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[Page 81]
1915
no very high hills, & this accounts for the lack of trees, the whole surface of the land being windswept. The harbour of Port Stanley consists of an outer & an inner harbour, both well protected & commodious. In the inner harbour were anchored 2 transports, store ships for British cruisers in that part of the world, & in the outer harbour were "Australia" & the cruiser "Cumberland". The latter ship showed signs of damage sustained in her engagement with the German cruiser "Leipzic" during the Falkland action, but all the holes had since been patched. The Falkland Islands had, quite by accident of circumstances, jumped into fame, as a result of the naval action off the coast. Since the war had broken out she has received several visits from men-o-war. Admiral Cradock in the ill-fated "Good Hope", with "Monmouth" & "Canopus" were the first visitors. It was said ashore that Admiral Cradock feared impending disaster owing to the inferior strength of the squadron under his command, & that before leaving the Falkland Islands he had buried his sword & medals there. This latter story was probably more rumour & gossip. The talk ashore was chiefly of the action off their own coasts. It now appears that the German Fleet consisting of "Scharnhorst", "Gneisman", "Leipzic", "Dresden", "Nurnberg", the