The British Empire: its geography, resources, commerce, land-ways and water-ways

Front matter

THE BRITISH EMPIRE ITS GEOGRAPHY RESOURCES COMMERCE LAND-WAYS AND WATER-WAYS BY J. M. D. MEIKLEJOHN, M.A. PROFESSOR OF THE THEOKV, HISTOKV, AND PRACTICE OF EDUCATION IN THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. ANDREWS LONDON SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT AND CO., Lim. ST. ANDREWS : A. M. HOLDEN Great Empire 1 fast bound by invisible hands, That convey to earth's limits thy rulers' commands ; "Who sittest alone by thy rude northern sea, On an ocean-built tbrone, the first home of the free, Whom thy tall chimneys shroud iu a life-giving gloom ; Who clothest mankind with the work of thy loom ; Who o'er all seas dost send out thy deep-laden ships ; Who teachest all nations tbe words of thy lips ; Who despatchest thy Viceroys imperially forth To the palms of thy East and the snows of thy North ; Who boldest vast empires of dark subtle men By the might of just laws and tbe sword of the pen; Who in thy isle-con tiuent, yearly increased, Kearest empires of freemen to sway the far East ; Who art set on lone islets of palm and of spice, On deserts of sand and on mountains of ice ; Who bring'st Freedom where'er thy flag is unfurled ; The example, tlie envy, the crown of the World !

Lewis Moebis. Sons and brothers that have sent from isle and cape and continent, Produce of your field and flood, mount and mine, and primal wood; Works of subtle brain and hand, and splendours of the morning land Gifts from every British zone : Britons, hold your own 1 Britain's myriad voices call, " Sons, be welded each and all, Into one imperial whole, one with Britain, heart and soul ; One life, one flag, one fleet, one throne : Britons, hold your own '. Tennyson. To give space for wandering is it That the world was made so wide. Goethe. Gold and iron are good to buy iron and gold ; All earths fleece and food for their like are Bold. Boded Merlin wise, proved Napoleon great, Nor kind nor coinage buys aught above its rate. ElIERSOy. Tu Sir WILLIAM HART DYKE, Bart., M.P. VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON EDUCATION.

SIR, Every loyal subject of Her Majesty will probably, on thinking over the education of the young Briton, come to the conclusion that there are two elements in that education which cannot be dispensed with. The first of these is the knowledge of tlie great deeds and good and industrious lives that have been led by Englishmen and English women, and of the steady courage, thought, and enterprise in building up this Empire, that have been shown by our great ancestors. The second is the knowledge ofthe vast resources and infinite variety ofthe different parts of the great Empire of which he is a member. Into what a world of time he has been born, into what a world of space he has been born, — what noble men and women have created for him the conditions under which he lives, — what immense opportunities the possession of the better half of the planet offers to his energies, — these two things it is well for him to know and to know thoroughly.

Preface

I have also introduced here and there picturesque de scriptions of scenery from books of travel, have tried to indicate the special life and industries of each colony, and to show the reader how very rich and varied are the parts of the Greater Britain which lie beyond the sea. It is hoped that this will not merely give infor mation, but will inspire in many a longing to take their part in the building of the powerful States that are growing up around the mother-country. To the Agent-Generals of the various Colonies, I offer my warmest thanks for their great kindness in supplying me with the latest reports and other docu ments on the state and growth of their respective Colonies. This has enabled me to give information that is not only trustworthy but fresh. (i) This book is based on my New Geography ; but there are only ninety pages taken from that ; the rest is new.

(ii) It is only the large type in this book that is to be "got up" ; the small type is intended to add interesting details which may or may not be remembered. (iii) The time given in each ease after the longitude is the time at that particular place when it is noon at London. . . . The places given after the latitude are places in other Continents in about the same latitude. (iv) The extracts given between quotation points are, for the most part, taken from the official reports of each Colony. (v) The summaries given under the title of " The Condition of," etc., are intended to be revised every year and brought up to date. J. M. D. MEIKLEJOHK University of St. Andrews, March 1st, 1891. CONTENTS

Part I

INTRODUCTORY— THE THREE KINGDOMS I'AGE Landmarks in the Growth of the British Empire, . 6 Constitution, 13 Footholds, .......... 14 Colonies and Dependencies, . . . • . . . . 23 The British Isles, 33 England and Wales, ....... 35 Scotland, 77 Ireland, 96 Industrial and Commercial Rivers, . . .105 Chief Seaports, . .112 Industries, ....... .116 Condition of United Kingdom, . . .119

Part II Our Asiatic And African Possessions

India, 123 Burmah, 151 Ceylon 158 Minor Asiatic Possessions, 164 South Africa— Cape Colony, 175 Natal, 194 Orange Free State, 197 South African Republic, . . . . . 197 Minor Countries in South Africa, CONTENTS

Part III Our Possessions In The Two Americas Page

The Dominion of Canada, 211 Newfoundland, 248 Minor Possessions— The Bermudas, 252 The West Indies, 253 British Guiana, 257