The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-07-15

OAdNlASS VI ndJltIe, anu CO1l6CC6u muscle
and CLAIMS on the shore, as he had seel
the natives do; and ON this cold food h
made wretched breakfast.
Thus he spent all that day and all tn
next thirty-seven days, for he kept
careful count of the time. He ate onl,
the miserable shell-fsh that he found OF
the beach, drank water from a torren
that flowed down the mountain side, ant
slept by one of the fires, which be boldl7
approached the first night after they haC
unbound him, for he had experienced
the cold of one wintry night and tina
was enough.
They were neither kind nor unkind K
INN, but took no notice of him what
ever; they never attempted to speak tC
him, even by signs, except on one oc
casion when he wandered too far from
them, and one of them ran after him
and made signs to him to go back.
During the leaden-footed days he
necessarily observed how the natives
passed their time, and he did SO without
the slightest interest, and was unable
! to relate many details about them. Mo.si
of the work, such as hewing wood ard
| drawing water, was done by the women;
the men did very little, but spent thei
time mostly in lying about their hut.l
Sometimes a few of them went off ia
their canoes seal hunting, and always re-
turned with one or two seals; sometimes
they went hunting inland, and always
returned with a guahaco-a species of
llama: then they all Immediately fell
upon it, tore it to pieces, and ate it raw.
Ii a dead seal was washed ashore, they
ate it in the same way, gorging them
selves on the putrid blubber and flesh.
After these disgusting feeds they lay
on the ground in torpor, and Thorold
could easily have stabbed them as they lay
asleep, but thatsome of the weaker ones,
having been unable to secure much of
the food, were awake and ready to cast
their spears at him. Moreover, if he had
killed them all he would have been no
better off.
All these weeks he was in a horrible
state of suspense as to why he was being
kept alive and what torture was prepar-
ing for him, so much so that he was un-
able to sleep for terror, until forced into
Inconsistencies by fatigue.
But on the thirty-eighth day an event
occurred which, although in itself
gruesome and terrifying, put into his
heart hope that he might some day re-
turn to the outer world again, and gave
him clue as to what was his captors'
only conceivable object in preserving him
alive,
1t was about noon, on a fine cold day,
when Thorold, standing on the beach
and looking out to sea, saw two whalers'
boats pull round the headland to a dis
tant part of the shore, where they pro-
ceeded to land and get fresh water. The
hutS of the Fuegans were between Thor
old and the newcomers, who apparently
did not perceive the natives, and were
quietly filling. their water casks at
stream.
AS Thorold was following his natural
impulse to run to them, get into one of
their boats, and make them row away,
he was pinioned by three or four strong
natives. Then few canoes put out to
cut off the boats, should they, attempt to
escape, and all the rest of the fighting
men, and many of the women, caught
up their long spears and ran towards
their victims.
To rhOrold's surprise, he was made to
run along with them. The whalers'
men were intercepted before they got off.
and then it was the old ghastly tale re-
peated: they were shot down to man
with the poisoned spears. All the while
the Fuegans who were holding Thorold
made him understand that they wished
him to watch what was going on, by
and pointing towards the
slaughter. After it was over they pill
aged the dead bodies and the boats of
everything they had, and then threw the |
corpses into the sea.
While Thorold was lying awake that !
night, and brooding over the horrible |
event, a sudden inspiration came to him |
that the object of the Fuegans in keep
ing him alive was to send him back to |
his people that he might tell them how |
they would be treated if they came to |
the land of the Fuegans-to declare un-
ending war between themselves and the |
white world; and though, of course, he
never knew for certainty, yet the way
in which they made him watch the /
slaughter of the whalers' men, and every
thing that happened before and after
pointed to this explanation of their con-
duct. From that night his great fear
and suspense were mingled with this
grain of hope.
The next morning the Fuegans col
Iected their belongings, which consisted
Of nothing but spears and knives, few
skins, and some utensils for holding
water, and marched inland, taking their
prisoner with them. They spent about
six hours day on the march, over diff
sult mountain passes and down into deep
cIo hxr of
nd living on guanacos, Which they oc-
assionally shot.
Thorold took little interest in obsery-
ng the nature Of the country, but he re
,orted it to be very similarto to that seen on
he coast-bleal. mountains, with occa-
ional copses of stunted trees, and all
lse absolutely barren and uDcultivated:
there is little doubt, however, that it is
treasure house of mineral wealth, for
-arious ores, including gold, are picked
10 in plenty on the coast, and there is
very Indication Of coal. If a coal mine
vas once got into working order here,
{ would be of inestimable value for the
,oaling of ships alone, as well as for use
n South America itself, for coal is at
PRESENT brought from England at great
Expense all the way to Monte Nideo, and
o Sandy Point, in the straits of Magel-
an, from the north of Chilli.
On the fourth day of the march they
net another tribe, also on the march, and
he two bodies of men fell TO fighting at
nee, as is their invariable custom.
after an hours fighting there were only
bout fifty men left Of the first tribe;
hese surrendered, and became prisoners
Il war to their conquerors, who had also
heavy losses. The prisoners,
however, did not appear to be regarded
IS slaves at all, but simply mingled with
he victorious tribe. After the battle the
spoke to their oaptors about
whom they brought forward,
explaining their object in
Seeping him; and he lived with the new
ribe ON exactly, the same footing as he
lad done with the old one.
Nearly six months Thorold spent in
his way, the tribe in which he lived
marching for five or six days,
md then settling down for several weeksi
they were on the sea shore,