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See also:- GILBERT
- GILBERT (KINGSMILL) ISLANDS
- GILBERT (or GYLBERDE), WILLIAM (1544-1603)
- GILBERT, ALFRED (1854– )
- GILBERT, ANN (1821-1904)
- GILBERT, GROVE KARL (1843– )
- GILBERT, J
- GILBERT, JOHN (1810-1889)
- GILBERT, MARIE DOLORES ELIZA ROSANNA [" LOLA MONTEZ "] (1818-1861)
- GILBERT, NICOLAS JOSEPH LAURENT (1751–1780)
- GILBERT, SIR HUMPHREY (c. 1539-1583)
- GILBERT, SIR JOSEPH HENRY (1817-1901)
- GILBERT, SIR WILLIAM SCHWENK (1836– )
GILBERT (KINGSMILL) ISLANDS , an extensive See also:archipelago belonging to See also:Great See also:Britain in the See also:mid-western Pacific Ocean, lying N. and S. of the See also:equator, and between 1700 and 18o° E. There are sixteen islands, all See also:coral reefs or atolls, extending in See also:crescent See also:form over about five degrees of See also:latitude. The See also:principal is Taputenea or See also:Drummond See also:Island. The See also:soil, mostly of coral See also:sand, is productive of little else than the coco-See also:nut See also:palm, and the See also:chief source of See also:food See also:supply is the See also:sea. The See also:population of these islands presents a remarkable phenomenon; in spite of adverse conditions of environment and See also:complete barbarism it is exceedingly dense, in strong contradistinction to that of many other more favoured islands. The See also:land See also:area of the See also:group is only 166 m., yet the population is about 30,000. The Gilbert islanders are a dark and coarse type of the Polynesian See also:race, and show signs of much See also:crossing. They are tall and stout, with an See also:average height of 5 ft. 8 in., and are of a vigorous, energetic temperament. They are nearly always naked, but See also:wear a conical See also:hat of pandanus See also:leaf. In See also:war they have an See also:armour of plaited coco-nut See also:fibres. They are fierce fighters, their chief weapon being a See also:sword armed with sharks' See also:teeth. Their canoes are well made of coco-nut See also:wood boards sewn neatly together and fastened on frames. See also:British and See also:American missionary See also:work has been prosecuted with some success. The large population led to the introduction of natives from these islands into See also:Hawaii as labourers in 1878-1884, but they were not found satisfactory. The islands were discovered by See also:John See also:Byron in 1765 (one of them bearing his name); Captains Gilbert and See also:Marshall visited them in 1788; and they were annexed by Great Britain in 1892.
End of Article: GILBERT (KINGSMILL) ISLANDS
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