Columbia gazette., 1854-01-28

MAGELLAN AND ITS INHABITANTS
Captain Brown, of the whaleshi
Hannibal, gives the following description
: Of the Straits of Magellan and its inhab
itants:
: 81 have frequently visited Terra de
Fuego; it is one Of the most magni6cen
and wonderful of the great Creator
works. The passage of the Strait il
very interesting, not more from its snow
capped mountains than on account of it.
natives. You will probably remember a
few missionaries who perished a short
time since at Picton Island, on its south
ern coast. This happened but a few
months after / was at the same spot
They died from hardship, and probably
from starvation, but left their written re-
cord that they departed, although upon
barren rocks where perpetual winter
reigns, rejoicing that God was with them.
The natives, I think, deserted and left
them to perish. But l feel sure that in
case the natives showed them kindness,
the result must have been the same
Our people could not subsist there.
The natives 60 nearly naked, live in
wretched huts, which are nothing more
than few branches of green trees pill
ed one against another at the top, and
not larger than common hay-cock,
neither air, wind, or water tight; holes
all around, but lagrge one for Chin
ney. They never lie down to rest, but
build fire in the centre, and all squat
around the fire. Their eyes are always
infamed from the effects of the smoke
They generally live in their canoes
(Which are made of the bark of the win
terra, large tree which fourishes
there,) during the day, and at night
hwal up and squat down to rest. They
live almost wholly on fish, seals, otters,
and the fat or blubber of whales, or any,
thing of the kind they can catch. I
think white man left among them must
perish. They seem only single re-
move from the brute creation. Their
clothing, which is no more than small
piece of otter skin, only covers the weather
shoulder, which they shift from one to
other, when they so about, or as sailor
would say, in stays. AS to their Ian
guage, yama schuna-yama schuna, Of
ten repeated, is the most that can be
gathered from them. We saw two ca
noes the other day, one of which had
nine persons, five of whom were chill
dren, some very small, padding about
in the Strait, the thermometer at 50
deg. They are, an | are like to be, ''lords
OF all they survey"
-~-~--,~----o.-~o---~.--~--
If YOU'RE COMING, WHY DON'T YOU
COME ALcNG SO Nose was wont to
say aforetime, and it embodies "a good
Bit of practical philosophy. Every new
engine shrieks it-every new railroad is
record of it-every line of telegraph
exemplifes it-every new medium of
advertising illustrates it. The saying
originated in the Bowery maybe, but it
is destined to be a cosmopolite. 1t be-
gan with individuals; it is going on with
nations; it will end with the world.
eff you're coming, why don't you
come along;"-It is uttered in almost
all tongues, in almost all lands. It has
rung around Christendom, the iron bed
stead Of Procrustes has been left behind
with the torch and the faggot. It has
sounded like slogan thro' the political
world and the 'old fogies' are among the
baggage-wagons and wounded
It has electrified the realm of litera-
ture; prose is becoming the living voice
Of humanity, and poetry its echo. The
old Ramage press has given place to the
cylinders whirled by the painting engine,
and thought, that moved at funeral
pace, now rushes on in a tremendous
charge. The Old Guard and Mari
on's men, were nothing 20 it.
eff you're coming. why don't you
come along;'- PAGES to the front,
is the word to everybody and everything
that wants to be listened to or look
ed at. If you have anything to say, SAY
it; if you have anything to do, DO it; ifI
you have anything to show, SHOW it.
eff you're coming, why don't you come
along'"
It used to take six men to make a |
pin; now, one boy, pull, clip and two
strokes, do the business.
Once, cradles rocked the grain for the
garner; now whirlwind on wheels cuts,
threshes and bags it in breath.
Once, fathers and mothers had the
precedence by few years; now, bellies
with dolls, and beaux in pinafores, dis
tance 'old folks at home,' and take up
the cry ofthe world, eff you're coming,
why don't you come along;"
Once, they crossed the Atlantic in a
hundred days, now let them exceed ten,
and somebody halls them from lands
end, as they heavc in sight, eff you're
coming, why dontt you come alono,n