THE 



PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS 



OF THE 



ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON; 



ABRIDGED, 



V. An Account of Falkland Islands. By IVm. Clayton, Esq., of his Majesty's 



Navy, p. 99. 



Falkland's Islands, or, as the Spaniards and French call them, the Maloine 

 Islands, are situated between the latitude of 52° 26' and 51° & s. and longitude 

 from London 56° to 6o° 30' w. They are very numerous, forming a mass of 

 broken high lands, or very low sedgy keys and sunken rocks. The largest is the 

 easternmost island, and on the eastern side the Spaniards had a settlement, which 

 the crown of Spain purchased of M. Bougainville, who, on his private account, 

 had formed a settlement in the year 1764, at the time that Commodore Byron 

 had first discovered Port Egmont. The next large island is of a very considerable 

 extent, and has many excellent harbours on it. Between these two runs Falk- 

 land's Sound, whicli is navigable through; but the south entrance is pretty full 

 of low sandy keys. Adjoinin to the 2d large island, to the westward, lies 

 Saunders's Island, on which the English settlement was made, a blockhouse 

 erected, several spots inclosed for gardens, and 3 storehouses, with 5 dwelling- 

 houses or huts, built at different times by the ships' crews who were stationed 

 there. The harbour of Port Egmont was formed by these islands, and another 

 high, barren, rocky island, named Kepple's Island, and some other lesser islands 

 to the N. E. and eastward, and was entirely land-locked, or inclosed by the land, 

 on every point; it was very spacious; the bottom was muddy and good holding 

 ground. From the hills through the bogs drained several runs of water ; and 

 as the landing places were good, and a natural small cove for boats to lie in safety 

 on the north side of Saunders' Island sheltered from the s, w, winds, it induced 

 Captain Macbride to begin the settlement on it. 



The larger islands are overspread with a short, tufty, round grass; a shrub 

 with a smell like rosemary; a shrub of the myrtle kind, which in March and 

 April blossoms; a white flower, of a faint violet smell; a small annual plant, of 

 the wormwood kind. Near the shore, wherever there is a sandy soil, a species 



VOL. XIV. B 



