188 FALKLAND ISLANDS. [cHap. rx, 
with regret, for we were obliged to imagine their nature and pro- 
ductions, instead of standing, as we had hoped, on their summits. 
Besides the useless loss of time which an attempt to ascend the 
river any higher would have cost us, we had already been for 
some days on half allowance of bread. This, although really. 
enough for reasonable men, was, after a hard day’s march, rather 
scanty food: a light stomach and an easy digestion are good 
things to talk about, but very unpleasant in practice. 
- 5th.— Before sunrise we commenced our descent. We shot 
down the stream with great rapidity, generally at the rate of teu 
knots an hour. In this one day we effected what had cost us 
five-and-a-half hard days’ labour in ascending. On the 8th, we 
reached the Beagle after our twenty-one days’ expedition. Every 
one, excepting myself, had cause to be dissatisfied; but to me 
the ascent afforded a most interesting section of the great tertiary 
formation of Patagonia. 
On March 1st, 1838, and again on March 16th, 1834, the Beagle 
anchored in Berkeley Sound, in East Falkland Island. This archi- 
pelago 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 isa 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 ar- 
rived, 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 grey 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 
