Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-03-26
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN
E1tremlty of one COntInent.

On thel21st of October, 1920, a
Spanish squadron under command of
Fernando Magellan, which had been
sailing down the coast of South
America, IN search of a passage-Hay
to the Indies, entered a broad strait
which seemed to promise a success
full termination to the long voyage.
Magellan, who was a pious man 1af-
ter the fashion of his time, called it
''The Straits of the Eleven Thous-
and Virgins, the 21st of October
being the day of st. Ursula; but
geographers, thinking the honor due
to the discoYerer instead of the saint,
and perhaps also with a proper re-
gard for brevity, have given the
channel the name it now bears. ~ F.
Magellan was a Portuguese navi-
gator in the service of Spain-a
brave, skillful sailor, who was cordi-
ally hated by his captains because
hewas not a Spaniard. A few months
before the discovery Of the strait a.
conspiracy was formed against him,
which he repressed with Vigor. He
hanged two captains, had another
put out Of the way with dagger.
and the fourth, together with an in-h
triguing priest, was set ashore and
left to the tender mercies of the saw.
age Patagonians. Magellan was
seen to be a man who was not to be
trihed with, and he was no more,
troubled with conspiracies. ,,;,,f /
After sailing through the straits,
he entered the waters of the vast
ocean to which, on account of the
smoothness of its waters, he gave,
the name of Pacific. Magellan, as 4
we have said, was pious after the
fashion of his time. He lost his life
through his mistaken zeal for the
forcible conversion of the inhabi-
tants of one of the PHILIPPINE Islands.
The chief had refused baptism, and
Magellan, angered by his obstinacy,
landed with ffty-five armed Span
iards for the purpose of enforcing
obedience. The Islanders, to the
number of 1900, opposed him with
courage, undismayed by the firearms
which spread havoc among them.
Having exhausted his ammunition,
and being hard pressed by the saw
ages, Magellan endeavor to get back
to his boats, but was killed during
the retreat.
The strait which bears the name OF
this sturdy navigator, separates the
southern extremity of the American
continent from group of islands
called Terra del Fuego, or Land of
Fire, SO called from the numerous
fires seen by the discoveries during
the nighttime along the coast. oa
These islands are mountainous
the loftiest peak rising to the hight
of 1000 feet. The scenery is grand,
but forbidding, and the climate is
one of the worst in the world. Ter
rible storms, sudden gusts of wind,
rain, snow and fog, constantly sue
ceed1e other. ? .aaaL 49, s.5
fg The inhabitants of the northern
part ofthe.islands bear g. strong re-
semblance to the PatAgonians, while
those of other portions, of the group
are but little yabove the brute oreat
tion. They are disgustingly filthy
in their habits, and will eat any fish,
however putrid. They live in huts
built close along the shore. These
rude structures are of a oenical shape,
four or five feet in height, with a
small hole for a door. The soil of
the islands is generally a swampy
peat, and the mountains are covered
to the height Of about 1900 fts with
forests II stsases bSsSh. - ~
g.st.s.-.' ., .r-s g - -;