PEEFACE 



What a land of mystery is Tierra del Fuego, even to its TIERRA 



, DEL 



very name ! FUEGO 



It was by accident, and not by design, that I came to realize 

 this remote extreme of the Earth. 



On my landing at Punta Arenas from the " Milton " in August, 

 1904, for the purpose of travel in Patagonia, that country proved 

 weather-bound and impenetrable in one of the worst winters 

 ever known. I had not reconciled myself to remaining where I 

 was in idleness for two months, when a welcome alternative was 

 oflfered me by Mr. Moritz Braun, Director-General Sociedad 

 Explotadora de Tierra del Fuego, who suggested my seeing 

 something of that island under exceptional facilities generously 

 afforded by him. 



Nothing loath, I embarked overnight in a little coasting 

 steamer, the " Magallanes," proceeding thither ; and the following 

 morning landed at the head of Useless Bay. 



My first sight of the island was weird and unearthly indeed, 

 coming as I did direct from the tropics and summer in the 

 northern hemisphere, as it gradually unfolded itself in the 

 slowly-coming blue-grey light of a winter's morning. Grey 

 sky, grey sea, grey beach, the land white, and the black rocky 

 crests of snow mountains standing out in threatening relief 

 suspended between earth and heaven. What a study the 

 sea-shore, here, where the two greatest oceans meet and sweep 

 round the tail of the greatest continent ! What tremendous 

 force of wind and water ! Piled up in such confusion as to make 

 one stand aghast in contemplating it are masses of sea-weed with 

 rocks attached, mussel and limpet shells, the bones or entire 

 carcases of whales — large and small, the carcases of sea lions 



