Tensas gazette., 1915-03-05
PILD and wonderful is the
scenery in the Straits of Ma
gellan, which separate Pata-
gonia from TERRA del Fuego,

gonia from TERRA del Fuego,
but comparatively few world
travellers ever get to that remote part
of the globe. In the Boston Globe An
drew Sibbald gives this description Of
the waterway and its shores:
Starting on a cruise from the Eng
lish settlement at Stanley, the chief
town of the Falkland islands, and after
being tossed about at sea, we. sighted
the cliffs of TERRA del Fuego. AS we
went along the scenery was exceed
ingly lovely; from the open sea and
stormy winds it was a pleasant change
to be comparatively at rest on near
ing the land, and to look on the quick
ly changing beauties of Natures pano-
rama, like transformation scene not
to be surpassed.
Fancy a small vessel alone, in a
region little known, with a landscape
OF rugged grandeur all around, ap-
preaching what appears in the dis
tance to be chaos of wild and lofty
mountains, with no apparent outlet,
or, indeed, termination.
On ascending to the masthead one
could see the channel getting mar
rover, and our onward passage
stopped. apparently, by a low range Of
hills in the foreground; at the back,
jagged peaks and huge mountains in
all their solemn but barren sublimity.
On the left was Navarin island, in
some parts high, but not SO lofty as
it seemed in the distance; on the
other side was also high land, but at
its base were several islands and wa.
ter passages leading by various gorges
to the Magellan straits.
We now approached the narrows,
which are between clay cliffs: they
form the entrance to the Beagle chan
mel, so named from the ship whose
captain discovered 1t, and the tide,
which before had been gentle, now be-
gan to increase in swiftness; the pas
sage through which we were sailing,
and which had been nearly straight.
began to develop more curves and
the depth of water decreased.
We had gentle breeze as we glided
swiftly past the narrows and many
islets, all equally pretty; penguins and
other birds we're seen in immense
numbers around us.
A little longer and a fresh bend In
the channel discovered new beauties
as different from what we had just
seen as possible; 1t reminded one OF. q
rapid transition from the plains of
Lombardy to the gigantic peaks Of the
Rocky mountains.
In Beagle Channel.
But 1t is almost impossible to do
justice to the scene; the effect Of the
suns rays as they glanced on the
snow-capped mountains before US, as
we quickly shot by the last projection
Of the narrows and entered the huge
natural canal which forms the Beagle
channel, was magnificent. Glancine
at the clay cliffs in our rear. the pas.
sage seemed to have shut In behind
us, and left US no outlet save far
ahead.
In all these bold and lonely places
there was a mysterious quiet, which
gave the scenery around truly alpine
look; lofty mountains were on view
and those bounding our sight ahead
were quite bare and Of a conical shape.
A very vivid imagination could easily
convert some of the cupola-shaped
mountains In front of US, at the ex.
treme verge of our view, into so many
cathedrals with their lofty spires.
Those on our right we're destitute
of verdure in many places, like the
bald spots on a mans head, but with
vegetation around such spots; on our
left were the Cedrington mountains on
Navarin island. dark, frowning masses
with singular peaks, something like
sugar loaves; and the scene was diver.
sified by the brown submits Of other
mountains peeping up free from the
perpetual snow. their lower parts
clothed with q mantle Of green.
BY this time we had glimpses Of the
natives, covering the rocks and beach.
closely watching us; they were uni.
versally naked. wild and shaggy look.
ing with long spears in their hands.
Their canoes on both sides Of us
shot out from sheltered corners and
tried to overtake US, still shouting
with all their might. But our speed
was too great for them to get up to
us, for they only started from the
shore as we came abreast Of them.
At no great distance ahead lay q