﻿>17 



NATAL. 



NAVARRA. 



818 



60 to 90 miles from the shore. The average height of the range may 

 be estimated at 8000 or 9000 feet above the sea, and the summits are 

 covered with snow at least four months in the year. On the north- 

 west, or interior aide, a table-land slopes gradually down almost from 

 the summits of the mountains, exhibiting extensive plains, diversified 

 by a few isolated mountain-groups and low ranges of hills. There is 

 no pass in the whole range between 28° 30' and 31° S. lat. practicable 

 for horses or wheel carriages, and there are very few for pedestrians. 

 Coal occurs not far from the sources of the Tugala, and ironstone is 

 frequently found. Copper has been discovered within 20 miles of 

 Pietermaritzburg. In Natal the country gradually rises from the sea 

 to the foot of the mountains. A few moimtain groups occur, which 

 are offsets from the Drachenberg range. The countiy is diversified 

 with hill and dale. 



The rivers are very numerous, and all flow eastward to the sea. 

 Two of the largest are the Tugala and the Umzincula ; they both rise 

 in the Drachenberg Mountains. The Tujiala receives several tribu- 

 taries, of which the principal are the Buffalo River, which forms a 

 portion of the boundary to the north, and the Bushmau River ; and 

 it reaches the sea in 29° 15' S. lat, 31° 25' E. long. It has a bar at 

 the mouth, and is not navigable. The Umzincula flows through a 

 rugged and almost inaccessible country, and falls into the sea in 

 30° 50' S. lat, 29° 20' E. long. 



Along the coast, in summer, the average temperature is about 

 74° Fahr. ; in winter about 63°. Nearer the mountains the climate 

 becomes colder. The rains generally commence in March, and end in 

 September. Thunder-storms are of frequent occurrence, and are very 

 violent The climate, on the whole, is pleasant and healthy. 



The climate and soil have been found suitable for the cotton-plant, 

 but it is doubtful if it can be cultivated profitably. Indigo, sugar, 

 and coSee are cultivated, and it is expected that sugar and cofiee will 

 become articles of export. Tobacco, maize, sweet potatoea, oranges, 

 pine-apples, and pumpkins are raised in abundance. Cattle thrive 

 well ; but the climate does not appear to be suitable to the growth of 

 wool. Horsis are liable to sickness in the spring months, and many 

 die. The soil is generally more fertile than in the Cape Colony, nor 

 does it appear to suffer so much from droughts. 



The elephant, which was formerly common in the colony, is now 

 nearly driven away. The lion and leopard are still met with along 

 the mountain ningea. Hyaenas, jackals, wild dogs, ant-bears, and por- 

 capines are numerous. 'The hippopotamus abounds in several of the 

 riren, and in the Tugala are numbers of small crocodiles. The larger 

 antelopes are becoming scaree, but there are still many of the smaller 

 ones. The vulture, rock-eagle, and KafHr crane are common. Several 

 Taluable timber-trees grow on the declivities of the mountains and in 

 the mountain valleys. 



The colony of Natal is divided into the districts of Pietermaritzburg, 

 D'Urban, Umvoti, Impafane, Tugala, and Umzinyate, and a tract in 

 the Bonth-west part of the territory. The principal town in the colony 

 is Pietermaritzbwg, founded by the Dutch boers in 1840, and contain- 

 ing about 8000 inhabitants. It is situated on an offset of the Drachen- 

 berg Mountains, in 29° 30' 8. lat., 30° 2' E. long., about 60 miles 

 W.N.W. from Port Natal It contains a barrack, ordnance stores, 

 and Dutch, Episcopal, and Methodist places of worship. It is well 

 supplied with water. If t'rban, the only port of the colony, is situ- 

 ated on the east side of the inlet called Port NiUal, which is a bay 

 completely landlocked, and affording good anchorage. The entrance 

 is narrow, and is impeded by a bar, on which there is sometimes not 

 more than two fathoms of water. The cape at the entrance of Port 

 Natal is in 29° 53' a lat, 31° 2' E. long. Verulam, Windsor, and 

 Western are the largest of the villages. 



The white population of the colony is mostly composed of the 

 original Dutch settlers who remained after the dispersion of the boers 

 In 1 842, and of the immigrants who have since arrived chiefly from 

 Qreat Britain. The uative population, consisting mostly of Tulas, are 

 an intelligent and docile people, and make excellent servants. "They 

 are scattered in kraals ^ong the banks of the rivers, and round the 

 mission stations along the coast and western boundary. The British 

 commissioner manages the affairs of the aborigines, and is regarded as 

 their protector and chief. British, American, and Norwegian mis- 

 siouary societies have mission stations in the colony. 



Nsi^l has a lieutenant-governor, who is assisted by an attorney- 

 general and an auditor-general, a collector of ctistoms, a surveyor- 

 general, a crown prosecutor, and a government secretary, who form a 

 Ugislative and executive council. The revenue is derived from a 

 customs duty of 6 per cent on all British goods, and of 12 per cent on all 

 foreign goods imported, sale of lands, a capitation tax on the aborigines, 

 and a few other sources. A bishopric of Natal was created in 1853. 

 There are episcopal ministers at Pietermaritzburg and D'Urban. 



The colony of Natal owes its origin to the Dutch boers (farmers), 

 who in the year 1836 emigrated northward beyond the boundaries of 

 the Cape Colony, and established thenuelves in small communities, 

 with their families and cattle, in different parts of the unoccupied 

 territory. These emigrants in 1838 employed their commandant, 

 Pieter Retief, to enter into a treaty with Dingaan, the chief of the 

 Zooloos. Retief crossed the Drachenbci^ Mountains, accompanied by 

 70 or 80 farmers, and their families and attendants, who visited Din- 

 gaan at his place of residence, preparatory to forming their intended 



establishment in the vicinity of Port Natal. They were received by 

 the Zooloo chief and his warriors with every demonstration of kind- 

 ness, but were treacherously surrounded and slain in the midst of pro- 

 fessedly friendly festivities. The farmers scattered over the temtory 

 were next attacked successively, and upwards of 600 men, women, 

 and children were killed, besides those who had been previously mas- 

 sacred at Dingaan's residence. The great body of emigrants, who still 

 remained behind the Drachenberg Mountains, sent off expedition after 

 expedition .igainst Dingaan, and at length, in February 1S39, succeeded 

 in putting him to flight 'The greater part of the Dutch farmers thei) 

 removed to Port Natal, where, in December 1839, they hoisted the 

 tricolor flag, and proclaimed an independent republic, with Andries 

 Wilhelm ftetorias for president The British government refused to 

 acknowledge their independence, and Sir George Napier, then governor 

 of the Cape Colony, sent some troops to take possession of Port Natal. 

 They entrenched themselves, aud maintained their position till the 

 arrival of reinforeemeuts by sea, in June 1842, when th« Dutch were 

 compelled to submit By a proclamation dated August 21, 1845, the 

 colony of Natal was established by the British government. 



NATCHEZ. [Mississii'Pi.] 



NATCHITOCHES. [Locisiasa.] 



NATOLIA. [Anatolia.] 



NAUCELLE. [Aveyron.] 



NAUMBURG. [Merseburc] 



NAUP ACTUS. [Lepanto; LocnB.] 



NAUPLIA. [Napoli di Romania.] 



NAUVOO. [Utah.] 



NAVAN, county Meath, Ireland, a market-town and the seat of a 

 Poor-Law Union, is situated at the junction of the rivers Boyne and 

 Blackwster, in 43° 39' N. lat, 6° 38' W. long., 8 miles N.N.W. from 

 Trim, 28 miles N.W. by N. from Dublin by road, 491 m'les by the 

 Dublin and Drogbeda and the Navan branch railways. The popu- 

 lation in 1851 was 4016, besides 803 inmates of the workhouse. 

 Navan Poor-Law Union comprises 12 electoral divisions, with an area 

 of 94,466 acres, and a population in 1851 of 27,657. Navan was the 

 first borough established by the Euglish in this part of the country. 

 It returned two members to the Irish Parliament, but was disfranchised 

 at the Union. The town lies mainly between the two rivers, and 

 consists of four streets, meeting in a central triangular area. A bridge 

 over the Boyne leads to the small suburb of Athlumney. A bridge 

 over the Blackwater leads to a larger suburb called Donaghmorc. 

 The parish church is a neat building, erected in 1818. The Roman 

 Catholic chapel is a spacious Grecian structure. There are four 

 National schools, an Endowed school, a Roman Catholic diocesan 

 seminary, and a savings bank. The town also contains a court-house 

 and market-house, the county infirmary, a fever hospital, dispensary, 

 bridewell, and union workhouse. An infantry barrack on the right 

 bank of the Blackwater occupies the site of an abbey founded in the 

 12th century. The tovm is connected with the Boyne navigation by 

 a canaL It also communicates with Drogheda, by the Navan branch 

 railway. Fringe aud sacking are manufactured. There are a flax- 

 spinuing mill, two paper-mills, and several flour-mills ; a tannery, a 

 brewery, and two distilleries. Quarter and petty sessions are held. 

 Fairs are held seven times a year. The market-days are Wednesday 

 and Saturday. 



NAVARrNO, called Neoctutro by the Greeks, a small town and 

 fortress of the Morea, built on the south coast of the bay of the same 

 name, about 5 miles N. from Modon, aud about 3 miles measured 

 across the bay from old Navariuo, which is a ruined town with ao 

 old fort of the middle ages, built on a steep hill on the northern 

 coast of the bay, near the site of the ancient Messenian Pylos, which, 

 according to Pausanias, was situate<i on the promontory Coryphasium. 

 The island of Sphacteria, or Sphagia, lies across the eutrauce of the 

 bay, and adds to its security, rendering it one of the best harboura iu 

 the Levaut Sphacteria is known in ancient history for the defeat 

 and capture of the Lacedscmouiaus by the Athenians, iu the seventh 

 year of the Peloponnesian war. (Thucyd., iv. 39.) In modem times 

 the Bay of Navarino has become memorable for the naval battle 

 which took place on the 20th October, 1827, between the French, 

 English, and Russian combined fleet on one side, and the Turco- 

 Egyption fleet which was anchored in the bay on the other. The 

 object was to oblige Ibrahim Pasha to evacuate the Morea. After a 

 warm resistance, the Turco-Egyptians were completely defeated, with 

 the loss of 3 ships of the line, I frigates, and about 40 or 60 smaller 

 vessels. The rest surrendered, and a convention followed by which 

 Ibrahim evacuated the Morea, and the Greek prisoners whom he had 

 sent to Egypt were restored to their country. The Egyptian ships 

 which had not been destroyed were returned to the Pasha of Egypt 

 The battle of Navarino decideil the independence of Greece. 



NAVARRA, a province of Spain, formerly a kingdom, is bounded 

 N. by France, S. by the province of Soria in Castilla la Vieja, E. by 

 Ar;igon, and W. by the Basque Provinces. It is situated between 

 41° 67' and 43° 18' N. lat, 0° 45' and 2° 27' W. long. The greatest 

 length from north to south is about 100 miles; the greatest width 

 from east to west is about 70 miles. The area is 2450 square miles. 

 The population in 1849 was 280,000. It is divided into the five 

 merindaides,or districts, of Pamplona (north), Tudela (south), Sauguesa 

 (east), Estella (west), and Olite (central). 



