The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-01-10
Lost in Magellan's Straits.

Lost in Magellan's Straits. /
One might look all the world over
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
latitudes; 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 a
pleasant coast this on which to be cast
away; and yet such, in 1867, wasthe 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 afording 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 a 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 off 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" Ga small two-oared 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 to 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
dark as pitch the wind continued to rise
| oil 4 4hr ,irrh4 4
made every possible effort to reach the
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 a
bay opposite Port Famine, a spot not
less dreary than its name.
The sea was SO rough that here for q
day and a night our two men were
obliged to remain; and when on the
second day they venturcd 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. Fol
a while they walked about, trying moi
very successfully to keep up circulation
and by -and-by the feet of both began te
swell and grow SO painful that it was nc
longer possible to keep ON their shoes
Still, although suffering both from hun
ger and cold (Henty's toes being already
frost bitten, they kept up. their spirits il
true British fashion, not for minute
doubling that sooner or later they woule
be picked up; and true enough, on the
fourth day the Chanticleer was seen il
the distance under weight, and standing
, over toward them. Taking the mos
prominent position that could be found
they made signs and tried in every
possible way to attract attention, but il
vain. If they had only possessed som'
means of kindling fire, they Nigh
, have succeeded; but although those OF
2 board were at the moment on the look
out for their lost messmates, no one say
: them; and the hope with which the tw,
poor fellows had buoyed themselves Vi
faded away as the ship changed he
course, grew smaller and smaller, ant
by-and-by, late in the afternoon, Will
they still watched, altogether disap
S peared.
, Although now their only chance o
l rescue was apparently gone, and tn
q last scrap of food was consumed, yet tn
e brave fellows did not despair. Thei
e boat was very leaky; but on the 9th o
n September, having repaired her as far a
j possible, they took advantage of fine
e weather to endeavor to reach some spo
g where there would be more probab lit,
of getting rescued by a passing ship, bu
, they had scarcely got half way acros
= the straits before there was terrifi
! snow-storm; it blew gale; the boat be
o gan to fill rapidly; and finally they wer
! blown back again into the bay, upset il
q the surf and nearly drowned, being un
a able to swim through having lost the us
of their legs from sitting so long il
water. However, they were thrown u
e by the waves high, though by no mean
o dry, and in this miserable plight an
under a pitiless snow-storm, they wer
J, forced to remain all through the night
n The next day they managed to erec
u something in the form of hut, in whic
they might lie down and be to some eS
tent protected from the weather, whic
e was so boisterous as to render it useles
:, to attempt to launch the boat. Fo
!: some days, owing to exposure and wan
r, of food, they were both very ill; bu
,. still hoping for better weather. The
kept themselves alive by eating seawee
and such shellfish as could be found, unit
the 18th of September, when tn
IT weather suddenly clearing, they agai
launched their small boat; and tn