Editing History of the Falkland Islands (section)

===Luis Vernet's enterprise===
[[File:Vernet_Luis_Portrait.jpg|125px|left|thumb|Luis Vernet, 1791–1871]]

In 1823, the United Provinces of the River Plate granted [[fishing]] rights to Jorge Pacheco and [[Luis Vernet]]. Travelling to the islands in 1824, the first expedition failed almost as soon as it landed, and Pacheco chose not to continue with the venture. Vernet persisted, but the second attempt, delayed until winter 1826 by [[Cisplatine War|a Brazilian blockade]], was also unsuccessful. The expedition intended to exploit the [[feral]] cattle on the islands but the [[Swamp|boggy]] conditions meant the [[gaucho]]s could not catch cattle in their traditional way. Vernet was by now aware of conflicting British claims to the islands and sought permission from the British [[consulate]] before departing for the islands.

In 1828, the United Provinces government granted Vernet all of East Falkland including all its resources, and exempted him from taxation if a colony could be established within three years. He took settlers, including British Captain Matthew Brisbane (who had sailed to the islands earlier with Weddell), and before leaving once again sought permission from the British Consulate in [[Buenos Aires]]. The British asked for a report for the British government on the islands, and Vernet asked for British protection should they return.<ref name="briefhistory3">[http://www.falklands.info/history/history3.html A brief history of the Falkland Islands Part 3 - Louis Vernet: The Great Entrepreneur] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401100750/http://www.falklands.info/history/history3.html |date=1 April 2010 }}, Accessed 2007-07-19</ref>

On 10 June 1829, Vernet was designated as 'civil and military commandant' of the islands (no governor was ever appointed) and granted a monopoly on seal hunting rights. A protest was lodged by the British Consulate in Buenos Aires. By 1831, the colony was successful enough to be advertising for new colonists, although {{USS|Lexington|1825|6}}'s report suggests that the conditions on the islands were quite miserable.<!--Commenting out as this should be sourced from an external site if there is information not contained in the other reference: <ref>[[Report by Silas Duncan, Commander U.S.S. Lexington, sent to Navy Secretary Levi Woodbury, on 4 April 1832]]</ref>--><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ussduncan.org/silas_page13.htm|title=USS Duncan|first=USS Duncan DDR 874 Crew & Reunion|last=Association|website=ussduncan.org|access-date=8 February 2006|archive-date=5 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005001022/http://www.ussduncan.org/silas_page13.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Charles Darwin]]'s visit in 1833 confirmed the squalid conditions in the settlement, although Captain [[Matthew Brisbane]] (Vernet's deputy) later claimed that this was the result of the ''Lexington'' raid.<ref name="brisbanefitzroy">[http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?itemID=F10.2&viewtype=text&pageseq=326&keywords=brisbane Fitzroy, R., ''VOYAGES OF THE ADVENTURE AND BEAGLE. VOLUME II.''], Accessed 2007-10-02</ref>