Caroline Islands
2 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Caroline Islands. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
a group in the western Pacific, lying between the Marshall and Pelew islands, with an area of about 270 square miles, and a population of some 22,000; but the Pelew (q. v.) group is generally included in the Caroline Archipelago (area, 560 square miles; pop. 36,000), which thus stretches across 32° of lon. and 9° of lat. There are some 500 small atolls in the archipelago, but three-fourths of both area and population are included in the five volcanic islands of Babelthouap, Yap, (Strong Island); these are all fertile and well watered, and many of the lowlying lagoons, though less so, are well wooded and to some extent inhabited. The climate is moist, but not unhealthy, and is tempered by cooling breezes. The people belong to the brown Polynesian stock, are strongly built, and are gentle, amiable, and intelligent; they are bold sailors, and carry on a brisk trade with the Ladrones to the N. where they have several settlements. Besides the usual products of the Polynesian islands, copra has been largely exported. The islands were discovered in 1527 by the Portuguese, and called Sequeira; in 1686 they were annexed and rechristened in honor of Charles II. by the Spaniards, who, however, shortly changed the name to New Philippines. After the failure of several missionary attempts in the 18th century, Spain took little active interest in the group, until August, 1885, when the German flag was hoisted on Yap. The sharp dispute which followed was submitted to the Pope as arbitrator, who decided in favor of Spain, but reserved to Germany special trade privileges. In 1887 disturbances broke out at Ponapé, in which the governor, who had arrested one of the American Protestant missionaries, was killed by the natives; but the rising was shortly put down. In February, 1899, Germany purchased from Spain the Caroline and Pelew islands, and all of the Ladrones excepting Guam, which had been ceded to the United States in the treaty of peace. The islands were captured by an Australian force on Sept. 14, 1914, and by the Treaty of Versailles are administered by Japan as mandatory. CAROLUS DURAN. CHARLES.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
2026 Editor's Note: This page uses language about other peoples, religions, or nationalities that was commonplace when the book was published and is offensive by today's standards. The text has been left exactly as it was printed, rather than cut or softened, so that the historical record — including how ordinary such language once was — is preserved. (Ed: ET 2026-07-22) a large archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, in latitude 3deg.-12deg. N., and longitude 132deg.-163deg. E. There are in all about 500 islands in several groups. The archipelago was explored by the Portuguese in 1527, but was taken over by the Spaniards in 1686, and named for King Charles II (Latin Carolus). Spain, having little interest in her possessions, ceded Guam to the United States in 1898, and sold the rest of the islands to Germany in 1899 for $3,300,000. Many of the islets are mere coral reefs. The inhabitants, some 30,000 in number, are Polynesians not yet advanced, save for missionary efforts, beyond the stone age of savagery. The chief productions are breadfruit, bananas, and dates. See Clam