THE TUSSAC GRASS 129 
the Governor (a Lieut, of Engineers) and some Sappers and 
Miners.' 
The purser went ashore after nightfall in search of fresh 
provisions. Eager to bring Hooker some new botanical 
specimens, he grappled in the dark with some wayside plant ; 
it turned out to be Shepherd's Purse ! ' To-morrow I shall do 
something better,' is the sanguine comment. 
Beef there was in plenty, and horse-flesh at need, for cattle 
and horses ran wild on the island, for hunting which the 
Governor offered the use of horses and dogs, and there 
were wild geese and ducks and rabits for the shooting ; 
but no flour was to be had, nor any green thing but some 
turnips. 
Lieutenant Moody appears to have been somewhat auto- 
cratic and not always wise as an administrator ; but with 
natural good sense. Hooker remained on good terms with him, 
and avoided being drawn into other people's disputes. Moody 
was greatly pleased with his report on the Tussock grass, the 
one product of the island with commercial possibilities in it, 
and sent it to England as a paper to be read before the Geo- 
graphical Society (November 1842). So that Sir William 
writes gaily of the interest in the Expedition, 
excited by some little matter which Col. Moody and I 
laid before the Geo. Soc. from our sons, relating to the 
Falkland Islands. You are considered (how correctly I 
won't say) the fortunate discoverer of the most wonderful 
Grass in the Falkland Islands, that is to make the fortune 
of all Highland or Irish Lairds who have bogs, for bogs — 
* pates ' [peats] they will have it, are the proper soil for 
the plant. And said Bogs for hundreds of miles, where 
nothing has yet grown, will be clothed with such luxuriant 
grass as all the cattle in the world cannot keep down. You 
have no idea of the quantity of letters I have from strangers 
in all quarters, from the South coast of Kent to John o' 
Groat's, and from the East of Fife to the West coast of 
Connaught, humbly begging me, the happy Father of so 
renowned a son, to give them but the tythe of a fibre 
