Крижаний сфінкс

           TheresultwasthatonthefollowingdayIwentashoreadequatelypreparedtobeginmyperquisitions.AtthatperiodtheFalklandswerenotutilizedastheyhavebeensince.

           ItwasatalaterdatethatPortStanley—describedbyEliséeRéclus,theFrenchgeographer,as“ideal”—wasdiscovered.PortStanleyisshelteredateverypointofthecompass,andcouldcontainallthefleetsofGreatBritain.

           IfIhadbeensailingforthelasttwomonthswithbandagedeyes,andwithoutknowingwhithertheHalbranewasbound,andhadbeenaskedduringthefirstfewhoursatourmoorings,“AreyouintheFalklandIslesorinNorway?”Ishouldhavepuzzledhowtoanswerthequestion.Forherewerecoastsformingdeepcreeks,thesteephillswithpeakedsides,andthecoast-ledgesfacedwithgreyrock.Eventheseasideclimate,exemptfromgreatextremesofcoldandheat,iscommontothetwocountries.Besides,thefrequentrainsofScandinaviavisitMagellan’sregioninlikeabundance.Bothhavedensefogs,and,inspringandautumn,windssofiercethattheveryvegetablesinthefieldsarefrequentlyrootedup.

           Afewwalksinlandwould,however,havesufficedtomakemerecognizethatIwasstillseparatedbytheequatorfromthewatersofNorthernEurope.WhathadIfoundtoobserveintheneighbourhoodofPortEgmontaftermyexplorationsofthefirstfewdays?Nothingbutthesignsofasicklyvegetation,nowherearborescent.