Show t I II I A n J Ju u Whaling Station on South Georgia Prepared by the National Geographic clety Washington D D. C C. A falling faIlIng off ocr In production from the famous Camous North sea ea fisheries that made Great Britain largely a nation of mariners and so contrIbuted to time the I buildIng up of the worlds world's greatest navy has set Englishmen to speculatIng Ing on the possibility of developing another great fishing region about the Falkland Islands This Island group and Its dependencies des cies constitute Great Britain's southernmost southernmost south south- possession Time The Falklands lie In the South Atlantic mlles miles off ocr the coast of Argentina They are farther north than Cape Dorn orn opposite opposite I site the eastern entrance to the Strait I of at Magellan Port Fort Stanley capital of the far southern colony has a southern south south- I ern latitude exactly the same as time the northern latitude of London but It has a far different climate from that of the British metropolis for no friendly friend friend- ly warm Gulf Gult stream bathes the Falklands Falklands Falk 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 ot of Newfoundland Newfound Newfound- land In the northern hemisphere Between Between Be- Be I 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 f strikingly differ differ- e et t temperatures furnishes fan ide Idl it environment for fish life and It Is do n these banks westward from the Falklands Falklands Falk Falk- lands that certain seeIng far Britons hope to build up fisheries that will mal make e good the waning fish supply from time the North sea t f The difficulties In the way of establishIng lishIng a second North sea seat or 01 Newfoundland Newfoundland New New- banks fishery fisher near the Falklands are the long haul and adne adverse ad- ad verse ne climatic conditions for curing fish n h. h Whale fishing has already proved profitable In spite ot of the Islands Islands' islands islands' Is- Is lands lands' remoteness and It Is believed that canning or freezing will cUm elim- eliminate the other difficulty Time The Falkland group is composed of two large islands East Enst Falkland d and West Falkland and about smaller islets Altogether they cover an area ot of about mlles miles being thus about the size of at the HawaIIan group East Falkland Is nearly as large as Porto RIco The area ot of West Falkland Is slightly less than that of the state of Delaware Not Very Cold but Cheerless Though the thc climate ot of the Falklands Is relatively far mild warmer than Newfoundland In a corresponding lati- lati tude-It tude Is s cheerless On two days out of three on an average rain falls or It Is foggy Though the thermometer ter never ne sinks vel very low it never rIses very Ery high hl h the annual mean Is 43 degrees de- de deI I grees es Fahrenheit The ground never j dries a fact which prevents the use of the large quantities of peat In the islands and has necessitated the breeding or of a hardy type of sheep who whose e hoots hoofs w not become diseased The Islands are tree treeless ss and largely of rolling roiling contour with a backbone of exposed rocky ranges On the moors which those or of the Scottish West Vest HIghlands a coarse grass grows which has so far largely determined the economIc activities or of orthe time the Falklands It makes excellent grazing for tor sheep Practically eve every square foot of the Islands that Is put putto putto to any use at all I to used as sheep sheen range and there are now between betwee and sheep In time the col- col any ony A h hybrid brid tn type e has been developed el devel- that Is admirably adapted to con con- The wool bus hus distinctive properties especially a fine texture whIch makes It particularly well fitted for makIng hosiery and gloves Time The concentration of sheep on some ot of the Islands has greatly Injured time the grass and In late years It has hus been necessary to reduce time the flocks Lately factories hare appeared to can mutton mut- mut ton products The ranching Is done mostly by large companies who may own entire Islands As many as sheep are kept on a single ranch The shepherds who maintaIn thIs far southern live stock Industry are mostly mostly most most- ly from the British Isles largely from Scotland Little Overland Travel Because of the bogs and the rough ridges there Is little overland o travel In the Falklands No roads exist and what little movement takes place on onland onland land Is by horseback or on foot Time The coasts are deeply Indented and ranch headquarters headquarter are on some tin tini i I harbor Mall Mail and supplies are distributed dis- dis by water despite the prevalence prevalence alence ot of rough weather Port Stanley capital of at the Falklands Falk Falk- la lands ds and Its dependencies has a population of about oo people a thIrd of time the entIre populatIon of the Falkl Falk Falk- l lands Time The harbor Is excellent being practically locked landlocked and flanked by hIgh rock ridges whIch screen Its waters from the wInds SItuated as asIt asit It Is near Cape Horn this harbor has bas long been a refuge for shIps battered by rough seas In their trips around South America Even en now scarcely a month passes that some vessel ressel mInus a mast or otherwise crippled does not limp Into Port Stanley Because of this strategic position the little town hiss has built up a considerable Industry Few BrItish colonIes are as Isolated ns as the Falklands Save for tor straggling shIps or whalers time the Islands have contact contact con con- tact with the outsIde World only once each month through mall mail steamers plying between Great Grent Britain and the coast ot of Chile DurIng the World war this Isolation was broken by unwelcome un- un welcome visits from German war ves- ves sels Numerous shIps operating ing from the Falklands were sent to the bottom and In December 1914 1014 a aGerman aerman German erman squadron fresh from having defeated the British In the Battle of off ocr the Chilean coast tip tip- with time the Idea of seizing th them m. m nut But a Strong British naval force was a In Port Stanley harbor and In the ensuing battle of the Falklands Falk Falk- lands nil all but one of throe the German shIps here ere sent to the bottom The Falkland Dependencies Dy By official proclamation in n 1917 l 17 Great Britain added to the Falklands colony thousands of square miles known as time the Falkland Island Depend Depend- These Include the Island of I South Georgia east of the Falklands time the South s 's and time the South somewhat farther south than Cape Horn and Graham Land and Coats Land time the former largely withIn the AntarctiC circle and the latter wholly within that zone ot of cold None of these lands 8 save e South Georgia can an anbe be by Europeans the year round but they and their neighboring waters are extremely valuable because of their whale fisheries This Is now the worlds world's most Important whaling region contributing a greater catch annually than all other whaling areas combIned So long as other regIons were well stocked wIth whales only desultory whaling was carried on near the Falk Falk- lands The industry has been conducted conducted con con- ducted In earnest t In these waters only since the beginning of the present cen- cen tur tury It was left to the enterprise ot of Norwegians to open the field and these modern vikings s dominate the Industry Whaling adds much to Port Stanleys Stanley's Importance and prosperity This Is the chief supply station and base of operatIons Is the principal principal pal product derived from whales It ItIs Itis Is extracted from time the tat fat of the animals ani- ani mals In factories operated during daring the open season on the shores shOles of the dependencies de- de or In floating factories former ocean steamers fitted up for forthe forthe the purpose whIch follow rollow the whalIn whaling whal- whal In ing beet Heet around All whale products are are cleared leared from Port Stanley and andI constitute time the Falklands Falklands' chief export ex I 1 port gr greatly atly surpassing wool and mutton In val value 11 During the World war when there was great rent demand for whale oil as a basis IN ot of glycerine for explosives more mor than worth ot of oil was exported annually |