Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-17
THE FORL0RN FALKLANDS.
ISLAND LIFE AT THE OTHER END
OF THE HEMISPHERE

Sea Bree.es ard Plenty of Ther,-Cripplcd
ships Lying AIoas shore-A Peat Slide.
Fortunes in aIasson-Loss ChIIdrea-A
Mystery.
Here Is the place for Eew Workers who
dread hot summer sun sad days without
breeze They csn save the trouble OF bring
ing their summer clothing and laying away
Sne and heavy wraps, Here are SEA breezes
and plenty of them, for it IS the exception
when Wild gale Of wind is nok blowing.
These islands comprise about 5000 square
miles, with coast linz continuously broken
and having enough 6ns hsrboEs 20 supply tie
whole of the west coast OF South A1ser.ca
and then have plenty less over
One large bay IS called the Bay Of Harbors
Stanley barbor Is aptly described IN tie
South Atlantic Pilot as "a natural dock" Is
is about three miles long and short hs4
mile broad, With heavy mud bottom, in
which any anchor VIII held; mud 50 heavy
that ships that hays an anchor down long in
one place run great danger o. hreak king thei,
capstans when getting under way TIE
barber opens into Port Wlhaza sound, =
body Of water five miles losis and one wide
itself splendid snchorassl. by a narrow
pass csbls's length wide
LOST, sTaAYKp APFEARsxcE
When the pass is entered nothing Is 20 be
seen except perhaps few stray ssccp ON the
barren hiilsides. No. til a vessel is in ths
harbor does tie lttls town OF two or three
hundred inhabitants become visible up the
harbor. II has lost. strayed appearance
from the want Of any outlying farm houses
- ind
of thirty or forty wooden buildings, q few
cottages or villas an6 scnsc s;o-ehouscs, aid
out in the stream lie hah a DOM square
-igged ships. schooners, pilot boats and
smaller craft An English gunbeat lies slcd
up at wharf and another At anchor. Hnlks
lie along the shore and are piled with lumber
and coal, while closer inspection of the ship
ping shows many to be lame oacks' that
have been crippled in trying to round the
tempestuous Horn, which still keeps up its
terrible reputation One Of the lame ducks
is the Great Britain, an Immense iron ship,
having 5000 tons OF coal aboard, recently
condemned and the cargo sold at auction to
the Falkland Islands company.
A more interesting oh jecs 70 the American
Is the hulk of the Snow Squat, now lying OF
shore and used as "a storehouse for lumber.
She was the only sailing vessel that ever ran
away from the Alabama, and a clean pair Of
heels she showed tho southerner that day.
The Alabama was sighted about III o'clock in
the morning carrying English colo-s, and On
a closer view the Yankee captain did not ike
her looks: 50 be made sail and the Alabama's
= coal passers Piled their shovels In vain, FOR
the fine lines Of tic American let her 20
through the water so fat that by O'Clock
the Alabama was otit Of sight Under her
bowsprit and coiling down her cGtwater vns
the green dragon, her figure head, and that
our captain removed and viii bring hons 10
the land Of the vessels birth.
sPIKIyG DOWN THE HousEa
There is not tree CT any kind In sight,
and, what is more. there is not "A tree on all
the islands They will not grow here, it b
said, but the truth is they would DO so II tho
bowling gales would give ths@- tssE~~ IL
Is all the people can do 10 spike down their
houses and keep them from departing for the
Cape of Good Hope or Cape Horn. Having
managed 20 keep them from blowing away,
imagine their disgust when the peat aipIs-d
down the inside, carrying houses I'D pig
sites along, like toys on n rug, and com
pletely running the pretty little church,
where the colonial chaplain prayed "fOr al
those in authority" with such fervur drfring
a Conservative ministry. The z-esn hillside
on which the town stands is BOW dixhpured
by long black streak down It's side. reach
ing nearly 10 the sea, and the houses on and
near the slip have enough peat cut and dry
ing TO last them for years
All the country. save n sheep ranch which
has a name Of its own, is called the Camp
from the Spanish campo, field or pisin, and
In this region it is mostly bog. The gTs~
grows In heavy tufts, and the Islands ara
admirably adapted 10 sheep grazing. Here
sheep have no enemies To contend with save
man and the refrigerator steamships. They
Increase St adiiy and thrive apaoe, and sew
eral Enslishmen have rasde largo fortunes
out Of them Splendid mutton tiaey are.
too; next TO the verItablc Southdown. the
finest in the world
But the Camp Is not good place FOR man
or child 20 pos tho night in. A number %
children have strxyed away frcm hons.
never TO be seen again. What could becoms
Of them il a. yet q nystery, for thu bog Is Sd
shallow and close o. tie rock that IL sserns
impossible that they could be cpmpieialy
mired out Of eight in a few hours, while the
whole town and tho crews Of nsn Of war
and vessels IN the barber are searching thor
oughly every foo. Of groutd Tint ehili
could possibly have travelled IA the tine
elapsed In the little graveyard on tbs
hillside. the fr,s thing OF civilization,
by the WAY, that vesssi pEs%es cogo-
ing IN, are several toszAstoass with
inscriptions declaring .hEt 30 a9d -,
an officer in her E1a;asty,s nrsfce. or n
some ether service, lost hks wy ca she Camp
while hunting ard was found dssd the naxt
morning In all kinds Of wta.ass, fair and
foul, strong men havs lain Gown te sleep.
wearicd WITH walking, and never sxaksnsd
Sornstiraes their well filed Easlrs were IN
touched, sometimes try ~rrs erFsv; thsir
owners were dead from sxpnsuraL A thsory
suggested, but n.eitser proved nor dsyrroysd,
Is that the victims become s-sphyE-a.sd BIZ sa
exhalstion Of carboase ne4d gss from ia
peGt--Cor. Nsw York Tri5uoA