The Republican journal., 1892-01-28
, White Mans Week in Terra del
FuegO.

Fuego.
PILGRIMAGE TO THE PLACE WHERE
THE FIRST FOREIGN RESIDENTS DIED
nF STARVATION. UNNAMED TERRIFIC
RIEs NOT MARKED ON ANY MAP. JOUR-
NAILS OF DYING MEN.
special Correspondence of the Journal. ]
rsHUwAIA, Terra del Fuego. We have
been making a rather melancholy excur-
son to Picton Island, away down in the
opighborhood of Cape Horn, where, at a
Eont appropriately named Starvation
beach. the first party of Protestant Mis-
,onaries who came to this part of the
world, met a cruel and lingering death.
probably you have heard of Captain Allen
lardiner, a gallant officer of the British
Ind finally his life, in fruitless endeavors
improve the social and moral condition
the degraded Fuegoans and Patago-
ans Being a zealously religious man,
d conceived the idea that he was called
au to go about the world preaching
gospel to every creature" and rescu-
hcathen brands from the burning. In
Stance of this notion he four times cir
uuaYigated the globe: visited the ~
| stands and the tiercest tribes of other
l mote places. AT one time, with a sin
| companion. he spent year III the Pat
| milan desert near Gregory Bay; at an
i en-. bent on the same GRAND. he took
family to reside in the Falland Islands,
| ich were then uncolonized except as Il
| ,iet station: and later he devoted HIM
| to this inhospitable archipelago, vain
/ ttempting to establish friendly rela-
| Terra del Fuego was at Banner Cove.
4 ron Island; but the llnappreciative say
II rs whose welfare has had 50 much at
lalt, pluhuered him of everything, and
| was compelled to leave to save his life.
| inning to England. with pious ardor
! hated, though he had spent all his own
-lrune without apparently accomplishing
| article Of good, he Went about the
Htry lecturing to obtain money enough
make another tlial-which resulted i'll
l. death. The ninth and last time he
Il England on missionary work, he
bought six companions to Terra del
/ 90. all of whom were as heathen- GRAZ
Is himself They were Doctor Rich
Williams a London surgeon who gave
good practice to follow out his pious
4 llictiuns MI. john Maidment, a teach
| oi Liverpool; Joseph Erwin, a mechan-
and three Cornish boatmen. Settling
Nil 'ieton island near Spanar'iS llarbor,
FtN experienced series OF misfortune 5
u Mich soon reduced them to eating mice
Ntayed fish and sea weed to sustain life
III lAnWhile the London mission undel
III use auspices they came, paid no atten-
VII TO their ntccssiti,s and failed to send
If promised supplies and after a year OF
II BE suffering, dining which the little
VII ~ displayed degree ot pious htroisn
III Thy the martyrs OF old, they died, one
LII ur, from slow starvation.
sI> later. culiuusly enough. we visit
Il tp scene Of the tragedy. under the
III lcts of the same society that allowed
u list missionaries to starve, in the
1 pucr which they gave named the
eu Gardiner" Every hour of the
IN aty was delightful, in spite of SNOW
is. sudden gales and frosty weather.
IN threading narrow channels thai
IN every direction between innumer
i'll uall islands- most OF them unnHm-
III unknown bits of volcanic soil not
{ rd ON Y map or chart the scene
| wc-inspilin@, and yet So peaceful
i was difficult to realize that we wer,
4 / few miles removed from that dread
l ajlste OF waters where two mighty
l rs rush together in ceaseleSs conflict
r. 4, portion of Terra del Fuego is un-
kgu to the world at large and entirely
sized except 10y Il few ventlresomt
- fes, who contine their operations t,
~ dgcs of the outer islands. Here are
af scenery compared to which the
sand Islands of the st. Lawrence are
lticant. Huge precipices meet the
4 and mountains covered with snow!
have never borne the impress of ;
kan foot. Some of the islands have
V1Q ftIed appearance, owing to Indian fire.
have burned the foliage off in places
IRE of clayey formations others arr
kaed with black lava but most of then
FL Teen, velvety and undulating. Mar
I passages fit only for canoes, tllougl
Oh deep, lead off in labylinthine fash
,Qnk nobody knows where, between dall
and ragged peaks. Anon we como
sheltered coves that are dreams o
. ny. within sight of silvery lakes ant
hs y" n4 streams and park-like stretche
eenest veIdure-all backed by mag
II nv. snow capped ranges. Wha
mig places here for picnic parties
. NY the necessity of furs and over
IIT and the daily likelihood of snow
But how unutterably lonesome
Ign Of human habitation appears,
ound to break the eternal stiffness
,nct mling spire of smoke-never tn
ii a bird, or the trace OF animal life
Co. hing to Indicate that man OF beas