Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-29
NEAREST THE POLE.
A Graphic Pen Picture Of the South
ernm0st City of the World.
ORIGINALLY A CONVICT COLONY,
II Rafns or SHOWS Every Day and the
Slush Is Always Ankle Deep.
THE LAST GLIMPSE OF TIN ANDES

rcoRREsFoNDENcE OF THE DrsPArcn.y
PUNrA ARENAS, PATAGONIA, Nov. l.
When we rounded Cape Froward-which,
as every school boy krows, is the southern.
most point of the Western Hemisphere
Cape Horn being on . tiny island 200 mile,
further south-the usual snowstorm pre-.
vailed, for we are months too early In these
waters for pleasure trip, which should only
be made during their brief summer time, in
December, January or February.
On the right cleaned a stupendous blue.
green glacier, shining like glass between
snowy mountains; on the left, line oi
wonderful craggy peaks, snow crested all,
looked like stucco work against the wintry
sky, or series of gigantic images done in
plaster. Just ahead, dark mass of rock
loomed up from the waters edge to height
of l, 200 feet, Joined to the range by low
strip of land, and that black mass is Cape
Froward, the tip end of the southern conti-
nent, place familiar enough in school-day
annals, but which few of Us expect to
behold with our mortal eyes
Last Glimpse of the Andes.
Directly south of 1t, Mount Sarmiento-
the most striking island mountain Of the
whole archipelago-rearsi its slmost perfect
pyramid 1000 feet into the blue A little
farther eastward is Mount Darwin, q peak
as lofty if not so famous; and south Of both
runs Darwin Sound, on whose southern
shore, in an English mission station, few
devoted men and women are striving (but
without pronounced success) to Christianize
the benighted TERRA del Fuegoans. At
dinner that day the Captain happened to
remark that this was our very last evening
within sight of the Andes, for the Ship
course would change during the night so
that those mountains would no longer be
visible. We felt as if he had said that some
old-time friends were about to bid us q final
adieu; and though snow was falling and a
bitter wind coating everything with ice,
stole out alone from the well-warmed cabin,
where others were waltzing to the music of
either and guitar, for last half hour with
those glorious heights which for two years
have been ever present companions-a per-
petual delight and inspiration, and an un-
failing solace when dangers or home-sick-
ness assailed
Beautiful Land Of the Sky.
From sailing due southwark we had
turned to the northeast, so that the sun ap-
peared to have sunk in our wake, while
halo of crimson and gold jet fingered on the
distant Andes-transfgured m untains now,
no longer barren and icy, but clothed in
But not for long. In less time than it takes
to tell it the brilliant colors faded and they
became mere ghosts of mountains, shadowy
and pale, wrapped in misty shrouds. In
the deepening twilight they seemed to be
keeping tryst with one who loved them
well, standing on tip-toe and peering one
over the shoulders of another, to return nv
mute farewell--tin darkness hid them from
view.
The following morning we found ourselves
at anchor off the coast of the nineteenth
province of Chile, opposite Punta Arenas,
the southernmost city on the face of the
earth; the home of the penguin, the sea lion
and the guanaco, where wind and storm and
the year. And here we disembark, armed
and equipped with sundry letters of intro
duction to the Consul, the Governor and
other persons in, authority, purposing to
spend three or four weeks (until the next
steamer of the line comes along and picks us
up), in exploring what we can of Southern
Patagonia and the Islands of TERRA del
Fuego.
southernmost City Of the World.
The site of Punta Arenas-which is Span
ish for "Sandy Point"-was certainly not
chosen for its beauty. It occupies long
spit, extending out :nto the strait, backed
by messy fields and low hills covered with
charred timber. and behind these rises .
range of loftier hills, covered with perpet-
ual snow, though their altitude is barely
], 900 feet.
Looking on map you will see that the
town is considerably nearer to the South
Pole than any other on the globe-nearer
even than the Cape of Good Hope or any
inhabited island-altogether too near for
any sort of comfort, for when it is not snow
ing in the strait it is always raining, high
winds never cease their bowling, and rag
ing surf in the shallow bay prevents boats
from landing about five days out of every
seven. The SQUALLS are known to seamen by
the Patagonian name of williwauas Soon
as the locality is approached sails are close
ly reefed and all light gear made secure, for
the "williwauas" usually come on without
the slightest warning and for the moment
blow with the fury of hurricane.
How did it happen that a town ever grew
in so distant and desoiate q spot? Nearly
half century ago On 1S43, L think) the
Cullcdu oONcIHuculs lOohluS luz
the most forsaken and cherries place where
human beings could possibly exist to which
they ght Danish certain political offend
ers, chose this remote corner of Patagonia
Originally = Penal Colony.
From it there seemed no way Of escape
but in speedy death, and Immediately after |
ward 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, 1000 |
miles aways they left behind all traces of |
civilization as well as all hopes of return.
Here they had no neighbors but the wild |
and war-like tribes of Patagonia and the |
savages of TERRA del Fuego, while on the |
west and south the dreary wastes of the
Pacific stretched away half the width of |
the world, on the north great untrodden
and on the east an impossible /
wall of snow-clad mountains.
The history of their early har dships and |
struggles for existence will never be known.
Nobody dreamed that they would survive
generation after generation, much less that
hey could elbow their way through such
sea of discouragements and bv and by COM
pei the mother country to acknowledge her
,astaways as valued citizens. Naturally
heir first care was to construct homes of
some sort, for many of them had been ac-
into exile by their
TenderIy Reared Wives and Families.
Except for the lack of tools, they had no
,reat difficulty in building houses from the
rees of the surrounding forest. Shell fish
ire abundant hereabouts, and they found
he finest celery and mushrooms growing
spontaneously. By experimenting they