Retrograde march--A look-out ahead--New specimens of birds
observed--To the right again--Large inducements to visit
Holland--Apparent effect--Council--Other tribes of Indians--Story
of a battle--Capture of wild horses--A royal speech worth
hearing--Deputation to Holland--A start and a sudden halt--Journey
commenced in earnest--Order of arrangements--First view of
Holland--A weary day and night--A boat--A short parley--Swimming
for life and liberty--A rescue--Farewell to Patagonia.
My hopes were soon cast down, by a decided movement to the westward.
Every step, I was convinced, lengthened the distance between me and the
spot where my most earnest wishes centred; for, though I knew not of any
settlements in this barren region, yet it was pretty certain that if
there was one it must be sought in the line of the Santa Cruz. Of our
latitude and longitude I could form no decisive judgment; but by the aid
of the sun, of which occasional glimpses were caught, it was easy to
take note of our direction, and I never retired to rest without taking
landmarks, and satisfying myself as nearly as possible as to our
whereabouts. At night there was a renewal of the discussions which had
once so nearly turned my brain, and now at times came near verifying the
plea which then saved me from destruction; but I was enabled to keep my
feelings in more equal check. Disappointed and care-worn, I spent the
night in commending myself to the mercy and good providence of God,
praying that he would soften the heart of the savage and open a way of
deliverance.
Among other matters that excited my curiosity, I was anxious to know
whether the Indians were expert swimmers. The only occasion on which I
had seen them attempt it was at the time of the accident in crossing the
river. Then two of them swam across, while the others floated on their
horses' backs, clinging to the mane. In answer to some questions dropped
on the subject, the chief assured me that they were all expert swimmers,
and could stretch off a long distance without resting, as they would
show me, but that the coldness of the season made the experiment too
unpleasant. Others of the tribe told the same story. The question was
interesting, for obvious reasons. I had thought a time might come when
it would be a very practical one.
Some new specimens of birds made their appearance from time to time. One
was a large black bird, resembling the turkey-buzzard, and subsisting on
carrion. Another resembled the snow-birds of the north. I had also seen,
near the sea-shore and by the lakes, several species of water-fowl,--one
not unlike the wild goose, but the chief said they were not good for
food.
Our course, the next day, was northward, and the day following turned
once more decidedly towards the east, whereat my hopes, varying with the
compass, began to revive, though their buoyancy was tempered by
experience of the uncertainty of Indian movements. Observing a spot
covered with small trees, over which a great number of carrion birds
hovered, we approached and found the carcass of a poor old guanaco,
which had most likely paid the debt of nature without compulsion, and
was stripped of its flesh by the birds. The chief broke some of the
bones and eagerly sucked the marrow, and then picked up the remainder to
add to the domestic stock of grease.
At the close of the next day we brought up at a ravine, and found our
camp by following it a short distance to a low flat. Proceeding to the
eastward all the next day, we ascended a high eminence, from which the
chief pointed in a south-westerly direction, and said that "Holland" lay
_there_. I strained my eyes in the quarter indicated, without, however,
making any discoveries, and with a strong disposition to think the Old
Boy was hoaxing me. At dark we defiled down a steep declivity, and
pitched our tents on the border of an extensive marsh covered with ice.
Here I renewed my arguments for speeding our way to the promised land,
dilating on the qualities of the promised rum in a style that would have
astonished the advocates of the Maine liquor law, and impaired the
confidence of those who had reasonably regarded me as a strict
temperance man. Indeed, the antics and grimace with which I enforced the
description, and illustrated the jovial effects of the creature,--the
boasts of how I would teach them, by its aid, to throw the lasso, and
perform most astonishing feats of horse-stealing and riding,--might have
induced a suspicion that I knew more of it than mere observation or
fancy could teach. But, however it may affect my reader, it produced
unmistakable contentment and satisfaction to my Patagonian auditors; and
that was what I aimed at. They looked and listened with watering mouths
and hoarse laughter, giving token that the balmy description was
appreciated to a most desirable degree. So evident was the impression
that I spent the next day running about and giving line upon line to
the most influential of the tribe, and succeeded, as I thought, in
awakening a degree of enthusiasm to move towards the place where all
these good things were to be got. In confirmation of this, I had the
satisfaction of being called at night to attend a solemn council.
It was a peaceful gathering,--they left their weapons behind,--but it
contemplated only a sort of preliminary inquiry; the Patagonians know
how to make their forms of procedure as tedious as any of our courts of
law, summary as are many of their dealings. They examined and
cross-examined very strictly, sifting my story with a severity which
showed that they were in earnest, and at the same time a little
suspicious. It was necessary to be on my guard at all points; and if
they had been more docile learners of arithmetic, and able to stick on
questions of number and quantity, it might have been a harder matter to
satisfy them. But, on the whole, the old story was stuck to with a
degree of consistency that produced the desired effect. Their confidence
was perceptibly raised, and, after a good deal of talk, the council
adjourned, every one more than ever disposed to visit "Holland."
While at this encampment, I observed on the ground about a dozen large
oyster-shells, that appeared to have been recently opened. These were
the first and only shells of the kind I saw in the country. I inquired
if they were plenty in that vicinity. They said they were not; none of
the tribe seemed to know where they came from, or anything about them.
The chief said that he and his people did not relish oysters, but other
Indians ate them. He did not like fish of any kind; no fish had grease
enough for them; none of _his_ Indians ate fish. This, and some similar
incidents and conversations, convinced me that there were other Indian
tribes in the vicinity. On one occasion I had noticed some places where
a tribe, probably as numerous as our own, had encamped. Their fires
appeared to have been very recently extinguished. Our tribe appeared to
be considerably disturbed at these discoveries, and I judged that they
were the traces of some enemies. It is certain that my captors had seen
some desperate fights, of which they bore the marks on their persons.
One of them had a deep scar on his breast, which he said was the mark of
an arrow-shot received from the _"Yamaschoner"_ Indians, a tribe that
use the bow and arrow. His description suggested the probability that
these were the Terra-del-Fuego Indians; but, on mentioning the
conjecture at a later period to a person I met at the Chilian penal
settlement, he informed me that those islanders invariably shoot
_poisoned_ arrows, which would not leave the victim much leisure to
describe their effect. The scar in question was a deep one, in the
region of the heart; and while I was examining it, the chief remarked
that the arrow passed through his body and came out at his back. On
examination, a distinct scar was visible on his back, so far
corresponding in form and direction with the one in front, that it
seemed likely to have been made by the same weapon. But how the arrow
could have transfixed him through the chest, without wounding the vital
organs, was not easily to be conjectured. The only explanation I could
conceive of was, that the fellow's heart was so much harder than any
material used for arrowheads, that the missile, instead of penetrating
that important organ, had glanced aside and passed without mortal hurt.
Enough had been developed to assure me that the tribe generally had
hearts of no ordinary toughness, capable of serving them for all
practical purposes wherein impenetrable stuff was in request; but the
tale of this miraculous escape gave a new impression of obduracy, and
entitled the hero to bear the palm among his fellows. I pretended to
pity him for his former sufferings, and went so far as to volunteer--in
case I should ever be permitted to enter the enemy's territory--to make
mince-meat of some of them, and so to avenge his cruel injuries. This
spontaneous sympathy and forwardness to take up his quarrel was
exceedingly gratifying to the sufferer and to the chief, and drew from
them a more particular narrative of the combat.
They were out on a horse-stealing expedition,--the usual occasion, it
seems, of Patagonian fights,--and made a swoop upon the camp of another
tribe. The objects of this felonious invasion asserted title to the
horses in their possession by certain tangible arguments, and induced a
mortal combat. And now Old Boy waxed eloquent, and especially displayed
that prime ingredient, "action." His broad-sword exercise was really
animated, and taught us "how fields were won,"--or would have done so,
but that, while his right hand was slashing the air with his good steel,
his left _would_ hold the bridle-rein, and his heels involuntarily drive
the spur;--in short, though it was a part on which he did not linger in
the narration any more than in the act, there was some tall running on
the occasion. So artlessly was the tale told, that while the hero was
cutting and thrusting and grunting, to make due impression of the
desperate bravery displayed in the encounter, his subordinate action
clearly depicted a running and retreating fight, and convinced me that
they got a sound drubbing for their pains. He said he killed one Indian,
with an air that would have done justice to the slaying of a regiment.
Shocking to relate, there were found persons who slanderously reported
to me that Old Boy's legs had the unhappy propensity of Pat
O'Flaherty's, whose heart was as brave as any man's, but his cowardly
legs ran away with his body; and they scrupled not to affirm that in
this same hard-fought battle he crawled into the bushes, and there
secreted himself till the cessation of hostilities enabled him to rejoin
his tribe.
The reader has doubtless noticed that "the tribe" has been all along
anonymous. The explanation comes rather late, but, in point of fact, I
never could learn that they had any distinctive name; they never used
any. Indeed proper names were very seldom heard. Even in conversation
concerning each other, they managed to avoid "naming names" as strictly
as so many honorable senators, though for no reason that I could
discover. By signs and gestures, and other hints, they indicated the
personal subject of remark, and seemed to suffer no inconvenience from
what would be felt among us as a serious want.
While out hunting one day with the chief, we ascended a slight eminence,
commanding a view of an extensive plain. The chief suddenly stopped his
horse, and looked steadily forward. I bent my eyes in the same
direction, and saw two or three mounted Indians moving towards a common
point. There was nothing unusual to be seen, but Old Boy seemed to
discover something. I inquired what it was. He answered by pointing;
and, on a second view, I observed a horse loose, which I took to be that
of some Indian temporarily dismounted. But the chief said they were
about to catch a wild horse, and forthwith dashed off at a furious rate,
bidding me follow. We were rapidly nearing the spot, when the two in
advance of us put their horses at top speed towards the lone horse that
was standing beside a clump of bushes. It suddenly ran before its
pursuers, followed by two colts from the thicket. The colts appeared to
be one or two years old, and were doubtless following their dam. One
Indian singled out the mare, and another the larger colt. The little one
did not lag behind. The chief and myself followed at a pace which would
have made a single misstep fatal to our necks; but fortunately our
horses proved sure-footed. On we dashed, helter-skelter, in a direction
to head off the pursuers, and to place ourselves nearest to the
affrighted animals. The mare yet holds the lead, and fairly tears up the
soil with her flashing hoofs. An Indian, in close pursuit, presently
swings his lariat about his head; but she makes a curve in her course,
and springs beyond the reach of his aim. Her pursuer once more gains on
her; again the lariat swings through the air,--he lets go,--the noose
catches her neck,--the hunter's horse turns suddenly off, and the rope,
securely attached to the saddle, brings the poor captive headlong to the
ground. The trained horse keeps a strain on the noose sufficient to
prevent her from rising, while the hunter dismounts and secures his
prize. The colts shared the same fate, and, with the mother, were
subdued and made useful to the tribe.
The scenes and reminiscences I have described did not prevent the matter
of most absorbing interest to myself--the projected visit to
"Holland"--from engaging due attention. The chief came home from the
council full of it. He was in royal good humor, and talked about it half
the night; but several objections arose, which it was necessary for me
to dispose of. These were met, apparently to his full satisfaction. One
of the most serious was the fear that the white men would revenge upon
him the murder of Captain Eaton. I assured him that so long as I was
with him he had nothing to fear on that score; the people were all mine,
and would do, or refrain from doing, whatever I should bid them. They
would not dare to lift their hands against him contrary to my orders, or
refuse to deliver what articles I chose to demand. Nothing, I found,
would do, but the assertion of absolute supremacy over all white men
whatever, the world around; less than this would not secure the
confidence of these savages, and I regulated my speech by the
necessities of the case. The chief inquired, half a dozen times over,
what I would say to the white men, and I as often rehearsed an address
for the occasion. At last his curiosity seemed abated, and we fell
asleep.
Early the next morning we were up and stirring, and the chief having
adjusted his toilet with care, a slight breakfast was made ready. This
over, his highness stood forth, and from the door of his lodge made an
official address to the tribe, wherein he set out the advantages of a
visit to "Holland," and suggested the most expedient style of making it.
He advised that a few only of the tribe should be deputed, with himself,
to accompany me, and receive the stores of rum, tobacco, bread, rice,
tea, butter, beads, brass, copper, and so forth, that were to be
forthcoming, as the expression of my gratitude for the distinguished
consideration with which they had treated me. Though royal speeches
seldom excite any jealousy of plagiarism, and it may seem a little
captious on my part to make such a charge, it is due to "the truth of
history" to declare, that herein the great Parosilver did but repeat a
suggestion which he did me the honor to receive with favor over-night.
It was not deemed essential to the case to inform his highness of _all_
the reasons that led me to wish for as small an escort as the nature of
the business would admit. On the contrary, acting upon the profound
maxim, that one _sufficient_ reason is as good as a dozen, and better
than that number of questionable ones, I merely advised, that, after the
experience which Captain Eaton and others had had of Patagonian prowess,
the sight of too many of his giants would frighten away the whites, and
prevent all beneficial communication with them; while the presence of a
small deputation would be a pledge of their pacific inclinations. The
speech from the throne proved less _moving_ than most of the chief's
effusions: his lieges listened with great interest, and an earnest
debate sprung up, at the conclusion of which it was decided that the
chief, with four other Indians and their squaws, should be my
body-guard, the rest of the tribe to follow after. Another old woman
begged to go with us, which was agreed to. The horse I had been in the
habit of riding was lame, and unfit for service; another was procured
for me.
Our simple preparations for departure were soon made, and as we were
about to start they all began bringing their dirty children to me, and
requesting that I would bring brass and beads for them all; which was
gravely promised, much to their satisfaction. There remained the last
act in the comedy for which I had been long rehearsing,--if, indeed, it
did not turn out a tragedy. The idea had early occurred to me, that if I
had some object to which I appeared very much attached, it might prove
to be for my advantage; the Indians might hold it, in my absence at any
time, as a sort of surety for my return. A belle from among the beauties
of the tribe would be effectual to that end; but, if no sentiments of
virtue had restrained me from this expedient, the filth and
unsightliness of them all were enough to insure continence. I chose,
therefore, a little white dog for a pet,--a dirty, thievish little
rascal;--but I fondled him in the style proper to a violent attachment.
It is true that when I saw him licking the meat designed for our repast
it was not easy to refrain from kicking his worthless brains out; but
this was a trifle to other things I had to endure, and I made myself
apparently so fond of him that the reality of the case was never
suspected. Now and then I indemnified myself by giving him, when
unobserved, a smart rapping for his misdeeds, though such chastisement
made but a slight impression on the object of it. As we were about
setting out, I was asked if I intended to take my dog. No, I told them,
he would be better off there, and when I returned he should have some
bread and other dainties to eat. The ruse more than answered its
expected end, in lulling all suspicion of my sincerity.
At last we were under way. The grand crisis to which all my diplomacy
and the utmost license of fiction had tended was near at hand. A strong
hope of deliverance braced my spirits, shaded, it is true, by a natural
apprehension of possible failure, and of the consequences that might
follow. With no great elation of spirits, but with a stern, severe
tension of all my mental energies, and a concentration of them into one
focus of resolve, I waved a farewell, which I hoped might be
everlasting, to the accursed gang of robbers who had tormented me so
many tedious weeks. "Good-by to Patagonia!" I mentally ejaculated, and
struck off with my escort; but had not gone more than an eighth of a
mile, when the party wheeled about and ordered me to follow them back to
the camp! I remonstrated, but it was of no use, and with a heavy heart I
found myself once more in my dirty corner of a wigwam. The horses were
turned adrift without a word of explanation, and the Indians sat down to
a game of cards, with as much indifference to everything else as if the
events of the past forty-eight hours had been a feverish dream. What
could be the meaning of it? I questioned the chief. He merely replied
that he would go by and by,--by and by; which, being interpreted,
probably meant when he pleased, and that convenient season might never
arrive! After I had teased him for a long time he took me to the door of
the lodge, and, pointing to the river, said it was "no good then;" it
would be "good" at night. What the state of the river, which was a
shallow stream, a branch of the Santa Cruz, had to do with the matter, I
could not divine, and was half inclined to vote myself fairly outwitted
by the Old Boy.
The day, a long one, at last wore off, and at night we once more set
off. We crossed the frozen marsh, and forded the river, and, after going
about two miles, stopped for repose. We took no camp equipage, and had
to shelter ourselves for the night under the lee of a clump of bushes.
We thrust our feet into the thicket, while our heads lodged out of
doors. In this interesting attitude I was made to repeat my wearisome
detail of promises, and to rehearse once more my contemplated speech to
the white men; which done, we dropped asleep. Waking early the next
morning, I found my head and shoulders covered with a fleecy mantle of
snow. Would the fortune of my expedition fall as lightly on me? I shook
it off, turned up my coat-collar, pulled my poor, more than half
worn-out cap over my ears, and so, partially protected from the storm,
rolled over, and again sunk into a slumber. The storm ceased at dawn of
day. I rose and went in search of fuel, while my dark companions still
slept profoundly. In an hour or two they roused themselves, and kindled
a fire. Meat, from a store brought along for our provision on the way,
was cooked, and served for breakfast. The scanty meal being despatched,
our horses were driven in, lassoed, mounted, and we resumed our journey,
in a south-easterly direction. At the end of about three miles another
halt was called, a fire was built to warm by, and the horses were
watered. The order of arrangements was discussed, and a fresh edition of
the promises and the speech critically listened to. Changing our course
a little to the right, we soon struck the Santa Cruz. The Indians
pointed far down the stream, and said, "There is Holland." I strained my
eyes in the direction pointed out, and thought I could discern an island
with several small huts upon it. A mile or two further on the north bank
brought us to the mouth of the river, in prospect of the Atlantic. The
island was directly opposite the mouth, and the lower part only appeared
to be inhabited. We halted. The Indians pointed towards it, exclaiming,
"Esta Holland sarvey! muchas casas, mucho mucho hombres, tene mucho
aquadiente, mucho travac, yeruen, arenar, arose!"--This is Holland, and
has plenty of houses, and abundance of men,--plenty of rum, tobacco,
bread, tea, flour and rice! I surveyed the spot in silence. This island
was of considerable extent, lying two-thirds across the wide mouth of
the river, its surface dotted over with little knolls or hillocks of
earth. Could it be that these were dwellings inhabited by white men?
Our horses' heads were now turned from the shore, and we rode back about
an eighth of a mile to a large clump of bushes, unsaddled our beasts,
and waited some time for the rest of our company, who had fallen in the
rear. They came at last, our horses were turned adrift, fire was
lighted, and, as the day was far spent, supper was in order. Then ensued
a repetition--a final one, I trusted--of the grand present to be levied
on the Hollanders, and of the speech which was to draw them out. The
Indians arranged that I was to hoist the English flag,--the colors of
the unfortunate brig Avon, which they had brought along at my
request,--and then to walk the shore to attract the attention of the
islanders. On the approach of a boat, I was to be kept back from the
beach, to prevent escape; for I found that they were not, after all, as
well assured of my good faith as might have been desirable. They
thought, moreover, that when the white men saw a prisoner with them,
they would come ashore to parley, and offer presents to effect his
release; in that case, there might be a chance, if the negotiation
proved unsatisfactory, to take bonds of fate in the form of another
captive or two. So, at least there was ground to suspect,--and some
cause to fear that the rascals might prove too shrewd for all of us!
After talking till a late hour, the Indians threw themselves upon the
ground, stuck their feet into the bushes, and were soon fast asleep. I
consulted the chief as to the propriety of modifying this arrangement,
by placing our heads, rather than our feet, under cover, since both
could not be accommodated. He declined any innovations, and told me to
go to sleep. I stretched myself on the ground, but as to sleep, that was
out of the question. I lay all night, thinking over all possible
expedients for escape. We had no materials for a boat or raft of any
description, and it was impossible to think of any plan that promised
success; so that, after tossing, in body and mind, through the weary
hours of night, I could only resolve to wait the course of events, and
to take advantage of the first opportunity affording a reasonable hope
of deliverance from this horrid captivity. Snow, sleet and rain, fell
during the night; and I rose early, thoroughly chilled, every tooth
chattering. A fire was kindled, and the last morsel of meat that
remained to us was cooked and eaten. The weather continued squally till
the middle of the afternoon.
After breakfast the chief went with me to the shore, bearing the flag.
On the beach I found a strip of thick board, to which I fastened the
colors, and then planted it in the sand. The bushes around, which have a
kind of oily leaf and readily ignite, were set on fire. I then walked
the beach,--but no boat came. When it cleared up sufficiently to see, I
observed little objects moving about on the island. The day wore away
with fruitless attempts to attract their attention. With an aching heart
I returned, at dark, to the camping-ground. On this island my hopes had
so long centred,--if they were now to be disappointed, how could I
endure it? The Indians began to talk of rejoining the tribe the
following day. I opposed the motion with all the dissuasives at command,
assuring them that, at sight of our flag, the islanders would surely
come over in a boat, and that, if they would only wait a little, they
could go over to the island and enjoy themselves to their hearts'
content; representing the absolute necessity that I should procure the
rum, &c., we had talked of, and how embarrassing it would be to go back
to the tribe empty-handed, after all that had been said, to be ridiculed
and reproached. It would never do. Our conversation was continued till
quite late, when we ranged ourselves, hungry and weary, for another
night. For hours I was unable to sleep. The uncertainties of my
situation oppressed me, and I lay restless, with anxiety inexpressible,
inconceivable by those whom Providence has preserved from similar
straits. It was a season of deep, suppressed, silent misery, in which
the heart found no relief but in mute supplication to Him who was alone
able to deliver. Towards morning, exhausted with the intensity of
emotion acting on an enfeebled body, I slept a little, and woke at early
dawn, to a fresh consciousness of my critical position.
The weather had been fair during the night, but there were now
indications of another snow-storm. I waited long and impatiently for my
companions to awake, and at last started off in quest of fuel; on
returning with which, they bestirred themselves and started a fire,
which warmed our half-benumbed limbs. There lay the little island,
beautiful to eyes that longed, like mine, for a habitation of
sympathizing men, about a mile and a half distant; it almost seemed to
recede while I gazed, so low had my hopes sunken, under the pressure of
disappointment and bitter uncertainty. A violent snow-storm soon
setting in, it was hidden from view; everything seemed to be against me.
It slackened, and partially cleared up,--then came another gust, filling
the air, and shutting up the prospect. In this way it continued till
past noon; at intervals, as the sky lighted up, I took a fire-brand, and
set fire to the bushes on the beach, and then hoisted the flag again,
walking wearily to and fro, till the storm ceased, and the sky became
clear. The chief concealed himself in a clump of bushes, and sat
watching, with cat-like vigilance, the movements of the islanders. After
some time, he said a boat was coming; I scarcely durst look in the
direction indicated, lest I should experience a fresh disappointment;
but I did look, and saw, to my great joy, a boat launched, with four or
five men on board, and pushing off the shore. On they came; the chief
reported his discovery, and the rest of the Indians came to the beach,
where I was still walking backward and forward. The boat approached, not
directly off where I was, but an eighth of a mile, perhaps, to the
windward, and there lay on her oars.
[Illustration: The Escape. Page 160.]
The Indians hereupon ordered me to return to the camping-ground; but,
without heeding them, I set off at a full run towards the boat. They
hotly pursued, I occasionally turning and telling them to come on,--I
only wanted to see the boat. "Stop! Stop!" they bawled. "Now, my legs,"
said I, "if ever you want to serve me, this is the time." I had one
advantage over my pursuers; my shoes, though much the worse for wear,
protected my feet from the sharp stones, which cut theirs at every step;
but, under all disadvantages, I found they made about equal speed with
myself. As I gained a point opposite the boat, the Indians slackened
their speed, and looked uneasily at me; the man in the stern of the
boat hailed me, inquiring what Indians these were, what number of them,
and how I came among them. I replied in as few words as possible, and
told him we wished to cross to the island. He shook his head; they were
bad fellows, he said; he could not take me with the Indians. They began
to pull away! I made signs of distress, and waved them to return,
shouting to them through my hands. The boat was again backed within
hailing distance. "Will you look out for me, if I come by myself?"
"Yes!" was the prompt reply. The Indians, all this time, had kept within
ten or fifteen feet of me, with their hands on their knives, and
reiterating their commands to come back, at the same time edging towards
me in a threatening manner. "Yes, yes," I told them, "in a moment," but
I wanted to look at the boat,--taking care, however, to make good my
distance from them. At the instant of hearing the welcome assurance that
I should be cared for, I drew out the watch (which I had brought,
according to promise, to have a new crystal inserted at Holland), and
threw it into the bushes; the salt water would spoil it, and, if I
_should_ be retaken, the spoiling of that would be an aggravation which
might prove fatal. At the same moment I gave a plunge headlong into the
river; my clothes and shoes encumbered me, and the surf, agitated by a
high wind, rolled in heavy seas upon the shore. The boat was forty or
fifty yards off; and, as the wind did not blow square in shore, drifted,
so as to increase the original distance, unless counteracted by the
crew. Whether the boat was backed up towards me, I could not determine;
my head was a great part of the time under water, my eyes blinded with
the surf; and most strenuous exertion was necessary to live in such a
sea. As I approached the boat I could see several guns, pointed,
apparently, at me. Perhaps we had misunderstood each other,--perhaps
they viewed me as an enemy! In fact, they were aimed to keep the Indians
from following me into the water, which they did not attempt. My
strength was fast failing me; the man at the helm, perceiving it,
stretched out a rifle at arm's length. The muzzle dropped into the
water, and arrested my feeble vision. Summoning all my remaining energy,
I grasped it, and was drawn towards the boat; a sense of relief shot
through and revived me, but revived, also, such a dread lest the Indians
should give chase, that I begged them to pull away,--I could hold on.
The man reached down, and seized me by the collar, and ordered his men
to ply their oars. They had made but a few strokes, when a simultaneous
cry broke from their lips, "Pull the dear man in! Pull the dear man in!"
They let fall their oars, laid hold of me, and, in their effort to drag
me over the side of their whale-boat, I received some injury; I
requested that they would let me help myself; and, working my body up
sufficiently to get one knee over the gunwale, I gave a spring, with
what strength was left me, and fell into the bottom of the boat. They
kindly offered to strip me, and put on dry clothes; but I told them, if
they would only work the boat further from the shore, I would take care
of myself. They pulled away, while I crawled forward, divested myself of
my coat, and put on one belonging to one of the crew. Conversation,
which was attempted, was impossible; it was one of the coldest days of a
Patagonian winter,--I was chilled through, and could only articulate, "I
ca-n't ta-lk now; I'll ta-lk by a-nd by." Some liquor, bread and
tobacco, which had been put on board for my ransom, on supposition that
this was what the signal meant, was produced for my refreshment. The sea
was heavy, with a strong head-wind; so that, though the men toiled
vigorously, our progress was slow. I was soon comfortably warmed by the
stimulants provided, and offered to lend a hand at the oar; but the
offer was declined. The shouts and screams of the Indians, which had
followed me into the water, and rung hideously in my ears while
struggling for life in the surf, were kept up till distance made them
inaudible. Whether they found the watch, whose mysterious tick at once
awed and delighted them, and restored it to its place of state in the
chief's lodge, or whether it still lies rusting in the sands by the
sea-shore, is a problem unsolved.
The boat at last grounded on the northern shore of the island; Mr. Hall,
the gentleman who commanded the party, supported my tottering frame in
landing; and, as we stepped upon the shore, welcomed me to their island.
I grasped his hand, and stammered my thanks for this deliverance, and
lifted a tearful eye to Heaven, in silent gratitude to God. I was then
pointed to a cabin near by, where a comfortable fire was ready for me.
"Now," I heard Mr. Hall say, "let us fire a salute of welcome to the
stranger. Make ready! present! fire!" Off went all their muskets, and a
very cordial salute it appeared to be. He soon followed me, took me to
his own dwelling, supplied me with dry clothing, and, above all, warmed
me in the kindly glow of as generous a heart as ever beat in human
bosom.
I was captured by the savages on the 1st of May, and landed upon the
island on the 7th of August.