CHAP. IV.] THE VOYAGE HOME. 181 



most euphonious of them all, is the one still mostly in use by 

 their neighbors of South America. 



The islands are about a hundred in number, but only two of 

 them are of any size. They lie between the parallels of 51° 

 and 52° 45' S. and the meridians of 57° 20' and 61° 46' W. 

 The climate is very miserable, considering that the latitude cor- 

 responds with that of Middlesex ; for, though the thermometer 

 rarely falls in winter much below the freezing-j)oint, it rarely 

 rises in summer much above 18°*5 C. ; and fog and rain are so 

 constant, and sunshine so scarce, that wheat will not ripen, 

 barley and oats can scarcely be said to do so, and the common 

 English vegetables will not produce seed in the gardens. Still 

 the colony apj)ears to be very healthy, the inhabitants seem to 

 get thoroughly accustomed to their moist, chilly surroundings, 

 and the only " pale maidens " to be seen are the drooping deli- 

 cate flowers of Slsyrinchkon JiUfoUum^ which cover the camp 

 round Stanley in early spring, and have earned that pretty 

 sobriquet. Of late years the industry of the Falkland Islands 

 has been developing most rapidly. It has been found that the 

 pasture is even more suitable for sheep than for cattle ; and in 

 1872 the Falkland Islands Company alone had a flock of from 

 forty to flfty thousand of the best English breeds, a number 

 which has since greatly increased. The wool is said to be re- 

 markably fine in quality. In various parts of the islands the 

 cattle, although now nominally belonging to some proprietor 

 or lessee, are nearly wild ; and the skill shown by the Buenos- 

 Ayrean Guachos in hunting them down and capturing them 

 with the bolas is very remarkable. The Scottish shepherds, 

 many of whom have settled in the islands of late years, are, 

 however, ra23idly becoming as expert as their less civilized 

 predecessors. A wild dog was common on l)oth islands some 

 years ago, but on the east island it is now nearly exterminated. 



On the day of our arrival. Captain Thomson and I paid our 

 respects to the governor, Colonel D'Arcy, and we found him 



