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NEW CALEDOIfl.V. 



NEW GRANADA. 



933 



i 



I 



The religious denominatious in the province are those of the Church 

 of England, the Roman Catholics, Presbyterians, Independents, 

 Hethodista, and Baptists. No church is distinguished by law, but 

 the bishop takes precedence after the governor and the commander of 

 the forces. 



Till the latter part of last century New Brunswick was regarded as 

 a portion of Acadia, and was connected with Nova Scotia, along with 

 which it was finally ceded to Great Britain by the treaty of Utrecht in 

 1713. In 1762 some families from New England settled about 50 

 miles up the St. John River. At the end of the American war several 

 thous.\nd3 of disbanded troops were settled at Fredericton. In 1785 

 the province received its present name and Umitfl. The province 

 rapidly advanced after 1809, when the duty on Baltic timber was 

 increased, colonial timber being left free. In 1825 the country 

 tuCTered from one of the greatest conBagrations that have occurred in 

 the history of the world. A district extending above 100 miles along 

 the course of the Miramichi, and spreading many miles on both sides 

 of the river, was swept by the (lames under the force of a hurricane ; 

 towns were entirely consumed ; many lives were lost, and a vast 

 amount of property was destroyed. 



NEW CALEDONIA, an extensive island in the Pacific, situated 

 between 17° 57' and 23° S. lat, 163° and 168° E. long. This island 

 extends from north-west to south-east more than 400 miles, bat is of 

 inconsiderable width. In the broadest part it is hardly 60 miles wide. 

 On all sides it is inclosed by coral-reefs, which connect innumerable 

 small sandy islands or clifis. These reefs extend in some places more 

 than 50 miles from the shores, but they generally occur at a distance 

 of from 4 to 10 miles from the coast. There are only two harbours 

 in which large vessels can anchor with security ; on the north-eastern 

 shores. Port Balade, and on the south-western, Port St Vincent. 

 One of them has been fortified by the French, who have taken 

 possession of the island. 



From the shores the country gradually rises inland to a mountain 

 range which traverses the island in all its length, and rises in some 

 parts to 2000 or 3000 feet above the sea. This island is less fertile 

 than roost other islands of the Pacific. The declivities of the hills 

 are p.irtly bare and partly covered with coarse grass and low trees. 

 The inhabitants live mostly on yams and fish. The sugar-cane and 

 banana are cultivated to some extent Cacao-nut palms, bread-fruit- 

 trees, and mango-trees abound on the shores. Among other minerals, 

 a kind of steatite is found, which is eaten by the inhabitants, who 

 belong to the race of the Austral negroes. They are stoutly made, 

 have black and curly hair, and a very dark colour. 



NEW ENGLAND STATES is the term applied to the north- 

 eastern portion of the United States of America, which was originally 

 colonised by the Puritans from England. The inhabitants are yet 

 principally of EngUsh descent, and possess many characteristic differ- 

 ences from the inhabitants of the other states of the Union. There 

 are six of the New England states — Cokskcticut, Maise, Massa- 

 chusetts, New Hamfsqire, Rhode Islam), and Vebmoxt, all of 

 which are fully described under then- respective heads. 



NEW GEORGIA ARCHIPELAGO, ahw called Solomon'i Itlandt, 

 constitutes one of the most extensive groups of islands in the Pacific. 

 They extend from north-west to south-east, between 5° and 10° 50' 

 S. lat, 154° 35' and 162° 25' R long. They were discovered by the 

 Spanish seaman Hendana, in 1567 ; visited for the second time by 

 Carteret, and afterwards by several French and English navigators. 

 The moat northern island is Winchelsea or Anson, and the most 

 southern Rennell. The largest islands from north to south are — 

 Bougainville's Island, which is abont 60 miles long ; Choiseul, which 

 is perhaps as long ; Santa Isabella, perhaps the largest of the group ; 

 Oeoigia, which extends 40 miles from east to west; Ouadalcanar, 

 which is 70 miles long ; and San Cristoval, which is about the same 

 •ixs. Besides these there are a great number of small islands. The 

 shores are mostly very steep, and rise to a considerable height The 

 interior is rugg^, and frequently mountainous. The hills and moun- 

 tains are generally covercxl with lofty trees, and the valleys well 

 ealtivated and fertile. Bananas, yams, sugar-cane, and ginger are 

 extensively cultivated. The most common fruit-trees are the bread- 

 it, cacao-palms, cabbage-tree, a kind of almonds, and Indian kale 

 {Caladium acv,lcwtwn). The clove-tree is also found here. Fowls 

 aboiad, as well as several wild birds. 



NEW GRANADA, a republic of South America, extends from 

 south to north between 0° and 12° 30' N. lat., and from east to west 

 between 70° and 83° W. long. It is bounded E. by the republic of 

 Venezuela; N. by the Caribbean Sea; W. by the republic of Costa 

 Rico, and the Pacific Ocean ; and S. by the republic of Ecuador. The 

 area is about 380,000 square miles; the population in 1853 was 

 estimated at 2,363,000. 



Surfaee, Bydrography, Ac. — The western part of New Granada is 

 comprehended within the mountain district of the Western and 

 Central Andes. The eastern part belongs to the great plains or llanos 

 of the Orinoco River. The northern portion includes the low ground 

 lying along the Gulf of Dorien and the lower valley of the Magdalena ; 

 the Isthmus of Panama; and the eastern extremity of Central 

 America Ix/rdering on Costa Rica and known as Veragua. 



On the boundary-line between New Granada and Ecuador, is the 

 aonotain-knot De los Postoa, with Hs numerous volcanoes. North of 



it extends a mountainous country, inclosing the valley of Almaguer, 

 which is shut in on the east by that portion of the Andes which is 

 called Paramo de Aporte and de Iscause, but on the west by the range 

 called Cordillera de la Costa, or Paramo de Momacondy. These two 

 ranges are about 80 miles apart, and the mountain res;ioa between 

 them contains the valley of Almaguer, which is about 6900 feet above 

 the sea-level, and is drained by the Rio de las Patias, which breaks 

 through the Cordillera de Li Costa, and falls into the Pacific. About 

 2° 9' N. lat. both ranges are united by a transverse range, called the 

 Sierra de Socoboni. On the north of this ti'ansverse range the great 

 mass of the Andes separates into three great ranges, which running 

 north and northeast, inclose the valleys of the rivers Magdalena and 

 Cauca. They are called the Western, C<?ntral, and Eastern Cordillera 

 of New Granada, and are described under Andes [voL i. col. 356]. 



The country west of the Western Andes and between them and the 

 Pacific contains the basins of the rivers Atrato and San Juan, and a 

 rather narroVr tract along the sea-shore. [Atrato.] The tract along 

 the sea has a soft, alluvial, and very fertile soil, but being almost 

 incessantly drenched by rains, it is nearly a continual swamp and 

 extremely i)nhealthy, especially for Europeans. It has accordingly 

 been abandoned to the native tribes and a few negroes, who are em- 

 ployed to wash the gold-sand which is found along the western declivity 

 of the Andes in great abundance, and is at some places intermixed 

 with platinum. Europeans make only hurried visits to it. That 

 portion of New Granada which is included in the Isthmus of Panama 

 with the contiguous district of Veragim is described under Panama. 



The most southern of the table-lands which extend along the 

 western declivity of the Eastern Andes, those of Bogoth [BoootA], and 

 Tunja, are from 8000 to 10,000 feet above the sea, and on them the 

 grains and fruits of Europe are cultivated, with the root called the 

 oracacho. Those farther north are much lower, and adapted to the 

 cultivation of tropical grains, roots, and fruits, as well as cotton, sugar, 

 coffee, and tobacco. The low country which extends between the 

 table-lands of Girona and Cucuta and tho mountain-mass of Santa 

 Harta is mostly covered with extensive forests, and nearly uninhabited 

 on account of its uuhealthiness, which is caused by numerous swamps, 

 fkvquent inundations, and almost continual rains. It contains tho 

 extensive lake of Zapatosa. 



The Plains, or Llanos, of the river Orinoco comprehend the whole 

 tract extending to the western banks of the Orinoco and to the Cassi- 

 quiare, between the Guainia, or Rio Negro, on the south, and the 

 Apure River on the north. The northern part, as far south as the 

 river Vichada, is a complete level, on an average 300 feet above the 

 sea, near tho mountains, and thence insensibly declining towards the 

 Orinoco. It is quite destitute of trees, with the exception of a few 

 palms, which occur at great intervals all over the plain. Along the 

 river courses are some low bushy trees. The rainy season begins in 

 April, and continues to the end of October. During this time the 

 rain poura down in toiTents, and is accompanied by violent thunder- 

 storms, which generally occur two houn alter noon. The dry season 

 lasts from October to April, and during the months of December, 

 January, and February, a cloud never crosses the sky. This extensive 

 plain is quite unfit for cultivation, but innumerable herds of cattle 

 and horses find hero abundant pasture during the wet season, though 

 they suffer much during tho dry months. The mean temperature of 

 the air is 80° Fahr. : the rainy season is seven or eight degrees hotter 

 than the dry. That portion of the plain which is south of the river 

 Ticbada is somewhat hilly in several places, especially between tho 

 rivera Guaviare and Guainia, where steep rocks rise a few hundred 

 feet above its level surface. It is covered with immense forests, 

 haunted by numerous wild animals. It is two or three degrees hotter 

 than the level plain farther north, and its air is never agittited by a 

 breeze. Rain descends every day, except during the months of 

 December and January, sometimes in torrents, sometimes like a dense 

 mist, and the annual quantity is very great. The most south-eastern 

 part of it, which is inclosed by the rivers Orinoco, Cassiquiare, Guainia, 

 and Atabapo, is uninhabited, though covered with tall forest-trees. 

 All this portion of the Llanos is extremely unhealthy, on account of 

 the stagnant air and the vapours which continually rise from its rain- 

 drenched surface. The rivers which drain the Llanos of Granada are 

 noticed under Orinoco. The remainder of the country is included in 

 the valleys of the Magdalena and Cauci. 



The Rio Magdalena rises where tho two ranges of the Eastern and 

 Central Andes begin, near 2° N. lat., and runs in a narrow valley with 

 a rapid course as far as 3° 20' N. lat., where the valley enlarges to 40 

 or 50 miles in width. In this valley its course is gentle; but at 

 4° 40' N. lat, where the mountains approach the river on each side, 

 and especially on the east, the cun'ent of the river becomes quicker. 

 Below Honda eleven rapids occur, which render the navigation difficult 

 and even dangerous, and only cease at Badillo (near 8° N. lat). The 

 river falU 670 feet in about 200 miles, and in this part the valley is 

 rarely 10 miles wide, adil sometimes not half so much. Below 

 Badillo it widens to 60 miles and more, and the river divides into two 

 branches, which inclose au island about 20 miles long and 10 miles 

 wide. Both branches ore navigable ; the eastern runs with greater 

 rapidity and is only used in descending, while the gentler current of 

 the western branch is more favourable to ascending boats. The Rio 

 Magdalena afterwards declines more to the north-west and meets ths 



