The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-15

never thought of going through the straits-there were easier ways to turn your craft up on the hind legs. No' SIT we'd hang to the coast after leaving Per nambuoo. get close into the Horn, and go through the Straits of Lenaire.
 If this man is to be believed Admiral Evans has given proof that he is careful and sensible commander for he has engaged a pilot to lead the heet through in the person of Capt k. F. Green of the United States army trans port service Captain Green is 56 years old, and has made IT trips through the strait. His first trip was made in 1859 and his last a year ago, when he LOOK the lighthouse tender Juanita to the Pa eific coast
 He is quoted as saying: There IS no danger in passing through the strait II you know the channel. It is to all in- tents an inland sea. The water is deep and there are no heavy seas. It IS, or course. essential that pilot should know every foot of the channel"
 When Captain Clark brought the Ore gon through, on his memorable voyage from ocean to ocean in 1898, he anchored only once. The Oregon was favored on her passage, for calm weather and west erlv winds prevailed But Admiral Evans ships putting into these same westerly gales, will find progress more difficult.
 Starting from Cape Virgins the fleet will go to the south to avoid the danger ous sand shoals at that point. Then there is a straight run eastward through the First and Second Narrows and Famine Reach to Punta Arenas or Sandy Point Here the fleet will stop for five days coaling and reftting.
 At this time of the year it is summer in the Straits of Magellan, so that the fleet will have daylight from o'clock In the morning until or o'clock at nlgnt. Leaving Punta Arenas. the course IS southward to Cape Froward the south ernmost point of the mainland of the American continent. There the scenery changes.
 From Cape Virgins to Punta Arenas the country is low and rolling. Grazing lands dotted with white sheep are on either side of the straits, and there IS nothing impressive or grand. But from Froward the channel goes northwest through some of the widest scenery that can be found anywhere. The fleet Will pass between cliffs that rise straight from the sea to a height of 5000 feet or more and towering glaciers may De seen on either side of the channel. The nav fgation becomes more and more difficult and to the sailors who have passed through before, 1t is grim joke to call 
 At Cane Crosstides, near Cape Fro ward the tides from the Atlantic and the Pacific meet. The currents rush together in whirlpools and surf that test the nerves of the most experienced pilot. It will be the aim of Admiral Evans to have his ships at Cape Crosstfdes at high Wa ter to get the benefit of the tides both ways. but whether he can do this with the great fleet of battleships, destroyers and other auxiliary craft Is a matter of doubt in naval circles.
 Some officers are of the opinion, how ever. that the fleet will be able to double Cape Froward, pass through Crooked Reach Straight Reach and the tortuous channels beyond and reach the Pacific in one day Others assert that 1t will be necessary to anchor for one night be- tween Punta Arenas and Cape Pillar, the western entrance to the straits, as 1t Is unsafe to navigate at night.
 Admiral Evans when commanding the Yorktown made a trip through the straits in 1891 and gives a graphic ac- count of his experiences in his book, "A Sailors Log" A part of 1t reads. "Our second and last night in this inland sea we found most beautiful spot for the night, about 60 miles south of the English Narrows, which are the terror of all nav igators When our anchor was down we could just swing clear of the rocks which rose 1900 to 5000 feet straight up and down all around us, with a magnificent waterfall almost at our stern. It was as if we had dropped into weil-only our surroundings were perfect.
 "From this last anchorage we got under way at a. m., and before were ap- preaching the narrows, As we came up it seemed impossible that a ship could get through, indeed, there seemed to be no opening, the turns were so short. But she went through running 13M knots an hour, and 1t was beautiful sight to see her do 1t; at least the officers told me 1t was: I did not see much of 1t myself, for I had taken charge, and my blood was rushing so that I was warm for few minutes, anyhow. l remember afterward that every face-all the men were on deck-was turned to me. We were in the narrows scarcely six minutes and yet in that short time we had made nearly two complete turns.
 After we had passed the narrows 1t was all plain sailing and by in the afternoon We were out in the Gulf of Penas and the nasty Pacific was about us"
 As for the natives of that part of the world, they are said to be of the lowest and most primitive type. A description of the Patagonians by Lady Brassey is as follows: .
 ''The Patagonians inhabit, or rather roam, over vast tract of country. They are almost constantly on horseback. and their only shelter consists of toldos, or tents, made of the skins of the old guam acos, stretched across a. few poles. They are tall and strong, averaging six feet in height and are bulky in proportion. Both men and women wear a long flow ing mantle of skins, reaching from the waist to the ankle, with a large loose piece hanging down on one side, ready to be thrown over their heads when nec- essary, which is fastened by a large, flat pin, hammered out either from the rough silver or from a dollar. This, their sole garment, has the effect of adding great ly in appearance to their height. They never wash, but daub their bodies with paint and grease. especially the women Their only weapons are knives and bolas, the latter of which they throw with un- erring precision. They are quarrelsome, particularly when drunk. Nobody has been able to ascertain that they possess any form of sacred belief, or that they perform any religious ceremonies. Their food consists principally of the flesh of mares. troops of which animals always They also eat ostrich flesh, which Is con- sidered a great delicacy, as we'll as the fish the women catch and the birds eggs known to them, and bread is never used, though they do sometimes purchase a lit- tie flour, rice and a few biscuits on the occasion of their visits to the colony.
 Since Darwin unfinished his famOlls