Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-01-29
IN PATAGONIAN WILDS.
A TRAVELLER SPENDS AN HOUR ON
STRANGE SOUTHERN SOIL.

We arrived at Punta Arenas at about
8 o'clock in the morning. 1t was very
dark, and overhead the stars in count
less millions stood in relief against their
inky background like brilliant gems in a
vast setting of somber black. 1t was a
night of solemn stiffness, unbroken save
by the occasional barkings of dog on
the beach, and the weird cries of the
penguins and other wild sea fowl as the
ship silently stole among them and dis
turbed their slumbers. The shore on
either side was hanked by great tower
ing walls of frowning granite, whose
dim shadows, like giant sentinels stand
ing against the sky, appeared to guard
the entrance to another world beyond.
We were in the Straits of Magellan,
and had come to anchor of Punta Are
mas, Chilian convict settlement, about
| fifty miles distant from the Atlantic
coast. l had taken passage from New
/ York about month before on the Pa
cifc Mail steamship City of Panama, en-
route for San Francisco.
learned from the engineer that we
were to remain at anchor for six hours,
and then the wild desire seized me TO go
on shore. To set foot on Patagonian soil
was, to my youthful mind, an object
worthy of any sacrifice. The ships OIL
Gers were all forward, while from the
davits, near the stern of the vessel, the
captains gig" was swung ready to be
launched was powerful young fel-.
low then, and, though it was risky job
TO undertake alone, resolved to try it.
PULLED FOR THE SHORE.
1t was easy enough, however, TO lower
the boat into the water, and before many
minutes had elapsed wasrowing rapid
ly away from the ship into the darkness.
Here, you young scoundrel," | heard
the captain shout, and then followed
several pistol shots in rapid succession.
The captain had missed the boat, and
rightly surmising that | was the one in
it, had shouted after me, but without eff
feet. His voice reached me, but fortu-
nately his bullets, evidently intended to
frighten me, fell wide of their mark.
After half hours hard pull the boat
grounded on the beach and l jumped
out. Hauling the boat well up on shore
proceeded in the direction of a light
which ! saw in the distance.
Arrived at the spot saw that the
light came from small door or opening,
something like the entrance to an Es-
quimaux hut. The building itself was
a low, square structure of logs and rough
boards, without windows, and having no
other opening than the small entrance
before mentioned.
From the loud voices and sounds of
revelry coming from within, concluded
that party of sailors were inside hav-
ing jollifcation. Here's an advent
ure." 1 thought, and dropping on my
hands and knees began to crawl in. !
saw log fire burning in the center of
the room, which was filed with smoke.
Around the fire were dozen villainous
looking men.
That was all l cared to see, so l started
to go out, but having been seen by one
of the men general rush was made for
me, and | was seized and dragged to a
place near the fire. The smoke was
sitting, and my eyes smarted so that
could scarcely see. The men were talk
ing, as near as l could make out, mkt
ure of French and Spanish. Their garb
showed that they were convicts.
INSIDE THE HUT.
Here's a ge," l thought, as one of
them roughly seized my arm and -four
ished knife in my face, at the same
time asking me in French (Which un-
derstood) "What do you want here?"
With the best French l could muster |
l told my story, and then added that the
smoke was suffocating me, and that
desired to go out. After consultation
among the men 1 was handed large |
black bottle and told to drink to the |
welfare of La France" | took swal-
low of the stuff, which burned like sui
phuric acid. "La France. la France,
vive La Francen they all shouted, and l
yelled "Vive la Francel' in response. l |
was bundled through the little passage
way and landed outside more dead than
alive.
The dawn has just begun to break,
and when | reached the beach | saw that
the boat was gone. | shouted to the
ship, which lay about half a mile from
the shore, and rushed frantically about,
trying to attract their attention. What
if the ship should leave without me-"
thought, and then to add to my dismay
could hear the men on board at work
On the anchor
l had about given up in despair when
saw boat put off from the ship. 1.-The
captain has it in for you," said one of
Ihe sailors, as the boat drew near. When
[ reached the ship the captain amused
himself for something like twenty min
1tes in generally abusing and swearing
1t me, but was on board once more
md didn't mind it. Besides had been
ashore in Patagonia.
l have never learned what the men
Jaw in the log cabin were doing there at
hat hour of the night. They may have
oeen escaped convicts. For all l know
oeing smoked out may be popular form
If amusement in that part of the world.
New York Herald.