Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-22


the collie and other vigorous breeds.
The children are a joy to see, hght-hafr-
ed, blue-eyed and rosy-cheeked and healthy.
The comeliness of the little maids is not
lost with growth. But 1t has It's critics.
The Frenchman who was with me observed
with an eye of displeasure one section of
the worshipers who were pouring out of
the churches. Can you imagine he ask
ed. American girls spelling their looks by
such hats as those? Those young women
are handsome but what hatsr' glance at
the headgear convinced me vaguely that
something was wrong. "Dowdy" Is the
word. / think.
Though their taste in millinery may not
be Partisan. the Falkland women have an
admitted pre-eminence In the claim made
for them that they are without equals in
the saddle With horses trained to take the
peat boys and the chasmS at an easy canter
they laugh at 1.-THE hunt of old England
Port Stanley Is said to have a tree. An
English naval officer Is alleged to have used
1t as mark in his surveys of the har-
Dor. 1 did not see this tree, nor did any of
my companions, though some of them
walked several miles back in the country.
One of them said he found a furZe bush
and imagined himself In an English heath
err. Treeless wilds is what the natives call
their country. The alienation of outcrop-
pings of volcanic rock and brown moors
justifies the description. But there is grass
for sheep pastures. and these pastures
make the Falkland Islands what they are.
Everybody Well Off.
What they are is the group Of the East
and West Falklands and two or three hum
dred islets The population by the last CEN
sus was 1900. and an increase is not wanted
because it is assumed that no more wool
can be produced than is now raised and no
larger population than twenty-three hun
dred can be supported. The exports amount
to $500, 600 yearly, and the government in
10 for tohl 10 nf oh
tanned from the rental of crown sheep
lands. very slight export tax on WOOL an
import duty on liquors and tobacco, and
various local imposts. The per capita
wealth in circulation is $500, as against, Say
$50 in countries like the United States and
France. So everybody in the Fallxlands who
Is old enough to think knows that he is
well off by statistics as well as by his in
dividual sense of comfort.
There is no poor house and the ships are
not allowed to land immigrants who would
expect to find work and would be disap-
pointed. The artisan class is lacking. The
Falkland Islander orders his boots by par
cells post from London. along with every
thing eles which might give work to home
mechanics.
The first settlers We're chiefly Scotch
warmed by Irish intermixture which did
not take kindly to the desolate sheep rails
ing life. Later the settlers were English,
and that strain now predominates Most
of the leading families are related by blood
or by intermarriage. Port Stanley, which
is larger than Darwin is the seat of gov
eminent. The present governor, Mr. Gray
Wilson, who was formerly at St Helena,
is said to be more progressive than the
island community over which he exercises
authority.
Port Stanley has two newspapers which
are published Internationally. Both are
printed by a woman printer. The old es-
tabliShed Falkland Island Magazine is de-
voted to church matters. The current num-
a
by the archdeacon. some local news COM
ment and a variety of athletics, including
the scores at rifle matches, cricket match
es, game bag, foot ball and foot races.
It's selected article Is a reprint from an
English paper in Buenos Ayres Teprobating
Argentina for that country's persistent re-
fusal to recognize British seyereignty in the
Falklands. The Comet is more lively
Journal. 1t sells. for shilling. and sub
scribers do not pay In. advance. By its
own statement the growth Ia circulation
has been gratifying: mo. l. June. 1901, 242
No 3, April, 1902, 1853 copies" 1t is No 4,
May. 1903. that is before me and crcula-
ton figures cannot be given till the next
number. The Comet has good deal of
personal news, a ladies' column, a Lon
don letter and several contributed articles
of humorous character. 1t calls its staid
ecclesiastical contemporary The Squeaker.
but that is only in fun,
An Important Strategic Point.
In the summer season social life in Port
Stanley Is enlivened by the British war
ships. The place is to become a regular
coaling station. The coal depots or sheds
have been built and circular breakwater
ircloses them. Patriotic Falkland Islanders
hint quietly that the coal station is merely
the beginning, that the home government
at last has realized the strategic import
ance of the group and is going to act ac-
cordingly. This may be. The plans of the
admiralty have not been made public.
At one time the Falklands had import
ance as a whaling station, but that is of
the past. Antarctic polar expeditions some
times start from here. Sealers also make
it a headquarters. Half a dozen Cana
dian sealers are now in the port They
once belonged to the feet which was sent
out from British Columbia to the Alaskan
waters, but since the decline of the catch
up there they have come south and arc
doing well The seal rookeries in the
Falklands are only three and the number
of seals is limited, yet sometimes the
schooners bring in 1000 skins. The sealers
keep close mouths, but the islanders say
the catch is made in the almost unknown
waters of Patagonia. United States sealers
have as good & chance as the Canadians
If they enterprising enough to take it.
CHARLES NJ. PEPPER.