Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-13
GIBRALTAR OF CAPE HORN
1mport,nce Of Britain's New Naval Station
on the Falkland Islands.
RIGHT ON THE TRACK OF COMMERCE
Where the Islands Are, what They
Are and How They Look-Fea-
lures of the Thriftiest Com.
munity I'm the World.

munity i'm the World.
Copyright, 1898, by Frank G. Carpenter.)
PORT STANLEY, Falkland Islands, Oct.
2. 1s9S.--(Special Correspondence OF The
Bee.)-I have come to the Falkland Islands
because they promise to be one OF the news
centers Of the world in the near future.
Their governor tells me that 1t is true that
Great Britain will probably establish a naval
and coaring station at Port Stanley. The
necessary surveys have been made and
within a few years at the farthest John
Bulls gunboats will command the passage
around Cape Horn and the entrance to the
Straits of Magellan. The distance between
Cane Virgins, the last point we saw of the
South American continent, and the Falklands
is 300 miles, or less than a days steam for
one of England's fast war vessels. The
Falklands lie even nearer the track OF the
sailing ships, about Cape Horn, so that these
great trade routes, over which hundreds Of
millions Of dollars worth Of freight goes
every year, will practically be at the mercy
OF England. Outside Punta Arenas. which
is midway through the Magellans. there is
no chance for coaling stations within a
thousand miles of Port Stanley. Montevideo
Is a thousand miles north, and the Cape OF
Good Hope 1880 miles away to the north
east. Punta Arenas belongs to Chilli, and
by the neutrality laws it could not furnish
coal except in peace, and even then 1t VIII
charge exorbitant prices. as 1t did In the
case OF the Oregon. The establishment OF
q naval station here will bring a protest
from the Argentine Republic. 1t has for
years claimed the Falklands as a part Of its
territory, so that altogether the prospect
for trouble, diplomatic and otherwise, is re-
freshing.
An Interesting Locality.
find the Falklands interesting. They
are among the little known islands OF the
Atlantic. Travellers seldom visit them.
Their only connection with the outside world
is by a German steamship line. which Is
under a subsidy from the English govern
ment to call once every three weeks to carry
the mails. These ships come here on their
way to and from Hamburg and the west
coast Of South America, 20 that the FalK-
lander has a chance every six weeks 10 &c
to Europe via Montevideo, and on alternate
six weeks to the Pacific via the straits. NOW
and then a whaler or seal hunter comes to
the islands and occasionally OF late the
English gunboats have been visiting them
in the summer
II was in one Of the Kosmos steamers that
I came from the Strait Of Magellan to Port
Stanley. We sailed one whole night along
the north coast OF the islands, for they ex-
tend from east to west about 2oo miles,
There are 200 of them, consisting OF two
large islands, and many SO small that they
do not even make a dot on the map. Some
Of the smaller islands are inhabited only by
penguins, there being so many OF THESE
curious birds that the governor OF the FAX
lands has been called the king OF the
penguins.
The islands altogether have about TWO
thirds as much land as the state OF Massa-
chusetts, and East and West Falkland the
two larger islands, are about hve times DE-
big as Rhode Island. All OF the larger
islands are covered with sheep farms, OF
such immense size that twenty-seven men,
IT Ia said, own the whole country. The totai
nonu,ation is about 1000. and over 1900 OF
these work in one way or another LOT THESE
twenty seven men. The inhabitahts are
nearly all scotchmen and the islands are a
little slice Of Scotland In the south Atlahtic
sheep Farms.
The pasturage OF the lsiahds co"pi,oe
.. 225. 900 acres. Upon them more tnai
three-quarters Of a million OF the nhee,
shsen in the world are feeding, and from
,hsu a half million dollars worth OF WOO
90 exported every year. One company alone
has 10000 sheep and the man who owns
les. than 25, 900 sheep Is considered q very
Ahall farmer indeed.
outside Of sheep raising there are ne
other Industries. There are only nifty pigs
An the whole territory, and although INT
urass is good for cattle, there are but rev
In the Falklands. Not enough wheat II
raised to make a Maryland biscuit, ana tnt
only sign Of agriculture Is the little garner
OF cabbages, potatoes and turnips wnici
YOU see back Of each Of the houses OF the
shepherds on the moors, at the capital
port Stanley, and at the other small set
Elements scattered here and there.
The Falklands are a very cave OF Aeoius
The cold winds blow almost all day ane
every day. They sometimes blow II u
said. the vegetables out OF the GROUND
They blow so hard that not a tree can i've
and today there are not enough bushes her'
70 furnish the switches for a country schooi
The pasture, however, grows luxuriant!
ana the sheep keep fat II the land Is moi
oyerstocked. They breed SO fast that tent
of thousands arc killed and thrown into th'
sea every year, their skins only being saved
There Is a curious grass here which acts al
a tonic as we'll as a food for the animals
eating II. 1t is to sheep and cattle a sor'
n, vegetable cocktail. 1t Is called tussocf
grass. 1t has a stalk from four to six Zee
long. The plants grow in punches clost
together, as many as $50 roots springins
from one plant. Animals eat the roots a.
we'll as the leaves. and, feeding upon them
speedily become fat. The roots are ever
eaten by men and 1t is said that two Ameri'
cans once lived for fourteen months uPot
them ON one of the smaller islands Inc
roots decay in the old plants and raise 'nt
grass upward, so that 1t grows upon .
cushion of manure, as II were some "
these cushions are six feet high ana h's
feet in diameter. SO that the grass springins
from them makes them look In the distahcs
like a grove Of low palm trees. This tussoef
grass grows along the coast even down t'
nigh water mark. 1t is fast disappearing
however. as the sheep are so fond OF II ina
tbev eat 1t far down into the roots.
Another curious plant grows In the Dogs
This looks like a stone. 1t forms IN puhche'
AS hard as a rock and from three to eigh'
feet tall. 1t is SO hard that you cannot Gu
n with a sharp knife. On hot days a pait
yellow gum comes out on its surface ana !
rich aromatic odor fills the surrounding ar
II is known here as the balsam bog.
A Dreary Land.