Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/492

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370
THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — PACIFIC ISLANDS


Ducie Island, 24° 40' S. lat., 124° 48' W. long. Pitcairn Island, 25° 5' S., 130" 5' W.; area 2 sq. m., pop. in ]911, 145 (40 adult males, 45 adult females, 43 children aged 6 to 16, and 17 children under 6 years). The affairs of the island are conducted by a Parliament of 7 members with a President, a Vice-President, and a Judge. In religion the islanders (descen- dants of the mutineers of the Bounty) are ' Seventh Day Adventists.' The products of the island are sweet potatoes, j^ams, taro, melons, pumpkins, oranges, bananas, pineapples, and arrowroot, which is prepared in limited quantities with antiquated appliances. Excellent coffee also grows, and its cultivation will probably extend. On the Island there are about 200 wild goats and a small stock of chickens. Pigs formerly common are now extinct. The British Government has relieved them of liability to repay an advance of 200Z. granted in 1902. Dudoza Island, 7° 40' S. lat., 161° W. long. ; area 2 sq. m. Victoria Island, area 2 sq. m., uninhabited. Union, or ToKELAU Group, between 8° 30' and 11° S. lat., and 171° and 172° W. long. Five clusters of islets, the principal of which are Fakaafo or Bowditch, Nukunono or Duke of Clarence, Atafu or Duke of York, Nassau, Danger ; area of group, 7 sq. m., pop. 912 natives and 2 Europeans (1911). The islands are included in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Protectorate. Ph(ENIX Group, between 2° 30' and 4° 30' S. lat., and 171° and 174° 30' ^Y. long. Eight islands : Mary, Enderbury, Phcenix, Birney, Gardner, McKean, Hull, Sydnev : area of group, 16 sq. m., pop. 59. Ellice Islands, between 5° 30′ and 11° 20′ S. lat., and 176° and 180° E. long. The principal islands are Funafuti, Nukufetau, Vaitupu, Nui (or Netherland), Niutao (or Lynx or Speiden), Nanamaga (or Hudson), Nanomea (or St. Augustine), Nukulaelae (or Mitchell), Nurukita (or So[>hia) ; area of group, 14 sq. m., pop. (1911), 3,084 natives, 4 Europeans, and 1 Asiatic. Gilbert Islands, on the equator. The principal islands are Butaritari, Makin, Tarawa, Abaian, Marakei, Maiana, Abemama, Kuria, Ananuka, Nonouti, Tapiteuea, Bern, Nikunan, Onotoa, Tamana, Arorae, and Ocean Islands. Area 166 sq. m., estimated pop. (1911), 26,417 natives and 446 foreigners. Revenue of the Pi'otectorate, which includes the Gilbert, Ellice, and Union groups, M'^as 21,331Z. in 1911, and expenditure, 17,965/. The trade in 1911 amounted to 75,421Z. for imports, and 233,950/. for exports (142,163 tons phosphates from Ocean Islands, value 213,250/., and 2,070 tons copra, value 20,700/.). British Solomon Islands, about 8°S. and 160° W., are Guadalcanao, Malaita, Isabel, San Cristoval, New Georgia, Choiseul, Shortland, Mono (or Treasury), Vella Lavolla, Ronongo, Gizo, Rendova, Russell, Florida, Rennell, and numerous small islands (the Lord Howe Group or Ougtong Java, and the Santa Cruz Islands are also included in the Solomon Islands Protectorate). Area 14,800 sq. m. ; European population (1912), 500; native population, about 150,000. They are under British Protection. Revenue (1911-12), 16,040/.; expenditure, 22,639/. About 18,000 acres planted by white planters, were under coco-nuts in March, 1911, and about 300 acres under rubber; sweet potatoes, pine- apples, bananas are grown ; 60 acres were under cotton in March, 1910. From these islands in 1903, 663 labourers were recruited for Queensland. Recruiting ceased at the end of 1903 ; in March, 1904, there were about 6,000 of the islanders in Queensland, but there is a steady stream of returning labourers. The value of imports in 1910-11 was 103,147/., and copra, pearl shell, ivory nuts, &c., were exported to the value of 88,890/. Foreign-going vessels entered, 1911-12, 83 of 25,824 net tons (25,588 tons British) ; cleared, 74 of 24,325 net tons (24,094 British). There is a Resident Commissioner. Santa Cruz Islands, seven large islands, the largest about 15 miles long.