The Cannibal Islands | Page 7

he could be got to the fire.
At the fire, however, they did eventually arrive, and beside it passed a
dreadful night of anxiety, grief, and suffering. Of the twelve who had
set out on this unfortunate expedition in health and good spirits two
were dead; a third was so ill that it was doubtful whether he would be
able to go forward in the morning; and a fourth, Mr Buchan, was in
danger of a return of his fits. They were distant from the ship a long
day's journey, while snow lay deep on the ground and still continued to
fall. Moreover, as they had not expected to be out so long, they had no
provisions left, except a vulture which chanced to be shot, and which

was not large enough to afford each of them quarter of a meal.
When morning dawned nothing was to be seen, as far as the eye could
reach, but snow, which seemed to lie as thick upon the trees as on the
ground, and the wind came down in such sudden violent blasts, that
they did not dare to resume their journey. How long this might last they
knew not. Despair crept slowly over them, and they began gloomily to
believe that they were doomed to perish of hunger and cold in that
dreary waste. But the Almighty, who often affords help to man when
his case seems most hopeless and desperate, sent deliverance in a way
most agreeable and unexpected. He caused a soft, mild breeze to blow,
under the influence of which the clouds began to clear away, the
intense cold moderated, and the gladdening sun broke forth, so that
with revived spirits and frames the wanderers were enabled to start on
the return journey to the coast.
Before doing so, they cooked and ate the vulture, and it is probable that
they devoured that meal with fully as much eagerness and satisfaction
as the ravenous bird itself ever devoured its prey. It was but a light
breakfast, however. After being skinned, the bird was divided into ten
portions, and every man cooked his own as he thought fit, but each did
not receive above three mouthfuls. Nevertheless it strengthened them
enough to enable them to return to the ship, where they were received
by their anxious friends with much joy and thankfulness.
The month of December is the middle of summer in the land at the
extreme south of South America.
That land occupies much about the same position on the southern half
of this world that we occupy on the northern half; so that, when it is
winter with us, it is summer there. The climate is rigorous and stormy
in the extreme, and the description given of the natives shows that they
are a wretched and forlorn race of human beings. Captain Cook visited
one of their villages before leaving the coast. It contained about a dozen
dwellings of the poorest description. They were mere hovels; nothing
more than a few poles set up in a circle and meeting together at the top,
each forming a kind of cone. On the weather side each cone was
covered with a few boughs and a little grass. The other side was left

open to let the light in and the smoke out. Furniture they had none. A
little grass on the floor served for chairs, tables, and beds. The only
articles of manufacture to be seen among the people were a few rude
baskets, and a sort of sack in which they carried the shell-fish which
formed part of their food. They had also bows and arrows, which were
rather neatly made--the arrows with flint heads cleverly fitted on.
The colour of those savages resembled iron-rust mixed with oil; their
hair was long and black. The men were large but clumsy fellows,
varying from five feet eight to five feet ten. The women were much
smaller, few being above five feet. Their costume consisted of skins of
wild animals. The women tied their fur cloaks about the waists with a
thong of leather. One would imagine that among people so poor and
miserably off there was not temptation to vain show, nevertheless they
were fond of making themselves "look fine"! They painted their faces
with various colours; white round the eyes, with stripes of red and
black across the cheeks, but scarcely any two of them were painted
alike. Both men and women wore bracelets of beads made of shells and
bones, and, of course, they were greatly delighted with the beads which
their visitors presented to them. Their language was harsh in sound;
they seemed to have no form of government, and no sort of religion.
Altogether they appeared to be the most destitute, as well as the most
stupid,