Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-28

FAMILY OF TERRA DEL FrEGo INDIANA
The following morning we found ourselves at
anchor of the coast of the nineteenth province
of Chile. opposite Punta Arenas the southern
most city on the face of the earth; the home Of
the penguin, the sea lion and the guanaco
where wind and storm and cold prevail during
the greater portion of the year. And here we
disembark, armed and equipped with sundry
letters OF introduction to the consul, the gov
ernor and other persons in authority purpos-
ing to spend three four weeks until the
ext steamer of the line comes along and picks
rs up IN exploring what can OF southern
Patagonia and the Islands OF Terra del Fuego.
THE soCTHERyxosr CITY.
The site Of Punta Arenas, which is Spanish
for SANDY Point" was certainly not chosen
for its beauty. 1t occupies q long spit extend
ing out into the strait. backed by messy fields
and low hills covered with charred timber. and
behind these rises a range of loftier hills COW
cred with perpetual snow, though their alti-
tude is barely one thousand feet.
Looking on map OF the world Won will see
that the town Is considerably near to the south
pole than any other on the globe-nearer even
than the Cape OF Good Hope or any inhabited
Granddaughter too near for any sort of COM
fort, for when it is not showing in the strait
II is always raining. high winds never cease
their bowling and a raging surf In the shallow
bay prevents boats from landing about five
days out of seven. The captains log book saws
that squalls off the land are so very strong
here as almost to lay ships on their beam
ends, and are known to seamen by the Pata-
gonian name of williwauas. Soon as the local
ity Is approached sails are closely reefed and all
light gear male secure, for the ''williwauas'
usually come ON without the slightest warning
and for the moment blow with the fury of q
hurricane.
How did ii happen that town ever grew in
so distant and desolate a spot? Nearly half q
century ago (in 1913, L think the Chilean gov
eminent, looking around for the most forsaken
and cherries place where human beings could
possibly exist, TO which they might Danish GER
tain political offenders chose this remote cor
ner OF Patagonia, because from it there seemed
no way OF escape but In speedy death: and i'm
mediately afterward the penal colony Of Port
FAMINE. which had long occupied the site of
San Felipe. the old Spanish town which Sar-
miento founded. was removed to this point
when the prisoners, most of whom were men
OF intelligence and education, were driven from
their northern homes, thousand miles away.
they left behind all traces OF civilization AZ
well as all hopes Of return. Here thew had no
nelghbors but the wild and warlike tribes of
Patagonia and the savages Of Terra del Fuepo
while on the west and south the dreary VASES
of the Pacific stretched away half the width OF
the world. on the north q great untrodden will
derness, and on the east an impossible wall Of
snow-clad mountains
EARLY HARDsHIPs AND srRuoeLEs
The history Of their early hardships And
struggles Tor existence viii never be known.
Nobody dreamed that they would survive gen.
Grafton after generation, much less that they
could elbow their way through such . sea Of
discouragements and by and by compel the
mother country to acknowledge her castaways
as valued citizens. Naturally their first care
was to construct homes of some Sort for many
OF them had been accompanied into exile by
their tenderly reared wives and families. Ex
cept for the lack of tools they had no great diff
- A.
surrounding forest. Shell fish are abundan,
hereabouts, and they found the finest celery
and mushrooms growing spontaneously. By
experimenting they soon ascertained that Ger
tain yegetables-notably potatoes, cabbage
cauhnower and iettuce-can be probably
grown during the short summer time If given
very careful attention
Their earliest care was also TO establish
friendly relations with the Patagonian Indians,
NTH whom they commenced the purchase Of