THE TUSSAC GKASS 129 



the Governor (a Lieut, of Engineers) and some Sappers and 

 Miners.' 



The purser went ashore after nightfall in search of fresh 

 provisions. Eager to bring Hooker some new botanical 

 specimens, he grappled in the dark with some wayside plant ; 

 it turned out to be Shepherd's Purse ! ' To-morrow I shall do 

 something better,' is the sanguine comment. 



Beef there was in plenty, and horse-flesh at need, for cattle 

 and horses ran wild on the island, for hunting which the 

 Governor offered the use of horses and dogs, and there 

 were wild geese and ducks and rabits for the shooting ; 

 but no flour was to be had, nor any green thing but some 

 turnips. 



Lieutenant Moody appears to have been somewhat auto- 

 cratic and not always wise as an administrator ; but with 

 natural good sense, Hooker remained on good terms with him, 

 and avoided being drawn into other people's disputes. Moody 

 was greatly pleased with his report on the Tussock grass, the 

 one product of the island with commercial possibilities in it, 

 and sent it to England as a paper to be read before the Geo- 

 graphical Society (November 1842). So that Sir William 

 writes gaily of the interest in the Expedition, 



excited by some little matter which Col. Moody and I 

 laid before the Geo. Soc. from our sons, relating to the 

 Falkland Islands. You are considered (how correctly I 

 won't say) the fortunate discoverer of the most wonderful 

 Grass in the Falkland Islands, that is to make the fortune 

 of all Highland or Irish Lairds who have bogs, for bogs 

 * pates ' [peats] they will have it, are the proper soil for 

 the plant. And said Bogs for hundreds of miles, where 

 nothing has yet grown, will be clothed with such luxuriant 

 grass as all the cattle in the world cannot keep down. You 

 have no idea of the quantity of letters I have from strangers 

 in all quarters, from the South coast of Kent to John o' 

 Groat's, and from the East of Fife to the West coast of 

 Connaught, humbly begging me, the happy Father of so 

 renowned a son, to give them but the tythe of a fibre 



