A Recollection of the Falkland Islands. 167 
ed with, and do not in fact know the eastern island at all outside of Port Stanley. 
CLIMATE. 
5. The climate is, of course, temperate, with a decided leaning towards the 
cold side. There is very little sunshine, not enough to ripen grain, though the 
ordinary English vegetables can be grown. There are very high winds too, 
especially in spring andsummer. Thesoutherly wind is the cold wind, and even 
at mid-summer a strong wind from this direction makes it bitterly cold. Still 
the hardy plants in the garden seem to grow somehow, and the no less hardy 
children seem to thrive. Nor need that seem strange to those of us who have 
not spent all our days in the tropics, for a vigorous climate is a good thing in 
more ways than one—* Where snow falls there is freedom.” 
GENERAL APPEARANCE. 
6. The general appearance of the islands is bleak; huge ridges of bare rock 
meet the eye everywhere, while the lower ground is mainly rolling plain covered 
with long wiry grass, yellow rather than green, and without a single tree, or any- 
thing higher than a gooseberry bush, anywhere. There are extensive peat 
bogs, too, and, indeed, without them the islands would not be habitable, as 
peat is the only fuel to be had. Still the existence of these bogs does not, 
T imagine, brighten up the face of the country. Two other peculiar features of 
the country are the “ stone runs,’ and the “ balsam bogs.”’ These stone runs are 
rivers of grey stone that have been laid bare on the hill sides by some process 
of Nature in past ages ; and at a distance they present rather a striking appear- 
ance, as of foaming rivers rushing down the sides of the hills. They are quite 
impassable on horse-back except where they narrow down, and you can get a 
firm footing between the stones, when you have to trust to your horse to 
“ dodge’’ them, and hope he won’t stumble and break his neck—and yous. The 
balsem bogs I have mentioned are round spongy growths to be found, scat- 
tered all over the ground, the larger ones perhaps stand about eighteen inches 
high and might be twice this in diameter. I may best describe their general 
appearance when I say that a native of this colony seeing them for the first 
time might imagine he saw before him abnormal specimens of bread fruit 
springing out of the ground, but wanting the stalk. These bogs, even more 
than the stone runs, are troublesome to the rider at times, especially in the 
dark, and it is surprising the way the horses keep clear of them. There are 
no rivers of any size, they are only mountain streams, passable on horeback, 
except when in flood. But the coast-line is very much indented. Bays and 
ereeks find their way far into the land, many of them forming excellent 
natural harbours. 
ANIMAL LIFE, 
7. There are no wild animals to speak of, but those who are fond of shooting 
may find what is called “ good sport ” among the geese and other wild fowl. 
The geese especially are very numerous, and eat up the best and finest of the 
grass, which is wanted for the sheep, and so they have to be kept in check. 
The farmers, consequently, pay 10s. a hundred for geese beaks, which is, ] have 
heard, sufficient to pay for the cartridges used, to say nothing of the fact that 
the birds are good to eat. Then there are various kinds of sea birds, and among 
