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CAKOLINE ISLANDS GABON 15 Fitzherbert, which hy the law would have ex- cluded him from the throne. The queen re- mained in undisputed possession of her rank and title. She, however, was deeply affected at the result of the trial, and the moral shock received on this occasion accelerated her death. The humiliation of seeing the doors of West- minster ahbey shut against her, when in July, 1821, she presented herself to attend the coro- nation of George IV., was the last blow dealt to her before she died. Her funeral gave rise to disturbances at London and Brunswick, the people attributing her death to her opponents. CAROLINE ISLANDS, or New Philippines, an archipelago of Oceania, between the Philip- pines, the Ladrones, the Marshall islands, and Papua. They lie between lat. 3 and 12 N. and Ion. 135 and 165 E. ; area, 1,000 sq. m. ; pop. about 28,000. They are divided into numerous groups. The westernmost of these, the Pelew, consists of seven large and a num- ber of small islands, all of coralline formation. They are generally flat, and afford no secure anchorage. N. E. of these is the group of Yap, the principal island of which is mountainous and rich in precious metals. The islands of Egoi, resembling the Pelew in surface and for- mation, lie E. of Yap; they are fertile and partly inhabited. Other groups are the Swede islands, the Ltitke, and the Seniavin islands. The easternmost island, called Ualan, is 24 m. in circumference, and has abundant supplies of water, fruit, and fish. The climate is mild and agreeable. The inhabitants, most of whom are of the Malay race, are generally fishermen, and make excellent sailors. The Carolines were discovered in 1543 by Lopez de Villa- lobos, and were named in honor of Charles V. Nominally they belong to Spain and form part of the government of the Philippines, but they have no Spanish settlements. CAROLINE MATILDA, queen of Denmark, daughter of Frederick Lewis, prince of Wales, and sister of George III. of England, born July 22, 1751, died at Celle, May 10, 1775. She married in 1766 Christian VII., king of Denmark, and in 1768 became mother of Frederick VI. She endeared herself to all around her, excepting the queen dowager, Sophia Magdalen, and Juliana Maria, the king's stepmother, who were jealous of her influence, and treated her with marked hostility. Their dislike to the young queen assumed a still more formidable character when Struensee, the physician and special favorite of the queen, rose to supreme power in Denmark, and in concert with his royal mistress acted with the liberal party, while the queen dowager and Juliana Maria were partisans of the old Danish aristocracy. At the same time grave imputa- tions were cast by them upon the queen's honor. In 1771 she was delivered of a daughter; and her enemies, calling attention to the long ill- ness and feebleness of the king, attributed the child to the illicit connection with Struensee. The ruin of the queen and her favorite was re- 156 VOL. iv. 2 solved upon by the queen dowager and her party, and on the night of Jan. 16, 1772, du- ring a ball at the court, the agents of the queen dowager's party so wrought upon the fears of the weak Christian as to induce him to sign orders for the arrest of the queen, her favorite, and several of their partisans, and to appoint their most violent enemies to the principal offices of state. Struensee and the queen were immediately taken into custody. The minister and his friend Brandt were sentenced to death, and Caroline with her little daughter (the future duchess of Augustenburg), barely es- caping the same fate, were consigned to Kron- borg castle. But for Lord Keith, the British minister at Copenhagen, more stringent meas- ures would have been taken against her ; as it was, a separation from her husband King Christian (who by his semi-idiotic condition had long since ceased to possess any personal influ- ence) was agreed upon, and Celle in Hanover assigned to her as a place of residence, where she died after a few years. A monument has been erected to her in Celle! Lenzen pub- lished a book on her last hours, containing the celebrated letter written by the queen to her brother George III., in which she asserts her innocence. See also Die Versckworung gegen die Konigin Karolina Mathilde und die Graf en Struensee und Brandt, nach bisher ungedruck- ten Originalacten (Leipsic, 1864). CARON, or Carron, Frandsens, a Dutch -navi- gator, perished by shipwreck off Lisbon in 1674. He was of a French Protestant family which had taken refuge in the Low Countries. He engaged when very young as assistant cook on board a vessel departing for Japan. During the voyage he applied his leisure to the study of arithmetic, and after his arrival in Japan learned the native language. This acquisition rendered him especially useful to the Dutch East India company, and he became director of their commerce with Japan, and a member of their council. Colbert was at this time striving to give to France some importance in the commerce of the East Indies, and sought among foreigners men capable of seconding his views. In 1666 Caron^accepted letters patent appointing him director general of the French commerce in India, other Dutch and French merchants being joined with him with the same title. Caron arrived at Madagascar in 1667; but, finding the French offices at that island in hopeless confusion, it was decided not to remain there. He departed for Surat, and began operations there with good success. Several of his subsequent plans and operations proved unfortunate, and his imperious and avaricious character excited many enemies against him at court. The minister was con- strained to recall him ; and, that Caron might not suspect the hostile motive, it was pretended to him that his advice was needed with refer- ence to new enterprises. He embarked for Marseilles, bringing with him a great amount of treasure ; but after he had passed the straits