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. 1 
1 6th .—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 
1 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. 
