THE WESTERN PACIFIC ARCS First Arc.—The first arc comprises the Louisiade islands, New Caledonia, the Loyalty islands and Norfolk island.
The Louisiade Group form a chain extending south-eastward from the easternmost promontory of New Guinea (q.v.) and are included in the Australian territory of Papua (British New Guinea). The islands number over 8o and are interspersed with reefs. They are rich in tropical forest products and gold is ob tained on the chief island Tagula or South-east island (area 38o sq.m.) and on Misima or St. Aignan. The natives are Papuans. The islands were probably observed by Torres in 1606 but were named by de Bougainville in 1768 after Louis XV.
New Caledonia, a dependency of France, is situated between 2o° I' and 22° 26' S., and 164° and 167° 4o' E. Area 6,296 sq.m.; for the islands in the immediate vicinity add 73 sq.m. ; while for the dependent islands such as the Loyalty islands, etc., add a fur ther 917 sq.m. Pop. (1926) 51,368, of whom 26,915 were Mela nesians and Polynesians, 3,610 introduced labourers from Java and Annam and 2,310 convicts. The total white population, was 17,015. The centres of population are Noumea, pop. (1925) 27, 016, the capital; Bourail, La Foa, Moindu, St. Louis and St. Vincent.
New Caledonia is about 2 20 miles long with an average breadth of 25-30 m., and lies north-west and south-east. An almost unbroken barrier reef skirts the west shore at about 5 m. distance, enclosing a navigable channel; on the east, which is more abrupt and precipitous, it is much interrupted. To the north the reefs continue, marking the former extension of the land, for about 160 m., ending with the Huon isles. The Isle of Pines, area 58 sq.m., pop. about 600, so called from its araucarias (its native name is Kunie), geologically a continuation of New Caledonia, lies 3o m. from its south-east extremity. It formerly abounded in sandalwood, and consists of a central plateau surrounded by a belt of cultivation. At the two extremities of New Caledonia, parallel longitudinal ranges of mountains enclose valleys; for the rest the island consists essentially of confused masses and ranges of moun tains, rising to an extreme elevation of 5,387 ft., the plains being
chiefly the deltas of rivers. The landscape is rich and beautiful, varied with grand rock scenery, the coast-line being broken by numerous small bays, into which flow streams rarely navigable even for short distances, but of ten skilfully used by the natives for irrigation; and sometimes flowing in subterranean channels. The large rivers in the wet season form impassable morasses, especially in the south-east, where the mountains rise in isolated masses from the plains.
The climate of New Caledonia is cooler and healthier than that of the New Hebrides; and its flora and fauna differs considerably, especially, as regards the flora, on the western side, where there is a marked intrusion of Australasian types as against the Polyne sian types on the eastern side. The fauna is less different—though there is one very remarkable bird, occurring nowhere else, the wingless Kagu (Rhinochetus jubatus) ; deer, though undoubtedly an introduced species, are very abundant.
But perhaps the most remarkable natural feature of the island is the abundance and variety of its minerals; cobalt, nickel (with out arsenic) iron and manganese abound, and many others, includ ing gold, are known to exist in varying quantities.
The natives are Melanesians but of mixed blood, including some Polynesian elements.
The island was discovered by Capt. Cook in 1774. He touched at the haven of Balade (the original name of the island) as did d'Entrecasteaux in 1793. The natives were later exploited by traders in sandalwood. French missionaries arrived in After an incident with the natives in 1851 the island was annexed by France in 1853 although there were further difficulties with a British counter-claim. Noumea was founded in 1854 when it was called Port de France. In 186o New Caledonia became a colony distinct from the French possessions in the Pacific at large, and In 1864 the first penal settlement was made on Nou island, off Noumea.