Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-02-20
IN DREARY PATAGONIA.
THE MOST FoRBiDDINo COR
NER OF THE WORLD.
where i, SHOWS or Rains Every Day,
aud Twilight Fails az 4 O'Clock
Mountains OF Green aud
Blue Ice aud SNOW.

The Patagonian Channels. OF which
there are many besides the one named
'Smythe, are remarkably alike In
general features - some broadening
out four or i've miles, others narrow
ing 10 ships length. writes Fannie
B. Ward. in the Detroit Free Press.
All OF them have high, abrupt shores
showing inuumerablo peaks and head
lands whose dark and rugged shapes
lend an appearance Of gloomy grandeur
rarely 10 be seen elsewhere
Probably the weather has much 20
do with the prevailing dreariness for
the sun never shines brightly on tins
forbidden corner OF the creation
where il SHOWS or rains every day Ia
year and twilight falls at 4 o'clock.
The only species Of yerdure found so
far from the equator are eyergreens
aud antarctic beeches and those are
everywhere blackpning the mountain
sides from tbs waters edge TO the
height Of several thousand feet like
sponge wiki ceaseless moisture. By
and by We come 10 glAciers-- mount
ANS Of green aud blue Ice, with crests
o! snow. stretching ten iitteen and
twenty miles in unbroken grandeur.
beside which those OF Switzerland and
Norway dwlndie into iusigniAcance
The highest peak Of this region Is
Mount Saymiento la what Is known
as CockDgrn Channel. which rears
conc o. spoticss snow nearly z, 600 feet
straight up from tho blue Pacific nj
iys icoL rs beauty is enhanced by
numerous b.ue.tinted glaciers descend
Ing from Ills summ!i--as Darwin who
ouce saw H. said. Like "a hundred
frozen Niasaras On the coast Of
Southern hii AS on that OF Norway.
tho iord5 are not Only very narrow
bJl very deep and tic tides run with
restless torte.
Before entering tho English Mar
rows every vessel slings out iis boats
hn.i lowered 70 30 ready IN case OF
running upon rock OF rect The on
tire crew j. told OF for special service
III ease 81 any emergency. 4 number
stand 70 sae s.orn prepared 70 rig Tho
auxiliary Steering apparatus 10 the
taiEsiine ut Hn eye should that Ia
customary use give way Tho boat
swain ard carpenter remain al the
w.nd.ass il the PROV ready 20 let go
At moments notice in onc place
this channel = barely coo feet across
with slack water on ouy slide and
powerful current on tho Other.
Mcssicr Channel Is not much wider.
with walls " perpendicular rock on
both sides from .. go 10 5. OUO feet
high, Near is farther end is huge
doiue.shapcd mountain mass o.
solid granite without sign OF ycr.
durc down which cascades tr!cklc
some Of them frozen into miniature
glaciers
Every afternoon. Immediately on
coming % Auchur so ns 20 mako tho
most % the short twilight tho cap.
tain allowed his passengers 30 60
ashore himself selecting the best
landing places Sailors were detailed
% inko care OF the picknickers to
build huge fires by piling brushwood
around some tall Pine trce and to
roast IN is ashes the mussc!s that lit
orally line the rocks
On ihcsc uncAaay excursions no.
body yontufcd far inland deferred rs
much by fear Of prowling Patagonihus
MS by the deep wct moss There arc
mother reptiles nor dangerous beasts
10 be encountered here for animals
know bei,or than to make their homes
so near the inhospiiablo south pole.
But one hns reason to be afraid OF the
indigenous human species ihouS
rarely met unless his party ouinumbers
thnirs.
One windy afternoon In tho half
hour between sunset and darkness |
wandered alone short distance from
tho signal.iire and found cluster Of
deserted huts sot close 10 the beach,
each surrounded by mighty pile Of
musscl shells Tho nomadic Indians
OF this section. subsisting on berries
and raw scn food. roam from place 20
place, according 10 the season. They
build huis in favorite localities for
use whenever they return thereto
skeleton houses made by planting both
ends OF 1.-THE poles, inierlaced IN the
ground. on top OF which skins can DO
spread when the owners wish 10 occu-
py them. Each hut was about three
feet high by perhaps five feet across,
shaped precisely like an inverted bas-
kct Trying to fancy how II would
feel 20 be Patagonian, | crawlod into
eee OF them. and was rewarded for my
l0wly -mindedness by finding fishing
spcar made OF long bone notched on
one side like saw-teeth, and a bag-likc
basket OF woven reeds.
uinnows In Ponds.