, 1886-07-15

sional copses of stunted trees, and all
else absolutely barren and uncultivated
There is little doubt, however. that it is
a treasure house of mineral wealth, for
various ores, including gold, are picked
up in plenty OH the coast, and there is
every indication of coal. If a coal mine
was once got into working order here.
it would be of inestimable value for the
coaling Of ships alone, AS well as for use
i'll South America itself, for coal is at
present brought from England at great
expense all the way to Monte Nideo, and
to Sandy Point, in the straits of Magel-
Ian, from the north of Chill.
On the fourth day of the march they
met another tribe, also on the march, and
the two bodies of men fell to fighting at
once, as is their i%nvariable custom.
After an hours fighting there were only
about fifty men left of the first tribe:
these surrendered, and became prisoners
of war to their %conquerors, who had also
sustained heavy losses. The prisoners,
however, did not appear to be regarded
as slaves at all, but simply mingled with
the victorious tribe. After the battle the
prisoners spoke to their captors about
Thorold; whom they brought forward,
apparently explaining their object in
keeping him; and he lived with the new
tribe on exactly the same footing as he
had done with the old one.
Nearly six months Thorold spent in
this way, the tribe in which he lived
sometime marching for five or six days,
and hen settling down for several weeks;
sometimes they were on the sea shore,
and then he lived as they did, chiefly on
raw mussels and other shell fish; when
they were inland he lived on pieces of
raw guanaco, which he grabbed along
with the others.
There is a story current in Chill that
the Fuegans, when driven to necessity,
first eat their dogs, the only domestic
animal which they keep, and, when
these are all gone, proceed to devour the
old women of the tribe. Thorold saw no
signs of cannibalism, but this was per-
haps because no necessity for it arose.
He states that the old women were
treated with especial care: and it is
doubtful whether this affection arose
from the hearts or the stomachs of their
grandchildren. .
Five times he saw a fight with another
tribe; in three out of the five his tribe
was conquered, and he changed hands,
the prisoners always appearing to ex-
plain to their captors their object in
keeping him.
Among the third tribe with
which he lived he saw a white
woman; she was the Gillian lady whom
/ have already mentioned, and Thorold
took the first opportunity of going up to
her. The Fuegans held him back at first,
for they regarded her as a goddess; but
at her command they let him approach
her. They were unable to converse, for
she spoke only Spanish, and he only Eng
lish; but from hat time Thorold was
treated by the natives with more defer
nee than before.
He was never allowed again to APP
proach the Chilian woman, who appeared
to be rather ashamed of her situation be-
fore him, but he saw her manner of life.
She was the wife of the chief, and had
apparently n large number of children.
The natives treated her with the greatest
respect, and cooked meat for her, and
made her a more elaborate hut than
they made for themselves. Her dress
was "A mixture of civilizM ,on and bar
barism. On the ,%hole she appeared sat
has uhevith her strange life.
About four weeks after Thorold joined
this tribe, another tribe came upon them;
there was a fight, and he changed hands.
Just before the fight began the CHILEAN
woman went away with a few compan-
ions, and he saw her no more.
A...n H.. -1 80 Al. it'll IL
tribe which possessed Thorold reached a
place on the sea shore which consisted of
a bay almost shut in by land. He had
often reached n similar place, for there
are many bays ON that coast with an is
land facing them.
On the morning of the third day after
they had reached this spot he was on the
beach gathering his usual breakfast of
shell-fish, when he heard n sound that
sent the blood rushing toward his heart.
1t was the familiar sound of a steamer,
and looking up he saw the black smoke
floating away in the wind.
Then he knew that he was on the shore
of the straits of Magellan. and before he
had time to consider how to secure his
safety he had dropped on the beach in a
dead faint, for six months living in hor-
rible suspense, without shelter, and with
the poorest apology for food, hadleft him
very little of his old strength.
On that day the steamer "Aconcagua,"
of the Pacific Steam Navigation COM
pany, bound from Liverpool to Valpar-
also, left Sandy Point and was proceed
ing westward through the straits. The
bulwarks were crowded with passengers
and officers and crew looking out for ma
tive canoes, for it is the custom of steam
ers passing through these straits to slow
down, unless they are in a great hurry,
and interview the natives in their ca
noes, ending by dropping over the ships
side n barrel filled with old clothes and
tobacco and other things calculated to
please the savage mind. Once or twice
a couple of natives have been hoisted on
board and shown round the steamer
With awe they gazed at the long saloon,
and in horror they fled when they were
taken down to the fire-room and a furn-
ace door was suddenly opened at them.
reminding them Of a crater of one of the
volcanoes that gave their land its name
of Fire.
Before the awful adventure of Thor
old, all that was known about these
strange people was learnt in this way,
and thus the curious fact was discovered
that although their near neighbors the
Patagonians will drink all the rum and
other fire water they can lay their hands
on, the Fuegans will take no alcohol of
any kind, but, when offered 1t, turn away
with the same appearance of disgust that
n dog shows under similar circumstances,
in this way, among others, showing how