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208 T H E A T L AN T IC . [c h a p . IV.
proprietor or lessee are nearly wild; and the skill
sliOAA'n by the Buenos-Ayreau Guacbos in hunting’
them down and capturing them with the bolas is
very remarkable; tlie Scottish shepherds, many of
Avliom have settled in the islands of late years, are,
however, rapidly becoming as expert as tbeir less
civilized predecessors. A AA'ild dog was common on
both islands some years ago, but on the east island it
is noAv nearly exterminated.
On the day of our arrival, Captain Thomson and I
paid our respects to the go\-ernor. Colonel D’Arcy,
aud Ave found him greatly interested in our visit
OAA'ing to a report Avhich had reached Stanley that
some seams of graphite and Avorkable beds of coal
had heen fonnd at Port Sussex on the other side of
the island. Although from the little I had seen
and read of the geology of the islands, and still more
from the ajipearance of tbe specimens shown me by
Colonel D’Arcy, I felt pretty Avell assured that tbe
quest Avould be fruitless, to satisfy the Governor
and the agent of the Palkland Islands Company I
asked Mr. Moseley, who Avas glad of the opportunity
of seeing more of the country, to ride across and
ascertain the true state of affairs. His observations
justified onr previous opinion. The whole of the east
island, and probably the greater part of the Avest
island also, consists of sedimentary rocks of palaeozoic
age; in tbe low grounds, clay-slate and soft sandstone,
and on the ridges hardened sandstone passing
into the conspicuous white qnartzites. The beds of
so-called coal Avere simply very bituminous beds
among the clay-slates, sometimes becoming a sort of
culm, AA'hich might possibly answer to mix with
CHAP. IV.] TH E VOYAGE HOME.
coal and burn in a smithy fire, like the hitnminons
slates in the Bala series of Tyrone and Dumfriesshire,
hut Avhich could never be worked with advantage.
The graphite Avas only the blackest samples of the
same material.
Mr. Moseley brought back a fine lot of fossils from
the sandstone, the beds and their contents having
very much the appearance of the ferruginous sandstones
of May Hill or Girvan. The species of Orthis,
Atrypa, and Spirifer are different; and as there are
no graptolites in the schists it is probable that the
AA'hole series belongs to a someAvhat later period,
possibly the base of the Devonians. But if Mr.
Moseley did not find coal, he brought home slung at
his saddle-bow what Avas of much greater interest to
-Qs_the skull and a great part of the skeleton of a
rare little whale helonging to the genns Xiphius.
The Palkland Islands consist of the older palmozoic
rocks, loAver Devonian or upper Silurian, slightly
metamorphosed and a good deal crumpled and
distorted. It is entirely contrary to onr experience
that coal of any value should he fonnd in such beds.
Galena may occur in the qnartzites, hut probably in
no great quantity; and there is no positive reason
why gold may not he fonnd, although the beds have
scarcely the character of auriferous quartz.
On onr second visit to the toAvn onr eyes were
refreshed hy the vision of a Bishop ; not a bishop
blunt of speech and careless of externals, as so
hard-working a missionary among the Pnegians and
Pataffoniaiis might Avell afford to he, hnt a bishop O 'rt . • T gracious in manner and perfect in attire, Avho
AA'ould have seemed more in harmony Avith his
VOL. II. P
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