The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-02
THE ENDS OF CREATION.
Two Towns of the Extreme North and
South.

oOutn.
From the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
Do you know the names of the two towns
that respectively are the northern-most and
most southerly in the worlds They are
Hammerfest, Norway, and Punta Arenas,
Chile. The former is the capital Of Fin
mark, the extensive province or annex OF
Norway, which forms the extreme northern
portion of Continental Europe, and is situa
nted between the Arctic sea and Russian
Lapland. Finmark has an area of 1896
square miles. includes Norwegian Lapland
and comprises numerous islands. on the
northernmost of which is North Cape. 1t
has Important fisheries, which give employ
ment to the greater part Of a population Of
nearly 25 900.
Hammerfest is the Qual-oe whale Is
land, of which 1t is the chief port. and is
sixty miles southwest of North Cape. Its
houses are Of wood, and are painted on the
outside Communication between its quar-
ters is kept up by boats. Its harbor is de-
Tended by a fort.
Although situated In lat. TO- 40 2 N,
the summer heat at times Is oppres-
sive. and even throughout the winter the
temperature is mild enough for fishing to be
carried on. The sun stays two months
above its horizon. The town exports stock
fish, whale, seal and fish oil, skins, walrus
hlupS, bocbb, COppcA unu
Its population is about 100. In its
trade Norwegian. English, German and
Russian vessels are engaged. Thirty small
vessels are sent out early in the spring to
Spitzbergen to take part in the fisheries and
walrus hunting. Train and cod-liver oil are
manufactured in Hammerfest. Sailed fish
is the principal export.
On Funginass or Birds Cape, which pro-
tects the harbor on the north, stands a coll
umn, with an inscription In Morse and
Latin, stating that the town was the desti-
nation Of the expedition for the measure
nent Of the arc Of meridian. IL was also
the place chosen by Capt. Sabine for the
scene of his pendulum experiments.
Punta Arenas is Spanish for Sandy Point.
Il is situated upon level plain in the
Chilean colony OF Msgellanes, and on the
east coast of the Brunswick peninsula.
Back OF the town the snow capped mount
aims rise to the hight OF 900 feet
Its houses are almost all history, and built
irregularly. Just outside the settlement
are fields Of moss and low hills whose tim
Der has been burned. Opposite the point,
on the other side of the Straits Of Magellan,
is the Island Of Terra del Fuego, the Land
OF Fire, SO styled by Magalnaens, its Portu-
guese discoverer, because Of the great
number of fires which he noticed upon the
first night he approached its shores.
Punta Arenas was founded in 1S4S as a
pou0A bObblCLnoubs auO LUIS over SlOC6 Dben
known only as such TO those who have read
or heard of 1t. Its unenviable reputation
led to its decline in population until the
European steamship lines adopted the route
through the strait to the west coast Of
South America.
Then the town was used as a station of
call aud supply, and In 1868 Chile sent out
800 immigrants, with governor, to take
possession of 1t. The immigrants brought
along with them wood for building pur-
poses, and supplies to last until the land
granted them had been cleared and Guilt
waited.
Then the sending of the convicts there
was stopped. The military guard was
withdrawn during the war with Peru, and
the prisoners who consented to join the
army got ticket of leave. From 1868 to
1883 the population of the town increased
from 200 to 1000.
The soil is good, coal mines abound, end
gold and silver are found The coal mines
are worked by company, which pays the
Chilean government a small tax for the
privilege. A tramway brings to town the
coal. which is considered a good steam"
article.
Formerly steamers had to go to the Falk-
land Islands, 500 miles distant, to get their
supplies. Now they find them at Punta
Arenas. The crop of potatoes is consider
able, cattle thrive, mushrooms are obtain
seasons parrots, geese, ducks, snipe, wood
peckers, ibis and other birds are found.
Punta Arenas is the largest town in
southern-moSt Chile, and the only one IN the
strait. From the nearest settlement on the
Chilean coast to the first one on the eastern
side is a distance of about 1000 miles
and the voyage lasts from fifteen to
sixteen days, and Punta Arenas is the only
stopping place.
The population ia of the most varied kind,
Including ex-convicts, fugitives OF all sorts,
} castaway sailors, deserters from the navies
of all countries, Chinese. negroes, Po-
landers, Irish, English, Italians. Germans,
Russians, Portuguese. Spaniards, Hebrews
men from all Chimes types Of humanity.
| Every tongue seems to be spoken, and each
| language seems to have its interpreter.
| English largely predominates.
1t is a market for queer relics, shells, fly
! ing fish, sea lions tusks, serpents' skins,
| Cape Horn aRates, turtle SHELLS, armadillo
! tails, in which the PatagoniauS carry their
war paint; guanaco, seal and ostrich skins
| and ostrich rugs. The last named are made
| from the breasts of young ostriches, and are
| of softest down and loveliese plumage
| The plumes are plucked from the birds
| tails and wings while alive, but to obtain
the rugs the little ostriches are killed aud
skinned. Then the breasts are sewed to-
| gether. Different oolors are artistically
| blended. The rugs are used for carriage
robes, for the backs OF oouches or chairs
| for panels in front OF dress skirts, and for
! opera cloaks
| George Andrews of lowell with uIcars