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

I $1,000 lSe~N-A-C
of only half explored land, all calling 70
more attention than they have Nithert'
received.
The whole of Brazil has indeed bee,
explored in a superficial sort of way
that is to say, there are certain narrow
lines of explored land, chiefly along
rivers which intersect the country; bul
only two people from all the civilized
world have ever penetrated beyond the
coast of TERRA del Fuego, though the
coast itself has been well surveyed, anc
whalers' boats frequently land there fol
water
One of these two pioneers is a Chiiar
lady who was ship-wrecked ON the coast
and saved alive by the chief of Fuegan
tribe which murdered all her compan-
ions. She was seen alive and happy by
the other pioneer, a seaman, by name
Thomas Thorold, who spent nearly six
months in the interior of this strange
country, and came safe home to England
again. 1t is his story that 1 propose to
tell
Less than six years ago an English sail
ing ship, homeward bound from Valpa-
raiso, founded off the west coast of TERRA
del Fuego during the cruel, wintry month
of July. The crew got into three boats
and pulled to the shore, which was not
| far distant. After rounding headland,
they found themselves in comparatively
smooth water, surrounded by bare,
bleak hills, beneath which there was a
broad, sandy beach, which would afford
them easy landing.
But ON this beach and about the foot Of
Ill
they dreaded-the signs of the doom
they felt must sooner or later be their
sthe stunted forms of Fuegan natives,
standing and lying about their rude huts
and canoes.
AS soon as the Fuegans espied them,
they crowded into their canoes and rowed
out toward them, while their shouts
brought multitude of natives to the
beach where they clustered like flock
of vultures lowering over their prey.
The Fuegans are a small race, with a
dark copper-colored skin. The men are
mostly clad in old vests and trousers that
they have acquired from some ship
wrecked crew, or from the steamers
passing through the straits of Magellan;
others wear deer or guanaco skins. The
women are dressed more simply in a
single garment resembling a. 'poncho,
made of some skin: a simple square, with
hole in the middle for the head.
Their boats have none of the graceful
gliding of the North American canoes,
but are simply made of pieces of bark OF
wood clumsily tied together with fibres,
and are awl1wardly rowed with oars
formed of poles with flat pieces of wood
= 4 II. 4 l.
ture in which these men-the lowest type
of humanity-at all excel, is that of
barbed spear-heads, which they make
with considerable skill of an almost
transparent sort Of flint, very similar to
some of the arrow-heads used by the
wild Bugres of Brazil These, dipped in
poison and fixed on to long wooden
shafts, become dangerous weapons for
poor weary sailors to face who have
nothing to defend themselves with but
oars and stretchers.
Before the three doomed boats
were within half a mile of the
shore, they were surrounded by seven or
eight canoes crammed with these gibber-
ing aborigines, before whom the sailors
were perfectly helpless, for from con-
siderable distance the unerring spears
came hurling toward them. The mis-
cradle men tried in uaip to parry them.
One by one they dropped into the bottom
of the boat and died in agony, as the
fiery venomy from the spear heads
coursed through their veins.
Suddenly, when there were only two
or three left untouched in each of the
boats, one Of the Fuegans, who seemed
to be chief among them, gave shout
that made all the others stand motion
less, with spears poised in their hands; |
and he spoke to them in their loud, |
cracked language for minute or more; |
it seemed years to the helpless men wait |
ing to be killed.
At the helm of one of the boats sat |
nate, Thomas Thorold, tall, strong
man of about 80, toward whom the chief |
pointed several times as he was speaking.
Soon he stopped shouting and gestiou-
lating, and again the spears came whizz-
ing from the strong, savage arms.
But a change had taken place; the |
weapons were aimed at all the sailors ex-
cept Thomas Thorold. lie sat there un-
touched, expecting every moment 70 |
receive his death wound, and re-
ceIving it not. Only he saw his
companions dropping one by one, meet
ing their deaths bravely, as Englishmen
are won't to do, but with features tor
tured into that rigid glare which indi-
Gates the height of suppressed terror and
extreme suspense.
When at last the mate Vas the only
living one left, TO his horror they sur
rounded him, bound his hands and feet |
and lifted him into one of their canoes.
Then they turned towards shore, towing
the three boats behind them.
Thorold, naturally supposing that they
were keeping him for torture, and pre-
ferring immediate death to deferred
but more horrible fate, attempted to
jump into the sea, or dash out his brains
against the sides of the canoe; but they
carefully prevented him from doing him
self any harm. Arrived at the shore,
they retired to their huts, leaving him
still bound hand and foot upon the
beach.
This was late in the afternoon, and all
that night he lay there helpless, expect
ing every moment to be carried to the !
fire or some other torture. But they
went about their business, gathering
clans and muscles and eating thsm raw,
collecting fuel and heaping up the Tres,
and never touched their prisoner at all;
only they kept looking towards him, and
crowds of the half-naked, hideous chill
dren stood few yards off and gazed at
him in awe, and lean dogs came and
snarled and shifted at him suspiciousiy.
The tribe appeared to consist OF be-
tween 100 and 200 and there were sew
eraI rude huts formed of trees cut down
and stuck close together IN the ground,
while their branches and foliage were
tied together and formed an inefficient
roof.
Fuegans appear to be insensible TO
cold, for though the climate is as cold OF
even colder than the extreme north or
they do not attempt to make
huts for themselves, and
they wear nothing but the light clothing |
which have described. AT night, how
ever, most of them slept by the fires,
like dogs on winters night.
All that night long Thomas Thorold