Knight's cyclopædia of the industry of all nations, 1851 / [edited by George Dodd].

Date:
[1851]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Knight's cyclopædia of the industry of all nations, 1851 / [edited by George Dodd]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    975/1000
    inches. The tunneland is 1 acre 85 ^^stuzerland adopted the French metxical system by a law passed in 1849. United States. The weights and measures are those of England before the introduction of the imperial standard. WEIE, or WEAR, is a dam erected across a river, either for the purpose of taldng fish, of conveying a stream to a mill, or of mam- taining the water at the level required for the navigation of it. By the laws of England, no weii-s can be maintained on any rivers to the prejudice of the pubUc, or even of individuals, except such as have existed time out of mind, or such as have been erected under local acts of parliament for the navigation of particular rivers. WELLS. [Abtesian Wells; Boeing.] WEST INDIES. With the exception of Hispaniola or Hayti, which is an independent republic, the islands composing the West Indies are subject to six different European nations—the Spaniards, English, French, Danes, Dutch, and Swedes. The Spanish possessions are the largest, and comprehend more than half the area of the archipelago; they consist of Cuba, Puerto Bico, Culebra, and Bique. The EngHsh pos- sessions ai-e next in iextent. They consist of Jamaica, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, (Tortola, &c.), Anguilla, Barbuda, Antigua, St. Christopher, Nevis, Montserrat, Dominica, Santa Lucia, Barbadoes, St. Vincent, Grena- dines, Grenada, Tobago, and Trinidad. The French possess only a few of the Lesser An. tilles, namely Guadaloupe, with several smaller islands in its vicinity, and Martinique. The Danes possess three of the Virgin Islands, viz. St. John, St. Thomas, and Santa Cruz. The Dutch possessions consist of three Lesser Antilles, viz. St. Eustatius, Saba, and St. Martin. Since the abolition of negro slavery m the British West Indies in 1834, immigrants and hberated Africans have aixived there to assist in cultivating the sugar estates. Their num- ber from 1834 to 1849, was, in- Jamaica . Trinidad . WESTMORELAND. 1778 1849 ported to the British West Indies in were valued at l,521,954i. The imports from the British West Indies and Honduras in 1849 included— Cocoa . . . 3,159,080 lbs. Coffee . . . 3,590,839 lbs. Molasses . . 605,028 cwts. Rum . . . 4,329,640 galls. ' Sugar . . • 2,897,837 cwts. The unports from the foreign West Indies and Hayti in 1848 included— Coffee . . . 3,639,108 lbs 95,893 cwts. 156,185 galls. 957,015 cwts. 573,316 lbs. and commercial Grenada . St. Vincent Antigua t . Dominica . Nevis • St. Kitt'3 . 14,519 13,356 1,476 1,197 1,075 732 427 95 32,877 The British produce and manufactures ex VOL. I. ,. . .. Molasses Rum . • Sugar Tobacco . A few fui-ther industrial statistics will be found under the names of the principal islands. WESTERN AUSTRALIA dates its his- tory as a British colony from the year 1829. Its progress has hitherto been comparatively slow. The imports in 1848 were valued at 45,411 i.; the exports at 29,598/. The shipping inwards was estimated at 15,494 tons; out- wards at 13,957 tons. The wool exported amounted to 301,965 lbs., valued at 9666/. The gross revenue was 18,188/., but this in- cluded a sum of 7695/. voted by the British parliament for the service of the colony. Western Australia is, as yet, one of the poor- est of the British Colonies; and little can be said concerning its produce,industry, or com- WESTMORELAND. Geologically, this county may be regarded as consisting of threa parts. The slate rocks of the Cumbrian mountain group form the first part or division ; the formations of the great carboniferous and mountain limestone series of the north of England, of which formations the Pennine Chain forms the western outcrop, constitute the second division; and the new red sand- stone of the valley of the Eden forms the third division. Westmoreland contains some very fertUe vaUeys, in which there are many well-cultivated fai-ms. The soil in the valley is mostly a dry gravelly mould, composed different earths washed down from the hil and forming a soil well fitted for the eulti tion of tm-nips, of which great crops are rais on some well-managed farms. Near Kend a great breadth of potatoes is planted for the supply not only of the immediate neighboui-- hood, but also of the adjacent counties, many thousand loads being annually sent into Lan- cashire and Yorkshire. Grass land being abundant and the climate favourable to pas- thres, a great portion of the soil is devoted to the maiatenance of cattle; good meadows lot •r T Wo. 42.