246 FALKLAND ISLANDS. 



which time both have greatly increased. It is a 

 curious fact that the hoi'ses have never left the 

 eastern end of the island, although there is no nat- 

 ural boundary to prevent them from roaming, and 

 that part of the island is not more tempting than 

 the rest. The Gauchos whom I asked, though as- 

 serting this to be the case, were unable to account 

 for it, except from the strong attachment which 

 horses have to any locality to which they are accus- 

 tomed. Considering that the island does not ap- 

 pear fully stocked, and that there are no beasts of 

 prey, I was particularly curious to know what has 

 checked their originally rapid increase. That in 

 a limited island some check would sooner or later 

 supei-vene, is inevitable ; but why has the increase 

 of the horse been checked sooner than that of the 

 cattle 1 Capt. Sulivan has taken much pains for 

 me in this inquiry. The Gauchos employed here 

 attribute it chiefly to the stallions constantly roam- 

 ing from place to place, and compelling the mares 

 to accompany them, whether or not the young foals 

 are able to fdllow. One Gaucho told Capt. Suli- 

 van that he had watched a stallion for a whole hour, 

 violently kicking and biting a mare till he forced 

 her to leave her foal to its fate. Capt. Sulivan can 

 60 far corroborate this curious account, that he has 

 several times found young foals dead, whereas he 

 has never found a dead calf Moreover, the dead 

 bodies of full-grown horses are more frequently 

 found, as if more subject to disease or accidents 

 than those of the cattle. From the softness of the 

 ground their hoofs often grow irregularly to a 

 great length, and this causes lameness. The pre- 

 dominant colours are roan and iron-grey. All the 

 horses bred here, both tame and wild, are rather 

 small-sized, though generally in good condition ; 

 and they have lost so much strength that they are 



