Magellan. They consist of two large, and a great number of small islands; the large ones being divided by a sound or strait of considerable length. They are supposed to have been first discovered in the year 1592, by Captain Davies, who was the associate of the brave but unfortunate Cavendish, and was afterwards parted from him, or basely deserted him. In consequence of stress of weather, Davies was prevented from making any observation on them, nor did he even name them. This was reserved for Sir Richard Hawkins, who two years afterwards discovered them, and called them, in honour of Queen Elizabeth, Hawkins' Maiden Land. No settlement being made on them, when the Dutch navigator, Sebald de Wert, touched at them in the year 1598, he imagined himself to be the first discoverer of them, and designated them the Sebaldine Islands. We hear nothing more of these islands until the reign of William the Third, when one Strong fell in with them, and is supposed to have given them their present English name, which being also adopted by Halley, was inserted in our maps.

Lord Anson was the first who was impressed with the importance of forming a British settlement on the Falkland Islands; and accordingly, soon after the peace of Aix la Chapelle, when he was at the head of the Admiralty, preparations were made for sending out some frigates to make discoveries in the South Seas, and particularly to examine, with precision, the state and condition of the islands in question. But the Court of Spain gained intelligence of this project, and made such representations against it, that it was for the time laid aside, and continued dormant until the conduct of naval affairs was entrusted to the Earl of Egmont. Under the directions of this nobleman, Commodore Byron was sent out, in the year 1764, to make a settlement on the Falkland Islands, and in the beginning of the following year he took formal possession of them in the name of the King of Great Britain. About the same, or perhaps at an earlier period, the French, animated by a desire to retrieve the great national losses which they had sustained during the late war, formed a plan of making discoveries in the South Seas. The low state of their finances prevented this scheme from being undertaken at the public expense; and it was left to the enterprise of a private individual, M. de Bouganville, to carry it out at his own and his friends' risk. He fitted out an expedition at St. Malo, whence these islands were called by the French Les Malouines, and having arrived at them, he formed a settlement which he designated Port Louis, and built a fort. The British settlement, which was called Port Egmont, in honour of the first Lord of the Admiralty, under whose auspices it was made, lay on the larger and more western of the two principal islands; and the French settlement on the eastern and lesser of them. The King of Spain asserting an exclusive right to all the Magellanic regions, procured a cession of the French settlement, and changed its name from Port Louis to that of Port Solidad.

In the year 1769, Captain Hunt, the commander of a frigate, which with the Swift, a sloop of sixteen guns, was stationed at Port Egmont, being on a cruise off the islands observed a Spanish schooner taking a survey of them.

Captain Hunt immediately sent a message to the Spanish commander, requiring him to depart. This requisition was for the time complied with, but two days afterwards the schooner returned with letters for Captain Hunt from the Governor of Port Solidad, complaining that the former had sent an imperious message to the Spaniards in the King of Spain's own dominions. In reply, Captain Hunt warned the Spaniards from the island in the name of the King, as belonging to the English by right of discovery in the first instance, and of settlement in the second.

On the 10th of December, the officer sent by the Governor of Port Solidad made three protests against the conduct of Captain Hunt; for threatening to fire upon him; for opposing his entrance into Port Egmont; and for entering himself into Port Solidad. On the 12th the Governor of Port Solidad formally warned Captain Hunt to leave Port Egmont, and to forbear the navigation of those seas, without permission from the King of Spain. To this, Captain Hunt replied by repeating his former claim; by declaring that his orders were to keep possession; and by once more warning the Spaniards to depart. More protests and more replies of a similar nature ensued. But two months afterwards, measures took place which indicated a determination on the part of the Spaniards to support by force the claim which they had advanced. On the 20th February, 1770, two Spanish frigates of considerable force arrived at Port Egmont under pretence of wanting water. The commodore expressed his astonishment at seeing the British flag flying in the dominions of his Catholic Majesty, but, at the same time, declared that he would abstain from any other manner of proceeding until he had received further instructions from Spain. As these transactions seemed indicative of the consequences which ensued, Captain Hunt sailed without further delay for England. Upon the departure of Captain Hunt, his place had been supplied by Captain Maltby, in command of the Favourite, a sloop of sixteen guns, which, in consequence of the recent loss of the Swift in the Straits of Magellan, now formed the whole British force off Port Egmont. Early in June, a naval and military armament of considerable strength was despatched by Don Francisco Buccarelli, the Governor of Buenos Ayres, with orders to take possession of the Falkland Islands in the name of the Catholic King. The English at first made preparations to defend the settlement, but soon seeing the impossibility of offering any effectual resistance to the greatly superior force of the Spaniards, they determined to capitulate. By one of the articles of capitulation, it was provided that the English should not take their departure until twenty days after the sailing of a Spanish frigate, by which it was intended to forward to the Court of Spain intelligence of the seizure of the island. In order to enforce this stipulation, the rudder of the Favourite was taken off, and detained on shore for twenty days.

The first intelligence which was received in this country of the claim which had been made by Spain was brought by Captain Hunt, who arrived at Plymouth on the 3rd of June; but it was treated with indifference by the Government. In August, the British Minister at Madrid informed Lord

VOL. I.

I

Weymouth that an account had been brought to Cadiz, from Buenos Ayres, of an expedition having been fitted out from that place, with a view to dislodge the English from Port Egmont; and, in the ensuing month, the Spanish Ambassador in London acknowledged that the English had been forcibly expelled from Falkland's Island by Buccarelli, the Governor of Buenos Ayres, without any particular orders from the King of Spain. But being asked whether, in his master's name, he disowned the violence of Buccarelli, he refused to answer without instructions from his Court.* Orders were now, therefore, issued from the Admiralty for preparing guardships; and when the Favourite arrived, bounties to seamen were offered by Royal proclamation; ships were put into commission, and the usual measures adopted for making formidable and efficient naval preparations.†

Parliament assembled on the 13th November. The following is that part of his Majesty's speech which relates to the recent outrage committed by the Spaniards :-“ By the act of the Governor of Buenos Ayres, in seizing by force one of my possessions, the honour of my crown, and the security of my people's rights, were deeply affected. Under these circumstances I did not fail to make an immediate demand from the Court of Spain of such satisfaction as I had a right to expect for the injury I had received. I directed also the necessary preparations to be made, without loss of time, for enabling me to do myself justice, in case my requisition to the Court of Spain should fail of procuring it for me, and these preparations, you may be assured, I shall not think it expedient to discontinue, until I shall have received proper reparation for the injury, as well as satisfactory proof that other powers are equally sincere with myself in the resolution to preserve the general tranquillity of Europe."

On the 22nd November, the Duke of Richmond made the following motion in the House of Lords :-"That an humble address be presented to his Majesty, that he will be graciously pleased to give directions that there be laid before that assembly copies, or extracts, of all letters and other paperscont aining any intelligence received by any of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of Great Britain, or any other of his Majesty's Ministers, between the 12th September, 1769, and the 12th September, 1770, touching any hostilities commenced, or designed to be commenced, by the Crown of Spain, or any of its officers, against any part of his Majesty's dominions, expressing the times at which such intelligence was received."

* See Dr. Johnson's "Thoughts on the late Transactions respecting Falkland's Island," and the Annual Register for 1771.

† Towards the close of the previous session, in the debate on the motion for augmenting the number of seamen, Lord Chatham said, "I do now pledge myself to this honourable House for the truth of what I am going to assert: that at this very hour, that we are sitting together, a blow of hostility has been struck against us by our old inveterate enemies in some quarter of the world." This assertion shows either Lord Chatham's political sagacity, or the accurate information which he possessed of the movements of foreign powers.

Lord Weymouth opposed the motion upon the general ground of the impropriety of calling for such papers whilst the matter in question was the subject of a negotiation with the Spanish Ambassador. His Lordship carefully avoided giving the least information whatever concerning the actual state or progress of such negotiation, and expressed himself with much caution and reserve. He concluded by moving, that the previous question might be put.

Lord Hillsborough took up the argument upon the same footing with Lord Weymouth, but carried it much further than the latter had done. He informed the House that he knew the contents of the papers called for, therefore could assert upon his own knowledge, that the production of them at that time would tend greatly to embarrass a negotiation already in a prosperous train, and which promised a happy conclusion. He insisted much upon the delicacy of Spanish honour;-that it was their natural characteristic ;— that infinite regard and tenderness ought to be shown to the punctilios of that Court, and begged of the noble Lords to consider how far those punctilios might unavoidably retard and embarrass a treaty of this nature.

The Earl of Chatham." I rise to give my hearty assent to the motion made by the noble Duke; by his Grace's favour, I have been permitted to see it, before it was offered to the House. I have fully considered the necessity of obtaining from the King's servants a communication of the papers described in the motion, and I am persuaded that the alarming state of facts, as well as the strength of reasoning, with which the noble Duke has urged, and enforced that necessity, must have been powerfully felt by your Lordships;-what I mean to say, upon this occasion, may seem, perhaps, to extend beyond the limits of the motion before us. But I flatter myself, my Lords, that if I am honoured with your attention, it will appear that the meaning and object of this question are naturally connected with considerations of the most extensive national importance. For entering into such considerations, no season is improper; no occasion should be neglected. Something must be done, my Lords, and immediately, to save an injured, insulted, undone country. If not to save the State, my Lords, at least to mark out, and drag to public justice those servants of the Crown, by whose ignorance, neglect, or treachery, this once great, flourishing people are reduced to a condition as deplorable at home, as it is despicable abroad. Examples are wanted, my Lords, and should be given to the world, for the instruction of future times, even though they be useless to ourselves. I do not mean, my Lords, nor is it intended by the motion, to impede, or embarrass a negotiation, which we have been told is now in a prosperous train, and promises a happy conclusion."

Lord Weymouth.-"I beg pardon for interrupting the noble Lord, but I think it necessary to remark to your Lordships, that I have not said a single word tending to convey to your Lordships any information, or opinion, with regard to the state, or progress of the negotiation-I did, with the utmost caution, avoid giving to your Lordships the least intimation upon that matter."

The Earl of Chatham.-"I perfectly agree with the noble Lord. I did not mean to refer to any thing said by his Lordship. He expressed himself, as he always does, with moderation, and reserve, and with the greatest propriety; it was another noble Lord, very high in office, who told us he understood that the negotiation was in a favourable train."

The Earl of Hillsborough." I did not make use of the word train. I know the meaning of the word too well. In the language from which it was derived, it signifies protraction, and delay, which I could never mean to apply to the present negotiation."

The Earl of Chatham.—“ This is the second time that I have been interrupted. I submit it to your Lordships whether this be fair and candid treatment. I am sure it is contrary to the orders of the House, and a gross violation of decency and politeness. I listen to every noble Lord in this House with attention and respect. The noble Lord's design in interrupting me is as mean and unworthy, as the manner in which he has done it is irregular and disorderly. He flatters himself that, by breaking the thread of my discourse, he shall confuse me in my argument. But, my Lords, I will not submit to this treatment. I will not be interrupted. When I have concluded, let him answer me if he can. As to the word, which he has denied, I still affirm that it was the one he made use of; but if he had used

any other, I am sure every noble Lord will agree with me, that his meaning was exactly what I had expressed it. Whether he said course or train is indifferent, he told your Lordships that the negotiation was in a way that promised a happy, and honourable conclusion. His distinctions are mean, frivolous, and puerile. My Lords, I do not understand the exalted tone assumed by that noble Lord. In the distress and weakness of this country, my Lords, and conscious as the Ministry ought to be how much they have contributed to that distress and weakness, I think a tone of modesty, of submission, of humility, would become them better; quædam causæ modestiam desiderant. Before this country they stand as the greatest criminals. Such I shall prove them to be; for I do not doubt of proving, to your Lordships' satisfaction, that since they have been entrusted with the conduct of the King's affairs, they have done every thing that they ought not to have done, and hardly anything that they ought to have done.

"The noble Lord talks of Spanish punctilios in the lofty style and idiom of a Spaniard. We are to be wonderfully tender of the Spanish point of honour, as if they had been the complainants, as if they had received the injury. I think he would have done better to have told us what care had been taken of the English honour. My Lords, I am well acquainted with the character of that nation, at least as far as it is represented by their Court and Ministry, and should think this country dishonoured by a comparison of the English good faith with the punctilios of a Spaniard. My Lords, the English are a candid, an ingenuous people; the Spaniards are as mean and crafty as they are proud and insolent. The integrity of the English merchant, the generous spirit of our naval and military officers, would be degraded by