456 COMPENDIUM OF GEOGKAPHY AND TRAVEL 



tratecl by bays and inlets, forming a number of excellent 

 harbours. New Caledonia is very mountainous, exhibit- 

 ing two parallel ranges which extend, roughly speaking, 

 throughout the length of the island, separated by a main 

 valley, but united in many places by secondary chains. 

 These mountains are rather uniform in height, but while 

 in the north they are continuous, in the southern part 

 they form more or less isolated masses springing from 

 level and marshy plains. An unnamed peak in the 

 north-east reaches the highest altitude (5570 feet), and 

 close to it is Mount St. Panic (5390 feet). In the 

 southern part of the island, about 25 miles north of 

 Noumea, Mount Humboldt rises to the height of 5360 

 feet. There are no active volcanoes, but there are 

 evidences of old volcanic action, and thermal springs 

 occur. Tlie only river of any importance is the Diahot, 

 which reaches the sea in Harcourt Bay at the northern 

 extremity of the island, and is navigable for 25 miles. 



Captain Cook discovered and named New Caledonia 

 on the 4tli September, 1774, but did little towards its 

 exploration. It was examined in detail by D'Entre- 

 casteaux in 1791, who lost here his able captain, Huon 

 Kermadec. In 1843 the French hoisted their flag, but 

 owing to the pressure of the British Government this 

 action was disavowed. A few years later the massacre 

 of the survey officers of the Alcmhic led to reprisals, and 

 Admiral Ferrier-Despomtes formally took possession of 

 the island in September, 1853. It was first used as a 

 penal settlement in 1864, and after the Franco-German 

 war large numbers of Communists were sent there. In 

 1878a serious revolt of the natives occurred, and many 

 colonists were massacred and plantations destroyed. In 

 its suppression over 1000 Kauakas were killed and great 

 numbers sentenced to penal servitude. 



