476 



FALKLAND, AURORA, AND SOUTH GEORGIA ISLANDS. 



danger in the proper season, and is commonly preferred to the winding and difficult channel of 

 Magellan. East of King Charles Southland is Staafen Land, another large island, separated 

 from the former by the Straits of Lemaire. 



7. Falkland Islands. This group, called Malouines by the French, consists of 2 large 

 islands, and about 90 smaller ones. The surface of the 2 larger islands, which are separated by 

 a strait about 6 miles wide, is about 3,400 square miles. The mountains reach the height of 

 2,000 feet ; but there are extensive plains hardly containing a hill. The coasts are much in- 

 dented and contain numerous excellent harbors, among which are Berkele)'- Sound on West 

 Falkland, and Port F.gmont on East Falkland, or Soledad, both deep, capacious, and secure. 

 The climate does not dilfer much from that of the British Islands ; the range of the thermome- 

 ter in winter being from 2G^ to 50^ in the winter, and from 50^ to 75° in summer ; snow sel- 

 dom lies long, and ice rarely forms more than an inch thick. Fogs are frequent, especially in 

 autumn and spring. There are no trees on the islands, but peat and bushes supply fuel. Foxes, 



Sea Liun. Killing Seals. 



having a coarse fur, abound. Seals crowd the shores, and the whale is taken in the neighbor- 

 ing seas. Clouds of wild geese and ducks are met with, and the flocks of gulls and penguins are 

 valuable on account of their eggs. The domestic animals that have been left here by Europeans 

 thrive well, and large herds of wild cattle, hogs, and horses are now found on the islands. The 

 soil is good, and wheat, flax, potatoes, cabbages, &c., have been found to succeed. These 

 islands were discovered by Hawkins, an English navigator, in 1594, and in 1766 the English 

 formed a settlement in Port Egniont, but they were soon after expelled by the Spaniards. 

 The islands were then neglected for a long time ; but the recent extension of the southern seal 

 and whale fisheries, and the opening of the trade to the whole western coast of America, and 

 the South Sea islands, have of late given them a new importance, and in 1817, a settlement 

 was again made by the English at Port Egmont. 



S. Aurora Islands. xVtjout 200 leagues east of the Falkland Islands are the Aurora Islands, 

 in lat. 53° S., long. 44- 20 W., a group of G small islands, discovered in 1759, but since lost 

 sight of and searched for in vain, so that they had been expunged from the maps, until they 

 were rediscovered by the American Captain Burrows, in 1S3S. 



9. South Georgia. In this department may be reckoned South Georgia, an island of con- 

 siderable size, lying to the S. E. of the Aurora Islands, in 36° W. longitude, and in 54 S. 

 latitude. This island was first discovered by La Roche, a French navigator, in 1675 ; it was 

 visited by the Spaniards in 1756, and explored by Captain Cook, in 1771. It may be termed a 

 land of ice, presenting rocks and mountains of that substance ; while the vales, destitute of 

 trees or shrubs, are clothed in perpetual snow, the only vegetables being a coarse species of 



descending perpendicularly, destroy everytliina' ninvable. and over they heel before its rnae ; the cable becomes 



The surface of the water, when struck by one of these strained, and checks the ship with a jerk that causes her 



gusts, is so agitated as to be covered with foam, wliich is to start ahead through the water, until again stopped by 



t^iken up by them, and Hies before their fury until dispers- the cable, or driven astern by another gust of wind. At 



ed in vapor. Ships at anchor under high lands are some- all tliese anchorages under high lands, there are some 



times thrown over on I heir beam ends, and the next mo- parts more exposed than others. In many parts of the 



ment recover their equilibrium as if notliing had occurred, country, trees are torn up by the roots, or rent asunder by 



Affain, a squall strikes them perhaps on the other side, the wind," 



