A Recollection of the Falkland Islands. 171 
Thave often thought of that saying of Dr. Johnson’s, “ He that complains 
of his fare in the Hebrides has improved his delicacy more than his manhood,” 
and felt that the same might be said of the Falklands. (Dr. Johnson may have 
been sarcastic here ; being ignorant of the context, I have no means of deciding. 
I can only say I do not employ his words in that sense.) From the nature of 
the country and the occupation of the people, one would expect to find life 
rather quiet, and monotonous, and it is so, undoubtedly. Each family is 
isolated, as it were, and the members are thrown upon their own resources for 
recreation and amusement, especially in the long winter evenings. The islanders 
are, however, rather fond of music, and of dancing, and most houses perhaps, 
can boast of a musical instrument of some sort—even if it is only a melodeon 
or flutina, as it is called there—and someone who can get music out of it. 
Given an instrument, and a player, and a few young people, then the problem 
of how best to spend a winter evening is one that solves itselfi—in the Falk- 
lands. And sometimes, too, towards the back end of the year, after the shear- 
ingis done, one of the stations may arrange to have a grand ball, and the people 
of other stations are invited from far and near, men, women and children. 
Accommodation is provided for everybody in the settlement, and there a 
pleasant time is spent by young and old. Having looked forward to the meet- 
ing for so long, andmade such preparations for it, they are naturally somewhat 
loth to break up, and so instead of one night’s merry-making, they sometimes 
have two ! 
Tue ISLANDS AS AN OuTPosT oF EMPIRE. 
15. The last point I would touch upon is the importance of these islands from 
a strategic point of view. They command the Straits of Megellan, and the trade 
routes to the West Coast of South America by way of Brazil and the River 
Plate, and are consequently of some value from the point of view of naval 
strategy. It was therefore proposed, somewhere about 1900, to establish a nava! 
base and coaling station near Port Stanley. A site was chosen on the opposite 
side of the harbour, and the work of excavation was actually in progress in 1902, 
the place being locally known as “‘ Klondyke.” I find, however, no reference to 
this workin Mr. Allardyce’s paper, though he mentions the local volunteer 
corps, and it may be that, with the concentration of the fleets in home waters, 
the scheme has been abandoned. If so, there are no doubt good reasons for it, 
and one of them may be the growing conviction that when next the British 
fleets try their strength, their base of operations will notlie within six thous- 
and miles of the Falklands. 
