192 AT EAST FALKLAND ISLAND, [chap, ix. 



On March ist^ 1833, ^"^ again on March 16th, 1834, 

 the Beagle anchored in Berkeley Sound, in East Falkland 

 Island. This archipelago is situated in nearly the same 

 latitude with the mouth of the Strait of Magellan ; it covers 

 a space of one hundred and twenty by sixty geographical 

 miles, and is little more than half the size of Ireland. After 

 the possession of these miserable islands had been contested 

 by France, Spain, and England, they were left uninhabited. 

 The Government of Buenos Ayres then sold them to a private 

 individual, but likewise used them, as old Spain had done 

 before, for a penal settlement. England claimed her right, 

 and seized them. The Englishman who was left in charge 

 of the flag was consequently murdered. A British officer 

 was next sent, unsupported by any power : and when we 

 arrived, we found him in charge of a population, of which 

 rather more than half were runaway rebels and murderers. 



The theatre is worthy of the scenes acted on it. An 

 undulating land, with a desolate and wretched aspect, is 

 everywhere covered by a peaty soil and wiry grass, of one 

 monotonous brown colour. Here and there a peak or ridge 

 of gray quartz rock breaks through the smooth surface. 

 Every one has heard of the climate of these regions ; it may 

 be compared to that which is experienced at the height of 

 between one and two thousand feet on the mountains of 

 North Wales ; having, however, less sunshine and less frost, 

 but more wind and rain.* 



May 16th. — I will now describe a short excursion which I 

 made round a part of this island. In the morning I started 

 with six horses and two Gauchos : the latter were capital 

 men for the purpose, and well accustomed to living on their 

 own resources. The weather was very boisterous and cold, 

 with heavy hailstorms. We got on, however, pretty well, 

 but, except the geology, nothing could be less interesting 

 than our day's ride. The country is uniformly the same 

 undulating moorland ; the surface being covered by light 

 brown withered grass and a few very small shrubs, all 

 springing out of an elastic peaty soil. In the valleys here 

 and there might be seen a small flock of wild geese, and 

 everywhere the ground was so soft that the snipe were able 



* From accounts published sincp our voyage, and more especially from 

 several interesting letters from Captain Sulivan, R. N., employed on the survey, 

 it appears that we took an exaggerated view of the badness of the climate 

 of these islands. But when I reflect on the almost universal covering of peat, 

 and on the fact of wheat seldom ripening here, I can hardly believe that 

 the climate in summer is so fine and dry as it has lately been represented. 



