After a repose of nearly 

 a century an eruption of the mountain took place in 1818. St. Vincent 

 has several times suffered wvrrcly from hurricanes. 



8L Vincent wa* discovered by Columbus in 1494. In 1672 Charles II. 

 included St Vincent with Barbadoes and several other islands under 

 one government In 1714 the French began to form a settlement 

 with the permuiiou of the native*. For many year* it was a subject 

 of dispute between the Fn-nch and the English, but it was at length 

 ceded to the Britun crown at the peace in 1783. St Vincent is in 

 the diocese of Barbados*. The population in 1852 was estimated at 

 . ,:. . 



The chief productions of the island are, sugar, rum, and molasses, 

 with some arrow-root, coffee, cacao, and cotton. Puzzuolano is ex- 

 ported a* an excellent subaqueous cemeut The cultivation of cotton 

 and arrow-root is increasing. 



The amount of the revenue in 1852 was 14,3901. ; that of the expen- 



diture was 14,9521., betides 77361. for civil and military establishments 

 drfruyrd by Great Britain. The import* during 1852 amounted in value 

 to 167,0592., the exports to 204,9951. The amount of tonnage en 

 inwards during 1852 was 30,541; the amount cleared outward* was 

 31,181 ton*. Of places of worship there were 103 in 1852, of which 

 14 belonged to the Church of England, the others being almost 

 entirely belonging to the Wesleyan Methodists. The number of 

 children attending school was 2164. 



Kinyitovm is the capital of the island, and contains about 5000 

 inhabitants. It has a harbour, a few public buildings, and a com- 

 modious church. A botanic garden of 30 acres was formed more than 

 half a century ngo. 



VI NDELI'CIA, the ancient name of a part of Southern Germany. 

 It extended from the Lacus Brigantiuus (Lake of Constanz), as far 

 as the junction of the lun with the Danube, and from Rhaitin to the 

 Danube. Viudelicia at first was a part of Rhtctih ; from the time of 

 Diocletian it was a separate province, and was called Rhajtia Secunda, 

 which name was gradually supplanted by the name Yindulicia, which 

 is first mentioned by Soxtus Kufus (c. 8). The name of Viudeliciu is 

 derived from the Vindelici, a warlike Celtic tribe in the southern 

 mountainous part of the country ; and it is believed that this tribe 

 had its name from the Vindo or Vinda, al--o called Virdo, now Wertach, 

 and the Licus, now Lech, which were two of the principal rivers of 

 the country. The Romans founded many colonies in Viudelicia. 

 Among them were Augusta Vindelicorum, now Augsburg; Carnpodu- 

 num, now Kempten ; Brigantia, now Bregenz ; Reginum, or Castro 

 Regina, now Ratisbou, or Regensburg; Pons Oeni or Aeni, now 

 Miihldorf, on the Inn. The municipal rights given to these colonies 

 by the Romann, wore the cause of their afterwards becoming free 

 Imperial towns. After the 3rd century Viudelicia wa* invaded by 

 German tribes (Aleuianni and Boioarii), who extirpated the ancient 

 population. 



VIXDHYA MOUNTAINS. [HINDUSTAN.] 



VI HE. [CALVADOS.] 



VIRGIN ISLANDS are an extensive group of small islands, which 

 form part of the Columbian Archipelago, commonly called the West 

 Indies. They lie between 18 5' and 18 50' N. lat., 64" 10' and 65 40' 

 W. long., exclusive of the island of Santa Cruz, or Saint Croix, which 

 properly does not belong to the group, but is commonly considered 

 as forming part of it, because it belongs to Denmark, which also is in 

 possession of some islands of the group itself. This island is about 50 

 miles S. from the centre of the Virgin Islands. The Virgin Islands 

 extend in nearly a straight line from west-south-west to east-north- 

 east, aud occupy a space of about 100 miles in length, with an average 

 width of 20 miles. The most western belong to Spain ; the most 

 eastern belong to the British ; those in the centre to Denmark. 



The British islands lie between 64 10' aud 64 50' W. long., and 

 amount to about 50 in number ; but most of them are very small. 

 They are stated to cover a surface not exceeding 60,000 acres, or 

 between 93 aud 94 square miles. The largest of these islands are 

 Auegada, Virgin Gorda, Comance, Beef Island, Guaua, Tortola, Jo-t 

 van Dyke's, audPuter's Island. The population of the whole of the-o 

 islands in 1S50 was estimated at 7000 persons. The colonial income in 

 1849 was 16751. Aneyada, which is the most north-eastern island of the 

 whole group, contains 31,200 acres, but has only a few inhabitants. 

 [ANEOADA.] Virgin Gorda, also called Spanish Town, which is con- 

 sidered to be a corruption of Penuiston, the original name of the inland, 

 consists of a rocky mass, and two peninsulas which project from the 

 mountains to the east and south-west Of the rocky m i-s in the centre 

 of the island the summit is about 1500 feet high. The island is said 

 to contain 9500 acres. The soil is sandy and dry. -The exports 

 consist of sugar, rum, tobacco, indigo, peas, aud some cotton. The 

 produce of the island is sent to Tortola for exportation. At St. 

 Thomas Bay, on the southern peninsula, is a group of bouses culled 

 the To-.vn. In the prolongation of the southern peninsula is a cluster 

 of rocks, exhibiting a great variety of fantastic figures, resembling 

 ruined temples, columns, and arches. They are called th Fallen ( 'it v, 

 or Broken Jerusalem. Between Virgin Gorda and Tortola, at a short 

 distance from the lost-mentioned island, are Greal Comance, which is 

 very rocky and elevated, aud thiuly inhabited ; and Beef Island, which 

 is also rocky, but contains a considerable proportion of pasture-ground. 

 Each of these islands contains on area of about 1500 acres. The small 

 island of (iitana lies north of Tortola. 



Tortola, the most important of the British Virgin Islands, extends 

 nearly 12 miles from east-north-east to west-south west, but its wrlth 

 does not exceed 2 miles. Its area is said to be 13,300 acres. It is a 

 mountaiu-mass, broken up and furrowed by glens aud ravines in every 

 direction, so as to present a succession of undulating surfaces aud 

 precipitous eminences. The most elevated part runs through the 

 middle of the island from east to west Sage Hill, the highest summit, 

 which lies west of Road Town, is 1650 feet above the level of the sea. 

 The descent is more precipitous to the north than to the south, aud 

 high rocky masses advance to the water's edge on the north-west, but 

 at all other places the country on the shores of the sea is of moderate 

 elevation. The shores are indented with bays, harbours, and creeks, 

 which afford shelter and anchorage for a great quantity of shipping. 

 The soil is dry, and has little depth. The capital of the island is 

 Town, or Kingttoion, It is built on the southern side of the 



