Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-11-13

ably establish a naval and coaling 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 Ma
gellan. The distance between Cape Viz
gins, the last point we saw OF the South
American continent, and the Falklands Is
800 miles. or less than a days steam for one
of England's fast war vessels. The FAX
lands lie even nearer the track of the sail
ing ships about Cape Horn, so that these
great trade routes, over which hundreds
of millions of dollars worth of freight goes
every year. will be practically at the mercy
of England. Outside Punta Arenas. winch
IS midway through the Maseilans, there
is no chance of coaiing stations Tithin
100 miles OF Port Stanley. MonteEloeo Is
LOCO miles to the north, and the cape Oh
Good Hope $3.50 miles away to the north,
east. Punta Arenas belongs TO ChHe. ana
by the neutrality laws it could not furnish
coal except in peace, and even then IL Will
charge exorbitant prices. as It did IN the
case of the Oregon. The establishment %
a naval station here VIII bring a protest
from the Argentine Republic. 1t has Tor
years claimed the Falklands as a part OIL
its territory. so that altogether the pros-
pect for trouble, diplomatic and othetwise'
"a THE FaIkIands.
7 find the FaIklands interesting. They
are among the little known Islands OF the
itlantic. Travellers seldom visit them.
Their only connection with the outslae
world is by a German steamship line,
which is under a subsidy from the English
government to call once every three weeks
10 carry the mails. These ships come mere
on their way TO and from Hamburg anu
Inc west coast of South America, so that
the Falklander has a chance every SIX
weeks to go TO Europe via Montevidso,
N Es- cab fn this Parinr
via the Straits. Now and then a wha!er or
seal hunter comes to the islands, and oc-
casionally of late the English gunboats
have been visiting them in summer.
1t was in one of the kosmos. steamers
that l came from the Straits of Magellan 10
Port Stanley. We sailed one whole night
along the north coast of the Islands, Tor
they extend from east to west about 20
miles. There are 200 of them, consisting
tina they do not even make a dot on the
man. Some of the smaller islands are IN
habited only by penguins. there psing SO
ernor of the Falklands has been called the
king of the penguins.
The islands altogether have about two
chusetts. and East and West Falkland, the
TWO larger islands. are about five times as
big as Rhode Island. All of the larger
such immense size that twenty-seven men,
81 Is said. own the whole country. The
total population is about 1900, and over
1900 of these work in one way or another
tor these twenty-seyen men. The inhabit-
ants are nearly all S~cotchmen, and the
islands are a little slice OF Scotland In
the South Atlantic.
Sheep Farms.
The pasturage of the island comprises
2,225.oO acres. Upon them more thaa
~three-quarters of a million of the finest
sheep of the world are feeding, and from
them half a million dollars worth of WOO
is exported every years one company alone
has 10000 sheep, and the man who owns
less than 5000 sheep is considered a very
small farmer indeed.
outside of sheep raising there are nc
other industries. There are only fifty pigs
in the whole interior, and although The
grass is good for cattle there are but fen
in the Falklands Not enough wheat Is
only sign of agriculture is the little garder
of cabbases. potatoes and turnips which
shepherdo on the moors. at the capital
Port Stanley, and at the other small set
dement's scattered here and there.
The cold winds blow almost all day anC
every day. They sometimes blow. II /;
eaSi. the vegetables out OF the ground
They blow so hard that not n tree can live
and to-day there are not enough bushe!
here 10 furnish the switches for a countr,
Vegetable Cocktails.
The pasture. however, grows luxurantl,
and the sheep keep fat if the land is no
overstocked. They breed so fast that ten!
of thousands are killed and thrown into TIL
sea every year, their skins only beln:
saved. There is a curious grass here which
acts as a tonic as well as q food for tn
animals eating il. 1t is 10 sheep and cat
tie a sort of vegetable cocktail. 1t is calle'
r. has a stalk from four to six feet higl
and its blades are about seven feet long
THE pIanfs grow in punches close together
as many as 80 roots springing from on
plaut. Animals eat the roots as We'll as IN
faaves and feeding upon them speedily he
come fat. Tn roots are even eaten b!
mon. and IL is said that two American
once lived for fourteen months upon then
on one of the smaller Islands. The root
decay in the old plants and raise the gras
upward. so that ii grows upon a cushion
of manure: as 1t were some OF tneSe cusn
nmeter. so that the grass springing iron
them makes them look in the distance Xix
"a grove of low palm trees; Ihls tnssocl
high water mark. IL is last disappearing
however, as the sheep are SO Iona oil IL ina
they eat II far down INTO the roofs.
Another curtcus plant grows IN Inc Dogs
This looks like a stone. 1t forms in bunche
AS hard as a rock and, from three 10 eigh
feet tall. II is so hard that you canhot Gu
n with a sharp knife. On hot days a PAL
yellow gum comes out on IT'S surfac" ana
TJch aromatic odor fills the. surroundin
air. II is known here as the baisam DOG.
A Dreary Land.
I, is always cloudy in the F~alklands. TIL
cir Is moist and the aspect of nature !
drcary in the extreme. Imagine a du!
lcaden sky hanging low ever reddisn brow
moors. out of which here and there 1ut tn
tagged teeth of white rock masses, ana 70
have a general Idea of the Falkland Is,
aud landscape. The islands are gently roll
ING. with here and there "A ragged hill; IN
land is as black as your hat. run OF pea,
and here and there streaked with htti
streams and spotted witt treacherous Dog
an which horses and men are sometime
-, Tba ground Is so soggy, in fact, tina