Rodrigues Island is a small volcanic island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mauritius, of which it is a territory. In 1691, French Huguenots landed on the island, intending to set up a farming colony. In 1809, British troops took possession of Rodrigues. In 1883, the eruption of the Indonesian volcano Krakatoa was heard at Rodrigues Island, the furthest point (at almost 4,800 km) at which the explosion was heard.