in North Island, was formerly the capital of New Zealand. It lies on the W. shores of Hauraki Gulf, has one of the finest harbours in the country, is a first-class seaport, and the See of a Bishop. Christchurch (13,425), the capital of Canterbury, lies on the Plain of Canterbury, 8 m. N. of the port of Lyttelton. Graham's Town, the capital and emporium of the Thames Gold Field; Gisborne, Napier, and New Plymouth, seaports on North Island; Nelson, Picton, Lyttelton, Oamaru, Timaru, Hokitika, and Westport, seaports in South Island are other rising and important towns of New Zealand. Agriculture, grazing, shipbuilding, timber trade, and mining, are the principal industries of New Zealand. The chief exports are wool, gold, copper, sulphur, flax, wheat, and timber. The communications include excellent roads, numerous navigable rivers, railways, electric telegraphs, and steam packet services. There are 8,444 m. of telegraph wires at work; and 1,140 m. of railway. The government of New Zealand is represented by a Governor, appointed by the Crown, a Ministry which forms the executive, and a Parliament of two chambers. Education is general, and liberally aided by the State: elementary instruction is carried on both in national and denominational schools, and for higher education a university has been provided at Dunedin. The religion is Christianity. III. OTHER ISLANDS OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN. Under this heading are included the countless islands, island groups, and islets which stretch Eastward from the Indian and Australian Archipelagos to, and beyond, the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Part of the islands are of volcanic origin and are mountainous; the rest are of coral formation, low and circular in shape. And even many of the volcanic islands are surrounded at greater or less distances by barrier reefs of coral formation. They lie within the tropics and have a normal climate, which is characterised by high degrees of heat and moisture. Their chief productions are cocoa palms, breadfruit, yams, sweet potatoes, bananas, rice, coffee, sugar, &c. The native populations amount to more than 1,000,000, but their numbers are rapidly diminishing in those parts where they come into close contact with the white man. These islands are usually thrown into three great insular regions, which are called, 1. Micronesia, 2. Melanesia, and 3. Polynesia. i. MICRONESIA. This region embraces a large number of small islands which lie N. of the equator and between the meridians 130° and 180° E. The chief of them are the Bonin Isles, the Marianne or Ladrone Islands, the Pelew Islands, the Caroline Islands, the Kingsmill or Gilbert Islands, and the Marshall Islands. Obs. 1. The Bonin Isles, a very numerous group belonging to, and lying S. E. of Japan. They arrange themselves in three groups, viz., a N. one, called Parry Islands; a central, of which Peel, and Kater, where whaling stations have been established by Europeans, are the chief islands; and a S. one, called the Baily Islands. They form part of the Archipelago of Magellan, and stretch from 26° 32′ to 27° 45′ N. lat. They are of volcanic origin, and mountainous. With the exception of Peel they are uninhabited. Obs. 2. The Marianne or Ladrone (= Robber) Islands, an Archipelago consisting of some large, and a good many small, islands, lying S. E. of the Bonin Isles, and between 13 and 21° N. lat, and constituting a Spanish possession. Only five of them are inhabited, and they contain a population of some 6,000, who are mainly of Spanish descent. The islands are of volcanic formation, fertile, and yield rice, sugar, cotton, indigo, &c. The capital is Agarra, on the large island Guahan. Obs. 3. The Pelew Islands form the most W. group of Micronesia. They lie 600 m. E. of the Philippines and number 10 islands, some of which are mountainous while others are low coral islands. The largest island, Babelthuap, is 30 m. long. The group is well-wooded and produces yams, bananas, cocoa-nuts and fruits. The people are small of stature, very dark skinned, and exhibit characteristics which point to both a Malayan, and a Papuan origin. Obs. 4. The Caroline Islands or New Philippines, comprise a number of distinct groups, extending E. and W. through a space of some 2,000 m., and lying between the Ladrones, and New Guinea. The chief of them are Hall Islands, Hogolen Islands, Enderby, Pullen, and Yap. The seas around these islands abound in fish, upon which the people chiefly subsist. The climate is genial and agreeable, and the chief productions are the cocoa-nut, bread-tree, arum or taro, and betel-nuts. The people number about 30,000, and belong chiefly to the brown or Polynesian stock. The islands belong to Spain, but contain no Spanish settlement. Obs. 5. The Marshall Islands, or Mulgrave Archipelago lie E. of the Carolines, between 12° N. and 30° S. lat. They include some 50 islands most of which are lagoon islands. The chief productions are the pandang-the staple food in several of the islands, -the cocoa-nut, and the bread-fruit. The people number about 10,000, and resemble the Caroline Islanders. ii. MELANESIA. Melanesia lies S. of the equator and off the N. and N.E. of Australia, and comprises all the islands extending from New Guinea in the W. to Fiji in the E. The most important of them are New Guinea, Admiralty Isles, New Britain Archipelago, Solomon Islands, New Hebrides, Santa Cruz Islands, New Caledonia, Loyalty Islands, and the Fiji Islands. Obs. 1. New Guinea or Papua, by far the largest island of the oceanic group which we are now considering, lies N. of Australia, from which it is separated by Torres Strait, and the Arafura Sea. It is 1,490 m. long, and in places about 400 m. broad, and has an area of some 300,000 sq. m. The surface is but little known, but it is said to be overgrown with dense virgin forests, and that the island is traversed from N.W. to S. E. by a lofty range of mountains, called the Stanley Range in the E., and the Charles Louis Mts. in the W., embracing summits of nearly 18,000 ft. high. The climate is wet and pestilential, but the soil is most fertile. Among the animal productions is the Bird of Paradise, which is native to these regions; the vegetable productions include camphor trees, sago palms, spices, cocoa-nuts, maize, rice, sugar cane, &c. The people are Papuans, a woolly-haired race, of very dark skins, great ugliness, and low intellectual capacity. The Dutch have a small station on the shores of Galvink Bay, on the N.W. coast, on the strength of which they claim the Western half of the island. Obs. 2. The Admiralty Islands comprise one large island of 60 m. long by 20 m. broad, and a large number of small ones, lying between the parallels 1° 50′ and 3° 10' S., and between the meridians 146° and 148° E., and about 160 m. E. of New Guinea. The islands are generally low, have a hot, moist climate, are densely wooded, and yield spices, sago, rice, cocoa-nuts, sugar, &c. The people are of the Papuan race, but allied by linguistic peculiarities to the Caroline Islanders rather than to those of New Guinea. Obs. 3. New Britain Archipelago consists of the two large islands New Britain and New Ireland, and a number of small ones. New Britain is about 300 m. long, and 30 m. wide, and New Ireland about 230 m. long, and about 12 m. wide. The islands are volcanic and mountainous, and yield mangoes, cocoa-nuts, bananas, yams, sweet potatoes, &c. The people are mainly of the Papuan race; and those of New Ireland are said to be cannibals. Of the smaller islands New Hanover on the N.W. of New Ireland, and Rook and Long Islands S. W. of New England, are the chief. Obs. 4. The Solomon Islands form a double insular chain stretching about 700 m. from N.W. to S. E. They lie E. of the New Britain Archipelago, and embrace 7 large and many small, islands. The large islands are Bougainville, Choiseul, Mahaga, New Georgia, Guadalcanar, Malanta, and San Christoval. The whole Archipelago is volcanic and very mountainous, covered with grand forests, and bears a most luxuriant and beautiful vegetation. Among the woods grown here are sandalwood, ebony, and lignum-vitæ. The people are a woolly-haired dwarfish race, and are cannibals. Obs. 5. The New Hebrides, and Santa Cruz Islands embrace three distinct groups, which are separated from one another by some 60 m. of sea, and called respectively the S. New Hebrides, N. New Hebrides, and Banks' Islands, and the Santa Cruz islands. They lie between the parallels 9° 45′ and 20° 16′ S. lat., and between the people are small of stature, very dark skinned, and exhibit characteristics which point to both a Malayan, and a Papuan origin. Obs. 4. The Caroline Islands or New Philippines, comprise a number of distinct groups, extending E. and W. through a space of some 2,000 m., and lying between the Ladrones, and New Guinea. The chief of them are Hall Islands, Hogolen Islands, Enderby, Pullen, and Yap. The seas around these islands abound in fish, upon which the people chiefly subsist. The climate is genial and agreeable, and the chief productions are the cocoa-nut, bread-tree, arum or taro, and betel-nuts. The people number about 30,000, and belong chiefly to the brown or Polynesian stock. The islands belong to Spain, but contain no Spanish settlement. Obs. 5. The Marshall Islands, or Mulgrave Archipelago lie E. of the Carolines, between 12° N. and 30° S. lat. They include some 50 islands most of which are lagoon islands. The chief productions are the pandang-the staple food in several of the islands,-the cocoa-nut, and the bread-fruit. The people number about 10,000, and resemble the Caroline Islanders. ii. MELANESIA. Melanesia lies S. of the equator and off the N. and N.E. of Australia, and comprises all the islands extending from New Guinea in the W. to Fiji in the E. The most important of them are New Guinea, Admiralty Isles, New Britain Archipelago, Solomon Islands, New Hebrides, Santa Cruz Islands, New Caledonia, Loyalty Islands, and the Fiji Islands. Obs. 1. New Guinea or Papua, by far the largest island of the oceanic group which we are now considering, lies N. of Australia, from which it is separated by Torres Strait, and the Arafura Sea. It is 1,490 m. long, and in places about 400 m. broad, and has an area of some 300,000 sq. m. The surface is but little known, but it is said to be overgrown with dense virgin forests, and that the island is traversed from N.W. to S. E. by a lofty range of mountains, called the Stanley Range in the E., and the Charles Louis Mts. in the W., embracing summits of nearly 18,000 ft. high. The climate is wet and pestilential, but the soil is most fertile. Among the animal productions is the Bird of Paradise, which is native to these regions; the vegetable productions include camphor trees, sago palms, spices, cocoa-nuts, maize, rice, sugar cane, &c. The people are Papuans, a woolly-haired race, of very dark skins, great ugliness, and low intellectual capacity. The Dutch have a small station on the shores of Galvink Bay, on the N. W. coast, on the strength of which they claim the Western half of the island. Obs. 2. The Admiralty Islands comprise one large island of 60 m. long by 20 m. broad, and a large number of small ones, lying between the parallels 1°50′ and 3° 10' S., and between the meridians 146° and 148° E., and about 160 m. E. of New Guinea. The islands are generally low, have a hot, moist climate, are densely wooded, and yield spices, sago, rice, cocoa-nuts, sugar, &c. The people are of the Papuan race, but allied by linguistic peculiarities to the Caroline Islanders rather than to those of New Guinea. Obs. 3. New Britain Archipelago consists of the two large islands New Britain and New Ireland, and a number of small ones. New Britain is about 300 m. long, and 30 m. wide, and New Ireland about 230 m. long, and about 12 m. wide. The islands are volcanic and mountainous, and yield mangoes, cocoa-nuts, bananas, yams, sweet potatoes, &c. The people are mainly of the Papuan race; and those of New Ireland are said to be cannibals. Of the smaller islands New Hanover on the N.W. of New Ireland, and Rook and Long Islands S. W. of New England, are the chief. Obs. 4. The Solomon Islands form a double insular chain stretching about 700 m. from N.W. to S.E. They lie E. of the New Britain Archipelago, and embrace 7 large and many small, islands. The large islands are Bougainville, Choiseul, Mahaga, New Georgia, Guadalcanar, Malanta, and San Christoval. The whole Archipelago is volcanic and very mountainous, covered with grand forests, and bears à most luxuriant and beautiful vegetation. Among the woods grown here are sandalwood, ebony, and lignum-vitæ. The people are a woolly-haired dwarfish race, and are cannibals. Obs. 5. The New Hebrides, and Santa Cruz Islands embrace three distinct groups, which are separated from one another by some 60 m. of sea, and called respectively the S. New Hebrides, N. New Hebrides, and Banks' Islands, and the Santa Cruz islands. They lie between the parallels 9° 45′ and 20° 16′ S. lat., and between the meridians 165° 40′ and 170° 30′ E. long., stretching N.W. and S. E. for a distance of Obs. 6. New Caledonia, a large island of some 6,000 sq. m. in area, occupies the S. extremity of Melanesia, and is 700 m. E. of Australia. It is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs. Its surface is mountainous, and embraces peaks of 5,000 ft. high; much of it is bare and arid, but there are forests on some of the mountain sides, and in the N. parts of the island. The chief products are gold, nickel, and copper; timber, and cocoa-nuts. The natives are a well built race, with dark skins and woolly hair. They are cannibals, and go naked. New Caledonia is a French colony and penal settlement. Obs. 7. The Loyalty Islands are a small insular chain lying 70 m. E. of New Caledonia, and embracing three chief islands, viz., Uvea, Lifou, and Mare. They are all coralline and, to a large extent, barren. Their chief product is sandal-wood. The people resemble the natives of New Hebrides, but are much more civilised. These islands also belong to France. Obs. 8. The Fiji or Viti Islands are a large Archipelago of 254 islands and islets, the chief of them being Viti Levu, and Vanua Levu. They lie E. of the New Hebrides between 16° and 20° S. lat., and 177° and 182° E. long., and are begirt with coral reefs. The islands are of volcanic origin, and many of them are mountainous. The climate is salubrious and agreeable, the soil almost everywhere fertile, the vegetation dense and luxuriant, while the productions include perfumed barks and woods, cocoa-nuts, cotton, bread-fruit, bananas, arrow-root, sugar, coffee, &c. The Fijians number about 150,000, and are a dark-skinned, frizzly-haired, and bearded race. Civilization and Christianity have made considerable progress among them, but there is still cannibalism in many of the islands. There are also about 1,600 Europeans there. The whole Archipelago was formally ceded to Great Britain in 1874. Viti Levu is about 90 m. long, and 60 m. wide, and of oval shape. Vanua Levu is somewhat larger, but narrower and of more irregular form. Both islands are mountainous, Viti Levu rising in places to heights of from 4,000 to 5,000 ft. above the level of the sea. iii. POLYNESIA.1 Polynesia is the name applied to the E. portion of the Pacific islands. It embraces several distinct Archipelagos with some smaller dependent groups. The physical features of the region are in the main similar to those of Micronesia. The area of the whole is estimated at 10,000 sq. m., and the population at about 250,000. The principal islands and groups are the Tonga or Friendly Islands, Samoa or Navigator's Islands, Union and Ellice Islands, Phoenix Islands, Hervey or Cook Islands, Austral Islands, Low Archipelago, and Pitcairn Island, Easter Island, Society Islands,3 Penrhyn or Manahiki Islands, Marquesas Islands, America Islands, and the Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands. Obs. 1. The Tonga or Friendly Islands, S. E. of Fiji, are composed of a numerous group of coral and volcanic islets, with the rather larger island of Tongatabu. Several volcanoes on the group are still active, and there are numerous cones of extinct volcanoes. The climate is good, and the soil fertile; the chief products are timber and cocoa-nuts, fruits and vegetables. The people belong to the Polynesian race, and are in advance of all other South Sea Islanders in civilization and social development; they number about 10,000 souls, and have become Christians. Obs. 2. Samoa or Navigator's Islands lie 350 m. N. of Tonga, and consist of a group 1 Polynesia="numerous islands." 2 Discovered in 1643 by Tasman; named by Cook from the friendliness of the natives; they have since been proved to be treacherous and cunning, and murderers of missionaries. 3 Society Islands, so named by Cook in honour of the Royal Society of Great Britain, who sent him out there in 1769 to observe a transit of Venus. |