IX ARRIVAL AT FALKLAND ISLANDS 199 



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 a 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 like- 

 wise 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 undulat- 

 ing 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.^ 



i6th. — 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 hail-storms. 

 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 



^ From accounts published since our voyage, and more especially from several 

 interesting letters from Capt. 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. 



