THE NEW HEBRIDES, which were discovered in 1606 by De Quiros, came into the stream of European expansion in the nineteenth century with the advent of the missionaries in 1839, the operations of the sandalwood traders, the acquisition of New Caledonia by France in 1853, and the desire of Australian interests to prevent their seizure by the French government. Rivalry led to a number of compromises-in 1878 Great Britain and France mutually agreed not to annex the islands, in 1887 they established a Joint Naval Commission for the purpose of protecting the lives and property of the inhabitants, and in 1904, following the failure of the commission to maintain order, a FrancoBritish commission met to discuss the whole situation. After prolonged discussion a convention was signed on October 20, 1906.' Ratifications were exchanged at London, January 9, 1907.