456 
COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 
* trated 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. Panie (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. The 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 4th 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 Alcmbne led to reprisals, and 
Admiral Ferrier-Despointes 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 
1878 a serious revolt of the natives occurred, and many 
colonists were massacred and plantations destroyed. In 
its suppression over 1000 Kanakas were killed and great 
numbers sentenced to penal servitude. 
