The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-02-04
The Falkland Islands.

Special correspondence of the journal.
PoRr STANLEY, East Falkland: Time
was, some generations ago, when these is
lands We're more talked about tha:l per
hapS any other portion of the earth sur
face. But since the Dutch French, Span
ish, >outh America and United States
governments have. one by one in turn,
resigned all claims to the archipelago,
which Great Britain how holds in peace
able possession the world has so far for
gotten The subject that to-day many 9th
erWiSe well-posted persons would be puz-
zled to ell you. al a moment notice, on
which side Of the Globe the Falklands are
located
The group. which includes more than
two hundred islands. lies about three
hundred miles due east from the Atlantic
entrance to the Straits OF Magellan. but in
order to reach them from the Straits or
from ttpe Horn way. one must voyage a
hundred miles further around the south
rIu extremity Of the outer islands. be
cause He one place of consequence in the
suchipclago-Po stanley he seat OF
colonial goVclnmont-lios on the eastern
shore ul HE central islands, There are
two large islands, named respectively East
Falkland and West Falkland former
20 miles long by 40 broad the latter about
% I % 4 ~
er by sound also named Falkland,
which varies in width from three to eigll-
teen miles. The other islands are of all
sizes, from sixteen miles long by eight or
ten miles wide, to mere dots in the ocean ::
and the entire group is remarkable for its
innumerable bays. harbors :snd inlets
East Falkland for example is so deeply
ndented by sound on each side as to al
most make two islands of it. the interven-
ing i>thmus being less than two miles
across
50 low and barren are the Falklanl>. re
semhling in color ''old ocean gray and
melancholy waste. that they are not visi-
bic AT a little distance. Approached from
the southwest the first to be seen of them
ere the snowy tops OF Il range OF hills
the highest in the archipelago, though
scarcely attaining two l4ouSanl fect-that
cross tie largest island Running close
10 ohe, We see no trees mr. shrubs. nor
even misunderstanding bat GRAY sand
and bloani>h grass. and feel :: sharp. cut
ting. constant Hnd-lrtrzc. like that cx-
reliruced in the North on clustering
March days only infinitely colder and
more 4uo~e- pnnlin4 and wlinklc-ploduc-
m9. Passengers WHO have been in these
pa,t- before fan to telling one another
.lualil4 aIlls about the Falkland winds
no41 af which may b.. taken with many
grains of allowance. A tall B1i1on. de
lrlmined moi to he ou-doIle. assert, that
he has actually seen sheep. whole Grovcs
Of thonG Kicked up bodily bv GENTLE
Falkland zephyr and transported 10 an
Other island: and hints that he re1rained
from telling more marvellous truths he
FdtlNt Nl Inc looks OF lIlCredlIlltN which
he tliscetli~ upon some Of oln faces. An
other Falklandcr resents with indignation
somebody 5 statement regarding the bar
renne>s AT the islands, and boastfullN de
Falr> Bat there is Il tree in Stanley, (the
only ON in he trchiprlago.) and IN apple
tret at tirtt which last year bore five ;p-
pies, each neatly as large as q Walnut
Ntahl9> lla1h"r is one ot the most conn
i'I,irl} int-lockeH in the world having
an opcl1iH- hardly GOO feet across.
ln 4ei lnt"U we must round Cape Penn
hl''ke-f nat. "fhl peninsula. whose out
iaNlh@ Nal'et-bal's lave wrecked many a
good SllIf, notwithstanding It's lofty light
h"u-t ~fcer past Wolf Rock. against
"Alrh 81 tUlloN> surf daslle> fifty feet in
the alF, and traverse Port Williams. Z,
long. marrow bay filled with tiny grass COW
cred islands. suddenly we turn to the
left between two sharp heatllands, and
steam through a straight and narrow ford
into he celebrated harbor. which is three
miles long by half a mile wide and has an
average depth of thirty feet. SO far the view
is not prcpossessing No trace of verdi
are is in sight and the main land. heaped