The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-09-24
Whaling Station on South Georgia.

/ prepared By the National Geographic go
/ cfety. Washington. D. CO
A falling OF in production from the
/ famous North sea fisheries that made
Great Britain largely a nation OF
mariners and so contributed to the
| building up Of the worlds greatest
navy. has set Englishmen to speculat-
! ing on the possibility of developing
another great fishing region about the
Falkland ISLANDS.
This island group and its dependen-
cies constitute Great Britain's south
ernmost possession. The Falklands
lie in the South Atlantic 300 miles of
the coast OF Argentina. They are
farther north than Cape Horn, oppo-
site the eastern entrance to the Strait
of Magellan Port Stanley, capital Of
the far southern colony. has south
ern latitude exactly the same as the
northern latitude Of London, but IL
has far different climate from that
of the British metropolis for no friend
ly, warm Gulf stream battles the Falk-
lands to rescue it from the natural
cold temperatures of its position
More TO the point, the Falklands
have both a latitude and a longitude
corresponding to that Of Newfound-
land in the northern hemisphere Be
tween the islands and South America
are banks where cool and warm ocean
currents come together as they do on
the Newfoundland banks. Such a
meeting of waters Of strikingly differ
elt temperatures furnishes an ideal
environment for fish life; and it is on
these banks westward from the Falk-
lands that certain far-seeing Britons
hope to build up fisheries that will
make good the waning fish supply
from the North sea
The difficulties in the way OF estab
fishing a second North sea or New
foundland banks fishery near the
Falklands are the long haul and ad-
verse climatic conditions for curing
fish Whale fishing has already
proved profitable in spite Of the is
lands remoteness, and il is believed
that canning or freezing will elm
AAokC NAC ONlCi 1A--A(4-N--
The Falkland group is composed Of
two large islands, East Falkland and
West Falkland. and about 100 smaller
islets- Altogether they cover an area
of about $500 miles. being thus about
the size of the Hawaiian group. East
Falkland is nearly as large as Porto
Rico. The area of West Falkland is
slightly less than that of the state
of Delaware.
Not Very Cold, but Cherries
Though the climate of the Falklands
is relatively mild-far warmer than
Newfoundland In corresponding lati-
tude-it is cherries On two days
out of three on an average rain falls
or ii is foggy. Though the thermOme-
ter never sinks very low. it never rises
very high; the annual mean is 43 de-
grees Fahrenheit The ground never
dries, a fact which prevents the use
of the large quantities of peat in the
islands, and has necessitated the
breeding of a hardy type Of sheep
whose hoofs will not become diseased.
The islands are treeless and largely
of rolling contour. with a backbone |
Of exposed rocky ranges On the |
moors. which resemble those of the |
Scottish West Highlands. coarse /
grass grows which has so far largely /
the economic activities OF 4
the Falklands. for it makes excellent |
grazing for sheep. Practically every 4
square foot OF the islands that is put +,
TO any use at all is used as sheep I
range. and there are now between
10000 and 100000 sheep in the col
ony. A hybrid type has been devel-
,ped that Is admirably adapted to con-
iitions. The wool has distinctive
especially a fine texture
which makes 1t particularly well fitted
or making hosiery and gloves
The concentration Of sheep on some
# the islands has greatly injured the
.rass and in late years it has been
Necessary TO reduce the fiocks. Lately
actories have appeared TO can NUT
on products. The ranching is done
Mostly by large companies who may
wn entire islands. AS many as 900
90 sheep are kept on single ranch
The shepherds who maintain this far
outhern live stock industry are most
= from the British Isles, largely from
scotland.
Little Overland Travel.
Because of the boys and the rough
ldges there Is little overland travel
! the Falklands. No roads exist. and
that little movement takes place on
and is by horseback or on foot. The
oasts are deeply indented and most
anch headquarters are on some ding