Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-02-18

| The STRAITS OF MAGELLAN.-Come,
little ones, get out your aliases and see
If you can find the Straits of Magellan.
Where are you looking, Carrie ?-all
over North America And / declare il
! there isn't Eddie with the map of Asia,
as if anybody ever heard of them being
there Where are they? Why, you
| Just all of you give a good look, and
one of you will find out presently. The
one who finds out first can raise up his
hand.
There goes hand up already, and it
isn't ''his" at all. 1 believe girls gene
rally do find out things first.
Don't you say word, Susie, for I see
Charley has almost found them. Well,
Charley. where are they?
At the southern end of South America,
and there you have been, Carrie, looking
all about Greenland. What is that island
which is separated from the continent by
the straits? Terra del Fuego, and that
/ is Spanish for land of fire. Why it is
called the land of fire do not know, as
travellers tell US it is bleak, barren
island, with disagreeable, uncertain
weather and constant keen winds. This
island is inhabited by a race of Indians
who are most ignorant and degraded.
| These Indians build themselves houses
by sticking a few branches into the
ground in the form of half circle, and
then draw the tops of the branches to-
gether and tie them. am sure made
! as good houses out of branches, when |
was little girl, to play in. They give
very little protection against the wind,
rain and snow. When a house is fin
ished, fire is built before its open
front, and then the family crowd them
selves into the hut before the fire and
try to keep warm.
The Fuegian Indians have only few
skins to wear in the place of clothing.
Mrs. Agassiz who lately visited this
island with her husband gave the women
some bright calico to make into clothes,
but she said she doubted if they would
know what to do with it. The men are
very fond of tobacco.
The Straits of Magellan are filed
with islands which make the channels
very numerous. The captain of ship
has to be very careful, or else he will
get lost with his ship when he is trying
" hhu LIS way. IutIc are uumeTOuS
high mountains which make the scenery
very beautiful. The mountain sides
are covered with trees and flowers. The
fuschia. like that, Susie, which your
mother tends with such care, and is
careful not to leave out of doors on cool
nights, there grows wild, and as abun-
dant as the laurel in our woods. Farther
up on the mountain tops snow and ice
are constantly found.
Vessels sometimes have to remain
weeks, and even months, in some of
the safe harbors of these straits, where
the mountains protect them from the
storms, for as fast, perhaps, as they
venture out, a sudden squall will come
up and drive them back.
They have peculiar kind of storm in
this region which is called "williwaw. !"
The air will be perfectly calm, without
any sign of wind. All of a sudden a
gust of wind will shake the vessel furi-
ously for moment, and then everything
will be quiet again.
Yes, Charlie, Just as your teacher
used to shake you when you didn't have
your lessons perfect. For my part, /
think should prefer to leave the will
waws in the Straits of Magellan, where
they belong, than to bring them into
the schoolroom to help boys in their
studies. Shouldn't you? / am sure l
could make little boys interested in
their lessons without playing williwaw
The ChiLdren's Hour.