Newfoundland

nu'fund-land, a large island lying at the mouth of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Newfoundland is England's oldest colony. It was discovered by the Cabots in 1497 and was occupied by fishermen almost immediately. It is not a part of the Dominion of Canada. It is managed by a governor and an executive council appointed by the British crown and a legislature elected by the people. The area is about 42,000 square miles. The interior is, for the most part, mountainous. The coast line is rugged, with many bays and good harbors. Extensive shoals to the eastward are called the Banks of Newfoundland. They are enveloped in fogs caused by the meeting of the cold Labrador current with the warm Gulf Stream. Fishing is the chief industry of the island. At every port large sheds are to be seen in which fish brought in by the fishermen are cured and packed for the market. The grouse, plover, snipe, hare, caribou, black bear, wolf, salmon, trout, and waterfowl are abundant and may be hunted in season. Dried cod to the value of $5,000,000 is exported annually. Codliver oil, canned lobster, and pickled herring are exported. The capital, St. Johns, is also the headquarters of the arctic sealing fleet. The interior is rich in copper and iron ores, as yet little mined. The trade is chiefly with Great Britain, Canada, and the United States. In 1866 the first Atlantic cable was landed at Newfoundland. Population in 1901, 217, 037.