When Spanish-speaking people say that they are going to the New World, in 1867, one would assume they were going to one of the Spanish-speaking lands that made up the OVERWHELMING MAJORITY of said "New World." There were only one and a half English-speaking countries after all, and why would they not say the United States or Canada if that's what they meant? It would seem to be the equivalent of an American saying "I'm moving to Great Britain, so I'm learning Welsh!"