The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-01-19
Lost in Magellan's Straits.


without finding a coast more bleak, DESC
late, and inhospitable than that of Terra
del Fuego, and the southern part of Pata-
gonia. Owing to certain meteorological
causes, the cold is comparatively greater
in the southern than in the northern
ATTITUDES; icebergs are found ten degrees
nearer to the equator. In the Straits
of Magellan, which are about the same
distance from the equator as central
England, the cold in winter is so intense
as to be almost unbearable. Here ice
bergs are found floating, and glaciers
larger in extent than any Switzerland
can boast of; the land is entirely covered
with snow, down to the waters edge,
while bitter, piercing winds rush down
the clefts in the mountains, carrying
everything before them, and even tearing
up huge trees in their passage. Not
pleasant coast this on which to be cast
away; and yet such, in 1867, was the fate
of two unfortunate men who formed
part of the crew of her majesty's ship
Chanticleer, then on the Pacific station;
and an account of whose sufferings we
| propose to lay before our readers.
One day early in September a sailing
party had been sent off with the hope of
increasing the ships stock of provisions
by the addition of fresh fish, which is
here very abundant. The nets soon be-
came so heavy that extra hands were re-
quired to haul them; and, as there
appeared even then little chance of the
work being over before sunset, the fish
ing party obtained permission to spend
the night on shore. Tents were pitched,
huge fires were lighted, with the double
object of affording warmth and cooking
some of the produce of their successful
expedition; blankets were distributed,
grog was served out, and altogether the
party seemed determined to defy the
cold, showing disposition to be "jolly"
in spite of it that would have gladdened
the soul of the immortal Mark Tapley.
However, after all these preparations to
| keep of the effects of the biting frost,
| they were compelled about nine o'clock
in the evening to send off to the ship for
more blankets and provisions.
Two sailors, Henty and Riddles, volun-
teered to go on the errand in the
"dingy" Ca small twy cared boat, and
having obtained the desired things, they
started to return; but when about mid
way between the ship and the shore the
wind began 10 rise, carrying the boat to
some extent out of her course, shortly
after which she struck on a sandbank,
and in trying to get her eff one of the
oars was lost. Soon they were drifted
out into the strong current. 1t was now
dark as pitch the wind continued to rise !;
and although all through the night they
made every possible effort to reach the
shore, when morning dawned to their
alarm they found themselves miles away
from the ship, and powerless to contend
any longer with their one oar against
the force of both wind and tide. They
were finally driven on to the beach in
bay opposite Port Famine, spot not
less dreary than its name.
The sea was SO rough that here for a
day and a night our two men were
obliged to remain; and when on the
second day they ventured to launch the
boat, it was upset; nearly all their things
were lost, and they were left to endure
the intense cold without the means of
making fire, with no clothes but those
they wore, and scarcely any food. For
while they walked about, trying not
and by and-by the feet of both began to
swell and grow so painful that it was no
longer possible to keep on their shoes.
Still, although suffering both from hun
ger and cold (Hentys toes being already
frost-bitten,) they kept up their spiritsin
true British fashion, not for minute
doubling that sooner or later they would
be picked up; and true enough, ON the
fourth day the Chanticleer was seen in
the distance under weight, and standing
over toward them. Taking the most
prominent position that could be found,
they made signs and tried in every
possible way'to attract attention, but in
vain. If they had only possessed some
means of kindling FIRE, they might
have succeeded; but although those on
board were at the moment on the look
out for their lost messmates, no one saw
them and the hope with which the two
poor fellows had buoyed themselves up
faded away as the ship changed her
course, grew smaller and smaller, and
by-and-by, late in the afternoon, while
they still watched, altogether disap-
peared.
Although now their only chance of
rescue was apparently gone, and the
last scrap of food was consumed, yet the
brave fellows did not despair Their
boat was very leaky; but on the 9th of
September, having repaired her as far as
possible, they took advantage of finer
weather to endeavor to reach some spot
where there would be more probability
of getting rescued by passing ship, but
they had scarcely got half way across
the straits before there was terrific
snow-storm; it blew gale; the boat be-
gan to fill rapidly and finally they were
blown back again into the bay, upset in
the surf and nearly drowned, being I'M
able to swim through having lost the use
of their legs from sitting SO long in
water. However, they were thrown up
by the waves high, though by no means
dry, and in this miserable plight and
under a pitiless snow-storm, they we're
forced to remain all through the night.
The next day they managed to erect
something in the form of hut, in which
they might lie down and be to some ex-
tent protected from the weather, which
was so boisterous as to render it useless
to attempt to launch the boat. For
some days, owing to exposure and want
of food, they were both very i'll; but
still hoping for better weather. They
kept themselves alive by eating seaweed
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