Vlll PREFACE 



and of guanacos, trunks of trees, and sucli evidence of the 

 existence of man as a boat, a spar, an oar, a companion ladder, 

 a ship's draught-board painted in black and white chequers on 

 a stout piece of plank, and other wreckage. 



What stirring associations have these winds and waves and 

 shores with the great ocean explorers in days gone by — 

 ^lagalhaens, Drake, Sarmiento, Richard Hawkins, Cavendish, 

 Van Noort, Narborough, Anson, Byron, Bougainville, Wallis, 

 Carteret, Cordova, B. Gr. and G. de Nodales, Cook, Weddell, 

 King, Stokes, Fitzroy, Ross! How immortal are the memories 

 of these men in Port Famine, Cape Penas, Last Hope Inlet, 

 Port Desire, Cape Froward, Cape Deceit, Grood Success Bay, 

 Fury Harbour, Useless Bay, Cape Providence, Devil's Basin, Bay 

 of Mercy, Desolation Island — each telling its tale of origin, the 

 details of which one may learn how to fill in from personal 

 experience ! 



In spite of its terrific elements and inevitable privations, 

 these old time voyagers were, for the most part, impressed 

 with its being a good land. 



Magalhaens, its discoverer, on the 21st of October, 1520, says, 

 " There is not in all the world a more healthy country, or better 

 strait." Drake experienced as great hardships and disasters as 

 any, including the foundering of the " Marigold " with all hands 

 under his eyes, yet concludes it " a place, no doubt, that lacketh 

 nothing but a people to vse the same to the Creator's gior}'." 

 Hawkins considered it " a goodly champion country." 



Personally, in these latter days I was fascinated by Tierra 

 del Fuego, from the time of first setting eyes on it that morning 

 until I came to leave it six months later, after seeing winter go, 

 and summer come, and go again. I doubt if there is another 

 land on earth concerning which more misconception prevails — 

 partly owing to its geographical position whence it is inferred to 

 be so cold as to be uninhabitable ; partly owing to its misleading 

 name, pre-supposing abnormal heat, whereas originally this 

 had reference to the fires of the natives along shore. Both 



