split a little to the southward of the Skelligs and goes through the passages between them and the mainland to the northward in a curl. The approach of the Bay of Ballinskelligs near Bolus Head seems to be the line of separation of flood stream, which goes from thence to the southward by Scariff Island and through the passages amongst the islands between it and Lambs Head. The tide streams amongst the Skelligs appear to have a tendency to set a vessel that might be becalmed clear of the rocks. The same remark applies to the headlands of the adjacent coast. There are many bold and interesting views about the Skelligs, which have been illustrated by the accomplished pencil of Lieut. H. G. Veitch, R.N. NEW CALEDONIA.-By Captain Tardy de Montravel, Commanding H.I.M.S. "Constantine." Translated from the Annales Maritimes et Coloniales. (Concluded from page 205.) Crafty, cruel, vindictive, cowardly, and mean in the presence of those whom he fears or from whom he desires to obtain some present, proud and rigorous towards his people, Koiundo represents the most exact type of the despot whom no curb will restrain. Absolute master of the lives and property of his subjects, he uses his power, I am assured, with the readiness and cruelty of a tiger, which makes them tremble even at his approach. Before our arrival at Nou-Mea, his despotism was felt as far as the settlement of Captain Padden. He went and stayed there with all his people; for when his caprice induces him to move from one point to another all are obliged to accompany him and to remain near him until it pleases him to say he has no further occasion for their services. It is easy to imagine the effect produced on this man by the formal announcement made to him by me to confine the exercise of his authority to certain limits. When I afterwards made him responsible for the misdeeds of his subjects he was like a tiger deprived of his teeth and claws; but he feared me, and in spite of those emotions of rage which he betrayed he was obliged to submit. Twice he attempted to defy me, but finding me always inflexible and meeting immediate punishment he was compelled to succumb, but he withdrew gradually from our establishment, followed by a great many of his tribe. These return to us when they want pipes and tobacco, and all, excepting the Chiefs, have come to us to work a few hours every day for food. What has been said of Koiundo applies literally to the Chiefs and tribe of Morare; their condition and our method of managing them is the same and with the same effect, and we have now no complaint of the behaviour of either. The territory occupied by the tribe of Gamba is considerable, varied and susceptible of all kinds of improvement, and it has a richness of soil and vegetation which is unequalled in the island. The high lands are remarkable for their variety and natural fertility, from that near the sea to the summit of the mountains nothing but rich vallies, magnificent forests, and smiling plains are to be seen; besides natural pastures, which constitute the riches of a colony, if the working of the mines that may be found there did not already promise an abundant source of prosperity. The peninsula is little wooded in comparison with the mainland, but nevertheless is sufficiently so to supply the wants of the establishments which may be founded there. Its indented shores present several fine bays, some of which are large enough to receive several ships, and will form, no doubt, hereafter so many small ports. The valleys and hills of which it is composed display the most beautiful pastures, and show the species of cultivation to which it is destined. The island Dubouzet is not less rich than the peninsula and presents the same variety of wood and pasture, divided into two parts by a narrow passage running across it, one end of which terminates at the sea, the other at the harbour. It seems to me to combine every favourable condition for the site of a town, or for an establishment of some kind or other on a large scale. Morare. The great bay of Morare, excepting the anchorage, offers the same advantages and the same elements of prosperity and colonization as that of Nou-Mea; it is even, perhaps, more favoured than the latter in regard to the richness of the soil and the beauty of its vallies, which are broader and deeper and watered by larger and more numerous streams. It may be considered as the principal centre of the coal mines, and hence destined to be the first point towards which capital and industry will resort. It is true that it is deficient of a good harbour, but that of France is so near the site of the coal, and the establishment of communication with it across the peninsula is so easy, that this defect will have little influence in the future of this part of the coast. Besides, as I have remarked elsewhere, nothing would be easier than to construct a harbour at the end of this bay by making a barrier to the sea on the line of rocks resting on Bureau Point, and extending about twelve hundred yards in a W.S.W. direction. Despointes Harbour, situated at the entrance of Morare Bay, on the peninsula itself, is on its part a port near enough to the working of the mines for ships to carry their cargo there with ease and safety. From Morare Bay to the S.E. point of the island the shore is as fertile as that of which we have spoken above; it is less indented and affords no other shelter than the Straits of Constantine, in which there is a perfectly sheltered harbour on the coast of Ouin Island. This latter island and the mainland which faces it are under the authority of the Chief of the Isle of Pines, and are, according to the natives, superior in fertility and richness of vegetation to all other portions of the sea coast. M. Senez, who has explored the strait and the neighbouring shores, was astonished at the rich vegetation he everywhere met with, and the number of plantations he found on Ouin Island. It may, therefore, be truly said that from the S.E. point to Laguere Harbour nature has been pleased in some way to heap together all her treasures, and to unite every desirable condition for the formation of a colony. So many advantages call for colonization on this part that I do not for a moment doubt that it will soon be the centre of the first agricultural and industrial establishment, and that the choice of the first founder will be attracted here for the capital of the new colony. As already observed, the middle of the island is occupied, between Bonde and the South, by several tribes; the most considerable of which would be, according to the accounts of the natives, that of Mere, which extends from Kanala to the South. The intercourse of these central tribes with those of the coast are pretty frequent, although they have nothing to exchange with each other. The former are said to be more populous and richer than the latter, which would seem to indicate an extraordinary fertility in the central vallies. I think they will become peopled soon after our settlement by a portion of the natives from the coast, who will here, as everywhere else, re tire before civilization; and yet we may hope, from what we know of the character of the Caledonians, that the number of the refractory will not be so high as might be apprehended if we had another population to deal with. From Port de France to Kanale the communications will be short and easy; the distance is not more than two days' march and is often gone over in less time by the natives, who, in order to go from one side of the island to the other, pursue a path tracked out by them between the two mountain chains. These two points, destined by the advantages of their position to become the principal centres of the colony, should be connected by an interior road, which would have the advantage of carrying civilization to the heart of the central community. I think that up to the present time the total number of the population of New Caledonia has been exaggerated. Judging as a person only acquainted with the North of the whole island, by the few tribes with which we had dealings, and adopting the erroneous opinion that the South of the island was more inhabited than the North, I was led to rate the population at fifty thousand souls. But after visiting the South, I am satisfied that the population there is much less than in the northern part, and I think, without being far wrong, I might reduce the number which I first gave by one-fifth. It was with much regret that I was unable to pursue the investigation of the western coast as far as its northern boundary. The intelligence, however, that I have been able to procure relative to this portion, vaguely and scantily given it is true, induces me to believe that it is far from equalling in richness the portion of the coast which we have explored. I have been assured that from Port St. Vincent to the N.W. point there did not exist one sheltered harbour, one secure anchorage; but one is so often misled by accounts from people who have an interest in concealing the truth that I place little confidence in them. Future Relations between New Caledonia and Australia. The relations between New Caledonia and Australia will certainly have two phases: one whilst our colony is tributary to her neighbour, and the other when each of them employing her own resources will enrich herself by reciprocal exchange, and then the advantage must rest with ours. In order clearly to understand these two periods of relationship, it is important to say a few words on New South Wales, on whose markets we must depend for provisional supplies during the infancy of our colony, until, in our turn, we shall be able to supply it with certain produce which it does not possess. I shall confine myself to considering New South Wales in the light of its usefulness to our colony at present, and of the advantages we shall have over it in the future, leaving aside secondary productions, which can only come in as accessories in our after relations. I shall speak here only of the works which now form the riches of Australia and which will hereafter form those of our colony,-that is to say, the raising of cattle and the variety of commerce to which it gives rise, the working of coal mines, and the exportation of sugars. The result of the official statistics, published in 1854, shows that the population of New South Wales had risen, 31st December, 1853, to 231,088 inhabitants, and that emigration during that year had reached the number of 13,767 individuals of both sexes. In these same documents we see that in 1853 this colony produced: 1,384,541 bushels of corn 20,308 tons of potatoes. 342 hundredweights of tobacco. 34,595 tons of hay. 57,491 gallons of wine. These productions are far, we may easily believe, from being sufficient for the consumption of the colony; we must look elsewhere then for a direct supply of corn and other commodities of first necessity which are imported into New South Wales. The true riches of this colony consist, as is indicated in its table of exportations, in the enormous number of its cattle which goes on increasing every year in a proportion of which the following comparative table will give some idea. There have been exported from the colony in this present year 907 horses; 6,425 head of horned cattle; 41,151 sheep. And besides this exportation the raising of cattle has produced a revenue of about £1,205,000 sterling. Within reach of a market so well provided, New Caledonia will draw thence for the present, the cattle necessary for her wants, and for the future the productive elements of an extensive industry. The pastures of our colony are fresher and richer than those of New Holland, cattle will therefore prosper more in the former than in the latter. Our wools will be of finer quality, and if the reduction of duties lately granted to the wools of Australia is applied to those of New Caledonia, it is manifest that France will in preference supply herself from her own colony. One of the first steps towards colonization will be the immediate introduction of cattle, necessary for consumption and for the prompt propagation of the best species. Great sacrifices should be made to this end, in order to liberate us as quickly as possible from a heavy tax and to enable us to supply ourselves should the day come when |