Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-30
OFF THE FALKLANDS.

OFF THE FALKLAyDs.
place Of consequence in the archipelago-Port
STANLEY, the seat OF colonial goyernment-lies
on the eastern shore OF the central islands.
There are two large islands. named respectively
East Falkland and West FaIkland-the former
ninety miles long by forty broad. the latter
about eighty by twenty-eigbt miles-separated
from one another by a sound, also named Falk-
land. which varies In width from three to
eighteen miles The other islands 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 innumera-
BILE bays harbors and inlets. East Falkland.
for example. Is so deeply indented by a sound
1t. the intervening isthmus being less than two
miles across
THE ISLANDS ARE Low AND BARREN.
So low and barren are the Falklands, resem-
bling in color "old oceans gray and melan-
choly waste" that they are not visible a, a
little distance. Approached from the south
west the first to be seen OF them are the snowy
tops of . range of hllls-the highest In the
archipelago, though scarcely attaining 1000
feet-that cross the largest Island. Running
close to the shore we see no trees nor shrubs
nor even underbrush. nothing but gray sand
and brownish grass. and feel a sharp, cutting.
constant land breeze. like that experienced in
the north on clustering March days only inf
nitely colder and more goose-pimpling and
in these parts before fall to telling one another
amazing yarns about the Falkland winds most
Of which may be taken with many grains of
allowance tall Briton, determined not to
be outdone, asserts that he has actually seen
sheep, whole droves of them, picked up bodily
by Q gentle Falkland zephyr and transported
to another island, and hats that he refraIned
from telling more marvellous truths because OF
the looks Of ineredulity which he discerns
upon some Of our faces. Another Falklander
reserts with INDIGNATION sOmebolv'a tat
nnert regarding the barrenness of the islands
and boastfulIy declares that there is a tree in
Stanley (the only one in the archipelago and
an apple tree at that. which last year bore five
apples. each nearly as large a walnut.
Stanley harbor is one of the most completely
land-locked in tho worli, having an opening
hardly 600 feet across.
TO GET INFO STANLEY HARBoR
To get into IL we must round Cape Penn
broke-a fat, arid peninsula whose outlaying
sandbars have wrecked many q good ship, not
withstanding its lofty light house; steer past
Wolf Rock, against which furious surf dashes
Fifty feet In the air, and traverse Port Williams
long, narrow bag filed with tiny grass-covered
islands Suddenly we turn TO the left, between
two sharp headlsnds, and steam through a
straight and narrow ford into the 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 pr possessing. Notrace of
verdure is in sight, and the mainland, heaped
with drift sand, LOOKS lifeless the deserts of
Peru In the foreground several ships
stuck fest on sand bars, dIsmantled and slowly
deeaying- Two or three English and German
vessels are tsking on wool, tallow and sheep
skins, the cargoes being brought alongside in
huge olf-fashioned freight hulks Crafts of
various sorts roat French, Argentine and
Chilean flags; but, search a. you may, no stars
and stripes can be seen, for Uncle SamueIs
banner Is almost unknown in this locality
few TENDERS fussing about, and the
little brig owned by the sheep farmers of the
various islands and used by them to bring
their produce to Stanley, whence il is shipped
10 Europe, is departing on its usual Grand
The southern side of the harbor is outlined by
range OF low hills, covered with peat and
brown grass, and in front Is Stanley seated on
another slope almost too low TO be called hill,
its grayish houses hardly discernible against a
background Of gray rocks and sand CnIor-
tuaately FOR cheerfGiness the most conspicuous
OBJECT In the landscape Is cemetery, dispro-
Portionately large compared to the little town,
lying directly opposite the landing and filed
with q forest OF black and white wooden
crosses This being a free por. we escape
many OF the tedious formalities that prevail in
otter places, and get ashore in what seems an
incredibly short time after our Spanish-Ame
can experiences
HOW THE Gown LOOKS.
The town. which contains about 100 inhabi-
tants, consists principally Of two macadamized
streets, each . mile long. running parallel with
the haroor. The houses are of wood, or I'M
dressed stone, mostly Of one story and none
more than two. all with roofs of galvanized
IRON The, batter residences front the water
and the narrow street behind them occupied
by seal fishers and their families dock hands
ireignters and others not TAR up the social
scale. Every house Of any pretentions has its
nttis Conservatory In front and green houses in
tne rear, because neither fruits, flowers nor
vegetables can be grown on: of doors here on
account Of eternal cold wind. Overhanging ali
are dense clouds Of smoke belehed from the
chimney. as peat and coal must be burned
every day IN the year to keep people passably
comfortable. The most conspicuous building
In Stanley 10 a very odd one, OF cut brown
stone, with q tall clock tower in the center and
wings on each side of it-one wing doing
outy as church, the other as n school house.
The hAndsomest private residence square
tvo-storied brick one-belongs to the director
OF the Falkland Islands Sheep Farming Com.
pany." the corporation which has given The