The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-29
N PATAGONIAN WILDS.
TRAVELLER SPENoG AN HOUR ON
STRANGE SOUTHERN SOIL.

HMde to Drink to and shout for France. |
Startling Experience In n Gillian Con-
vict ssttie.nent.
We arrived at PUnta Arenas at about
o'clock IN the morning. /. was very
dark, and overhead the stars In count
less millions stood in relief against their
inky background ike brilliant gems in
vast setting Of somber black. Il was a
night Of solemn stiffness, ulbroken save
by the occasional bae2dLgs Of deg 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 fanl,ed b. great tower
ing walls Of fTowning granite, whose
dim shadows. like giant senlnels stand
ing against the sky, appeared to guard
the entrance TO another world beyond
We were in the Straits Of I&ranan,
and had come to anchor eli Pupta Are
mas, Chihan convict settlement about
fifty miles distant from the Atlantic
coast. | had taken passage from New
York about q month before on the Pa
cifc Mail steamship City Of Panama, en-
route for San Francisco
| learned froC the engineer that we
were to remain at anchor for six hours,
and then the wild desire seized me to 20
on shore. To set foot on Patagonian soil
was, to my youthful mind, an object
worthy of any sacrifice. The ships Off
GERS were all toward, while from the
davits, near the stern of the vessel, the
captains gig" was swung ready to be
launched. was a powerful young fell
low then, and, though it was q risky job
to undertake alone, l resolved TO try it.
PULLED FOR THE SHORE.
It was easy enough, however, to lower
the boat into the water, and before many
minutes had elapsed was rowing rapid
ly away from tho ship into the darkness.
Here, you yoGng scoundrel," | heard
the captain shout, and then followed
several pistol shots in rapid succession.
The captain had missed the boat, and
rightly surInislug that | was the one in
1t, bad shouted aEGer me, but without ef-
feet. His voice reached me, but forsu-
nately his bullets, evidently intended to
frighten ne, fell wide of their mark.
After half hours hard pull the boat
grounded on the beach and / jumped
out. Hauling the boat well up on shore
| proceeded in the direction OF light
which saw in the distance.
Arrived at too spot | saw that the
light came from a small door or opening,
something like the entrance to an Es-
quimaux hut. The building itself was
3 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
revelTy coming from within, concluded
that a party of sailors were inside hay
ing lOllifcatiOn. Here's an advent
ure." | thought, and dropping on my
hands and knees | began to crawl IN. |
saw q log fire burning in the center Of
the room, which was filed with smoke.
Around the fire were a dozen yillainous
looking men.
That was all cared to see, so started
10 go out, but having been seen by one
Of the men a general rush was made for
NE, and | was seized and dragged to a
place near the fire, The smoke was
t!fins, and my eyes s;narted SO that [
:,ould scarcely see. The men were talk
~ q llllN
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THO davy, bea ina+ b.o,,r 70 hraak
-! when | reached the beach [ 81 aU that
ne boat vas gone. | shouted to the
,.2iD. which lay about half a mile from
lie shore, and rushed frantica,:y about.
l>iuy to attract their attention. .What
| + the sa.p sho1ll leave without ne" I