Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/567

WELHAVEN daughter of a judge of the supreme court of South Carolina. (See GRIMKE.) In 1828, with her elder sister, Sarah Moore Grimk6, she joined the society of Friends in Philadelphia ; and in 1836, having become an abolitionist and eman- cipated her slaves, she published an " Appeal to the Christian Women of the South," which was republished in England with an introduc- tion by George Thompson, the anti-slavery orator. In that year she and her sister, at the request of the American anti-slavery society, began to make public speeches against slavery in New York and New England, which crea- ted much excitement and contributed power- fully to the progress of anti-slavery, especially by the eloquence of Angelina. The contro- versy caused by their appearance as public speakers was the beginning of the woman's rights agitation in this country. Angelina mar- ried Mr. Weld May 14, 1838. WELHAVEN, Johan Sebastian Cammermeier, a Norwegian poet, born in Bergen, Dec. 22, 1807, died in Christiania in November, 1873. He was educated at the university of Chris- tiania, and published in 1832 a pamphlet in Danish against the provincialism and conven- tionality of Wergeland. For 30 years he was professor of philosophy at the university of Christiania. He was one of the most accom- plished poets of his day. His collected works are in 8 vols. (Christiania, 1868). WELLAND, a river of Ontario, Canada, which flows generally E. for about 60 m. to the Ni- agara river above the falls. It is worthy of notice as constituting part of the Welland canal, which forms a navigable connection for vessels of 500 tons between Lakes Erie and Ontario. (See CANAL, vol. iii., p. 687.) WELLAND, a S. county of Ontario, Canada, bounded E. by Niagara river and S. by Lake Erie; area, 395 sq. m. ; pop. in 1871, 25,760, of whom 7,995 were of German, 7,863 of Eng- lish, 5,765 of Irish, and 2,538 of Scotch origin or descent. It is drained by the Welland river, and is traversed by the Welland canal and sev- eral railroads. The surface is mostly level and the soil adapted to wheat. Capital, Welland. WELLESLEY, a province of the British colony of the Straits Settlements, comprising a part of the W. coast of the Malay peninsula, between the Quedah and Perak rivers, and the island of Penang opposite to it (see PENANG) ; area, 343 sq. m. ; pop. in 1871, 133,230. The main- land portion of the province (area, 236 sq. m., pop. 71,433) is bounded N. by the native state of Quedah, ruled by an independent rajah, E. by Siam, and W. by the strait of Malacca. On the south, between it and the British prov- ince of Malacca, are several native states, called respectively Larut, Perak, Klang, Salangore, Sunjie, Ujong, and Rumbowe, all of which have lately been brought under British suprem- acy. Several of them, especially Larut, are very rich in tin, gold, galena, and other miner- als, and contribute largely to the commerce of Penang. The surface of Wellesley is undula- WELLESLEY 547 ting, with extensive alluvial tracts and a few sandy strips. The climate is hot, averaging 80, and more rain falls than in Penang, but the country is not considered unhealthf ul. The soil is remarkably fertile, the vegetable prod- ucts being similar to those of Penang. The el- ephant, tiger, rhinoceros, and many other wild animals abound. A large part of the province is under cultivation, chiefly by Chinese and Europeans, and sugar, rice, and tapioca are raised in considerable quantities. The inhabi- tants are principally Chinese and Malays. The British have constructed good roads into the interior, which is also accessible by several rivers, of which the Perak is the largest. Wel- lesley was settled by the English in 1800. In 1873-'4 much trouble was experienced from the depredations of pirates belonging to the coast states, but after ships had been sent to the coast, and troops into the interior, peace was established, and the whole coast will prob- ably be annexed to the Straits Settlements. WELLESLEY, Richard Colley, marquis Wellesley, a British statesman, born in Dublin, June 20, 1760, died at Kingston house, Brompton, Sept. 26, 1842. He was the eldest son of Garret, first earl of Mornington (see WELLINGTON, AR- THUR WELLESLEY), and was educated at Eton and Oxford. His father died in 1781, and the young earl entered political life, sitting in the Irish house of lords until the union, and being also elected a member of the British house of commons. In 1789, during the regency debate, he advocated in the Irish parliament the re- striction of the prince's authority during what might be only a temporary malady of his fa- ther ; and this coming to the notice of George III. upon his recovery, the earl was returned to the house of commons at the next election for Windsor, and was appointed a member of the Irish privy council. Subsequently he be- came one of the lords of the treasury, and in 1793 was sworn in. as member of the British privy council. On Oct. 4, 1797, he was ap- pointed governor general of India, and on the 20th was made Baron Wellesley in the British peerage. In May, 1798, he reached India, and found the finances of the East India company exhausted, the army and fortresses in a desti- tute condition, and the safety of the British territory threatened by the alliance of Tippoo Sultan with the French. Having strengthened the army, he marched in October into the ter- ritory of the nizam, and forced him to disband his French subsidiary troops; and in Febru- ary, 1799, he sent Gen. Harris into the terri- tory of Mysore from Madras, with an army of 30,000 men, which defeated that of Tippoo at Malaveli, and stormed Seringapatam (May 4). Tippoo was killed in the assault, his territories were divided, and Lord Wellesley's brother, Col. Arthur Wellesley (afterward duke of Wel- lington), was made governor of Mysore. The governor general was made, on Dec. 2, 1799, Marquis Wellesley in the peerage of Ireland. He now directed his efforts to developing the