The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-31
IN PATAGONIAN WILDS.
4 TRAVELLER SPENDS AN HOUR ON
STRANGE SOUTHERN SOIL.

Made to Drink to and Shout for France.
| Startling Experience in a Gillian Con-
vict Settlement.
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 off Punta Are
mas, a Gillian convict settlement, about
! fifty miles distant from the Atlantic
coast. l had taken passage from New
York about a month before on the Pa
cific 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 Off
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 fell
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 L was rowing rapid
ly away from the ship into the darkness.
Here, you young scoundrel," l heard
the captain shout, and then followed
several pistol shots in rapid succession.
The captain had missed the boat, and
rightly sur1nising that l 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
brighten 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 light
which saw in the distance.
Arrived at the spot L saw that the
light came from a small door or opening.
something like the entrance to an Els
quimaux hut. The building itself was
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 Notification. Here's an advent
ure." l thought, and dropping on my
hands and knees l 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 cared to see, so l started
TO go out, but having been seen 10y one
of the men a general rush was made for
me, and was seized and dragged to
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.
Heres a CO." l thought, as one Of
them roughly seized my arm and flour
ished a knife in my face, at the same
time asking me in French (Which | uu-
derstood), What do you want here"
With the best French | could muster
l told my story, and then added that the
smoke was suffocating me, and that l
desired to go ont. After a consultation
among the men | was handed a large
black bottle and told to drink to the
welfare of La France" | took a swal-
low Of the stuff, which burned like sui