The Republican journal., 1892-01-21
,,iue Charles South Land.

lE<ING THE >oUTHERNMosT ISLANDS
Il THE GLOBE.
,nial Correspondence of the journal.
Result MISSION STATION, CENTRAL
IRA DEL FUEGo. One morning, not
bny months ago, while we We're living in
nrago, card was brought to me in
tibed,
Mons. Jose Fagnano,
Dnerjor de la Mission Patagonia Moridin-
ally
IRA del Fuego-
&0eh ! recognized as that of a well known
{,Iian Jesuit, belonging to the order of
[fraanos de Carload. whose missionary
5k 10 this far south land has been more
.ce>sful than that or any of his pre-
c>sors, Protestant or Catholic.
| descending to the drawing ROOM. found
putly, dark-eyed. middle-aged gentle
H. in a black gown. black broadcloth
x Of circular cut like our old-timc
r,rcl-proofS. and shining shovel hat
1p ON both sides with cords and tas-
The good Father could not speak Il
ri English, and his knowledge OF the
,h language WAS almost as circum-
..u as mine OF the Italian; vet in true
Hl1stic fashion we managed the inter
somehow, with the result that be
80 interested in the unknown people
remote archipelago as t" promise
VIZ visit To the Jesuit Mission. And
aetoIe here we are. in the very centre
kug Charles South Land. where the
# Mhite women never came before.
lc area of this main Island OF the
rl del Fuego group is about y 260
res and like the rest of the archipela-
lis western coast is rocky and noun
nls. much broken by bays and inlets.
lie the eastern side is as level as an Hi
priirie and as densely wooded as
rilp1u Maine Notwithstanding its pre-
linz aspect of wild desolation and total
scupancy since the world began there
favored sections where the scenery
ais the best parts of England stretch
# moorland covered with grass 50 green
it is almost blue. fertile valleys. snow
rd mountains from J, 600 to 1000 feet
! M fresh water .akes perpetually black
i i with wild fowl. rivers wherein mug
of gold have been found, and eli
| r. resembling that of Canada up in the
son Bay region.
| ne heights are all volcanic, and every
| re >coliai and lava appears. The flora
c island includes many strange plants,
1 nnlV two of the indigenous ones are
| bic. viz. spoonwort and wild celery.
the two thousand or more native in
itantS never lack for food, though
q do not cultivate the soil. and the on
domestic animals seen among them
their lean and foX-like dogs, which
mar to receive great deal more con
| ration than is bestowed upon the
mem and children. The FuegoanS rt-
| HE solomon lilies in just one paltic-
/ tilat they toll not. neither d" they
/ They subsiSt almost exclusively up
the shell-tsll that abound along the
Us, (eaten raw supplemented by a
| lal fungus that breaks out like warts
/ the trunks of antarctic hceches. and
4 1c hald-tack and sea biscuits they are
1 t,cr begging from vessels passing
| ,ugl the straits.
Mons. Fagnanu tells us that before he
pc here the people had never lived i'll
| >es. but constructed the rl,lest kind
I heather breaks of poles and brushwood
/ ways five huts i'll a group if huts they
4 III be called with one fire built in the
inter-. Cold as the weather is, sleeting
1 showing nearly every day in the year,
~ wore no clothes whatever. except
l 4Sionally an uncured otter skin, whose
I Hrh would be uncomfortable to ANYBODY
Fuegoan. To this day, says the
tlre despite the efforts of all the mis-
naries, every one of them will sell his
| her last rag for a plug of tobacco or a
~ glass beads. and stalk home happy
tough entirely naked. There are now
bout 100 Indians in the mission, who are
to read and write Tin Span
and to do various kinds of manual la
H. The "Brothers of Charity have
ittled comfortable home for all who will
me into the station and abide by the
les, and furnish clothes. blankets anG
nd until they are able to provide fol
emselves. But, says Father Fagnano
4 is impossible to prevail upon the mos
dHlized of them, however bitterly the
nd may blow and snow may drift. to live
house which has any sort of door il
4 In every case the door must be takeI
: It's hinges and put away oul of sigh
vaure any Indian will enter the much
fcded shelter. II is also extremely diff
nit to persuade the women to take any
j le of their children. and the nearest
tproach to sewing which they can be in
eed to do, always with their own fish
ne needles. strung up with fiddle strings
Manaco quits to hitch together a few
lei skins to partially cover their naked
Ns
| Is may be imagined, life is not particu
Ply pleasant here for these pious city