FALKLAND ISLANDS. 



305 



Between the years 1700 and 1708 many 

 French ships from St. Maloes, sailed in the 

 South Seas. By some of them these islands 

 were discovered, and the French name of Ma- 

 louines was attached to them, which name the 

 Spaniards have adopted. 



The French claimed the honour of having 

 made the original discovery; but Frezier, a 

 French author, whose relation of a voyage to 

 the South Sea was published at Paris, in 1716, 

 admits that " Ces isles sont sans doute les 

 memes que celles que le chevalier Richard 

 Hawkins decouvrit en 1593 and his admis- 

 sion has been adopted by Malte Brun, his 

 countryman, the inimitable geographer of mo- 

 dern times. 



There is not, on the part of Spain, the slightest 

 pretence of having made the original discovery 

 of these islands. Spain, indeed, does not pre- 

 tend to have made it ; but has adopted even 

 the French name. 



In the year 1764 a squadron was ordered to 

 the South Seas, by the King of Great Britain, 

 George III., which squadron was placed under 

 the command of Commodore the Honourable 



