The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-11-27


describe as amazing things as their pre-
decessors had witnessed, and even went
further in their laudable efforts to keep
up European interest in the New World;
and so the fables crept into history, and
many of til, III sti find cle1ence.
Therefore, though we speak OF explor-
ing Patagonia and Terra del Fuego when
going into those regions of romance, IN
reality we shall remain within the new
boundaries of Chile for some weeks to
come. 1t would be hard to find more
dangerous voyaging in any part of the
world than off the southwestern coast OF
this continent where two bOundless
oceans come together in their sweep
around the hemisphere, and the vessel is
exceptionally lucky that can enter the
Strait or round the Horn without being
caught in gale. Looking on map you
will observe that the Andes break sud
denly near the tip end of the continent,
leaving the deep and narrow raVlne that
Magalhaens disc ,vered and that innum-
cradle small islands are scattered all
along the coast, separated from the mann
land and from one another by slender
threads of ocean. Most of these islands
are mountains, some of them rising out
of the sea to a height of several thousand
feet, and all are of picturesque outlines.
The winding ford between them, known
as Smyth's Channel, was scooped. out, SO
BIOLOGISTS say, by the action of ice dur
ing the glacial period, and is so narrow
in places that two steamers could not
POSSIBLY pass between the rocks and
cliffs that crowd to the waters edge.
Being thus protected from all the winds
that rage outside upon the open ocean,
the passage is perfectly smooth; yet it is
avoided by navigators because of the
powerful currents and the frequency OF
snow-storms that prevail here at all times
of the year. The few vessels that take
this course are compelled to anchor every
night, and also to "tie up" whenever
snow is falling, because of the great dan
ger of collision with icebergs in some of
the circuitous turns. Sailors prefer to
take their chances ON the open sea, where
there is plenty of room and they can keep
going by night as well as by day, rather
than linger in region where the sun
sets at three o'clock in the afternoon.
Winter is eternal so far south of the
equator, water freezes every night In the
year. and the line of perpetual snow be-
gins at an elevation of only two thousand
feet.
OF course no other than the channel
route would satisfy us, especially after
reading what that interchangeable traveller,
Vincent, who lately made the same jour
ney, has to say about it. Among other
good things, he writes: 1--WE had in
continual view a range of magnificent,
snOw-covered mountains, belonging to
the same great chain of Andes that eX-
tends, almost unbroken, from the 18th
mus of Panama to Cape Horn. The
CHILEAN mountains are OF the most fan
tastic description. Their contour Is i'll
finite. They are peaked, Jagged, dome
and pyramid shaped, and the amount OF
snow that adheres to their almost per-
pendicular sides is astonishing. There
are scores OF glaciers, too, as splendid as
any in Switzerland. How can give you
an idea of varying colors, the wlerdness,
and the utter saVagene IS of this Antarctic
scenery? An artist would lave, poet
would rhyme. Atfirst | thought of Nor
way. then of Switzerland, then of Be-
livia, aud then of India; but the unob-
structed view of these mountains on a
clear day--a very unusual thing in these
parts-is much grander than anything in
Norway, quite equal to anything in
Switzerland, and only surpassed by the
ranges OF Bolivia and India. Glaciers so
numerous and vast, SnOw-tields so meas
urelesS, | have never seen III any other
part of the globe. And to think that all
these beautiful and majestic scenes are
altogether unknown to the general tour
list and all but unknown To even world
wide travellers"
There are no American steamers in the
Southern Pacific, and those of the French
and English lines pass only through the
Strait of Magellan or aFound the Horn;
SO we chose the "KosmOS" line German,
which alone sends vessels regularly
through Smyth's perth. Our particular
steamer-Jhe newest and largest Of Il fleet
of filteen-all rejoicing under Egyptian
names-is called the OSIRIS" These
neat little German boats are remarkably
long and slender, being built ON the
narrOw-gauge plan, SO To speak, for pas
sage OF the IOrds. About twenty-five
tiISt-Class passengers just comfortably
fill the tables and all the cabins, and the
only ladies ON board are those of our
own party. Though the diversity of
languages spoken on board is almost as
great as that winch confused the build
ers of Babel, a pleasanter company never
found themselves cOUped together in
close quarters for long and dangerous
Journey i'll the stranSesU corner OF crea-
UiOn. There are authors and artists and
merchants and mine own RS aud curiO-
hunters, from Germany, France, russia,
England, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Argentine,
CUBA, Spdin-Dut the United States is
only represented by our unassuming
selves.
Indeed, it would appear nowadays as
if the nephews and nleceS of Uncle Sam
have no business down this way, and
there are those to the manor born and to
the manor adopted who are not backward
about expressing themselves to that
effect. Having TO wait some days i'll
Valparaiso for the steamers departure,
we had numberless opportunities Tor OBJ
serving how greatly public sentiment
against Americans has increased i'll
bitterness within the past few weeks.
And yet there is not a Chllian among
them who could give any reason for the
hate that is within him. Americans
have never done any harm here-il we
except few mOngrel American-Ch
politicians who were head and front Of
the late revolution, and are just now in
high favor. Jealousy is the moving
cause of ChilenO hatred-an evil passion,
cruel as the grave, winch is being indus
triUusly fUsJered against the United
States by certain English capitalists, who
have long been making too good thing
out of Chile to wish to spare any OF It's
commerce. Englishmen have had things
all their own way here SO long that they
have come to consider the undivided
Ioaves and fishes theirs by right. The
recent Pan-American Congress startled
item out of their tancied security, and
led them to realIze that Americans must
be held at bay, or their days of monopoly
are over. Among such cUmbustible ma