VALPARAISO.
In a few days after our ostrich-hunt, our preparations for leaving
Wellington Sound and our kind Patagonian friends were complete. Walgilka
was very pressing in his desire for us to defer our departure, promising
us all the hunting we could desire, but duty was duty, so we bade
farewell to him and his people, and hoisted sail.
The American Government had agents in the Chilian port of Valparaiso,
whom it was important for Captain Joker to see, and it was therefore
decided to make sail in that direction. Another inducement for entering
Valparaiso was our scarcity of hands, owing to the depletion our crew
had suffered through the many detachments we had been compelled to make
in the way of prize-crews. We hoped to obtain some recruits among the
merchantmen of Valparaiso. But there was even more difficulty in
entering this port than we had experienced at Rio, because the former
was then one of the principal rendezvous of the British Pacific
squadron, and we expected little mercy if we should be so unfortunate as
to run afoul of one of them.
Nevertheless, we had been so successful thus far that we were not by any
means specially apprehensive. We had not lost a single man since we
started. But now, on our way to Valparaiso, there was a little event
happened on board the Queer Fish, which, though it at first appeared
trifling, was afterward viewed in the light of importance.
Little Willie Warner, our pretty cabin-boy, received a severe contusion
of the head by a fall down the companionway, and had to go under medical
treatment in consequence. He had always been exceedingly quiet and
reticent, but was beloved by the whole crew on account of his gentleness
and beauty. Every kindness was now evinced for him from every quarter.
The captain especially was very considerate. He allowed Roddy Prinn to
be nearly altogether excused from duty, in order that he might wait upon
his little chum--a favor for which Roddy was exceedingly grateful. The
doctor--I have forgotten to mention him; he was a good old body by the
name of Benedict--the doctor was very attentive to Willie Warner, and
always had something encouraging to say about his charge.
But, one day, we noticed Doctor Benedict come hastily up from below,
looking very queer in the face. He went up to Captain Joker, and spoke
apart with him in low tones, when they both looked pretty serious, and
there was an expression on the captain's smiling lips--they always
smiled more or less--which I had never noticed them wear before. Well,
we didn't know what to make of this mystery; and it was not cleared up
for a long time afterward.
Willie got well and returned to his duties, but the captain and doctor
were, somehow, kinder and more gentle with him than they had ever been
before, and his duties were made as light as possible.
Before Willie's convalescence was thoroughly over, we arrived off
Valparaiso, but did not dare to enter openly, for fear of being stopped
at the entrance by a British man-o'-war. We expected a signal from our
agents, and hung off the coast a long time, watching for it. But none
appeared, and Captain Joker resolved to attempt an entrance at his own
hazard.
Luckily, he was perfectly familiar with the harbor, and, choosing a dark
and stormy night, we succeeded in running in, without meeting any
molestation.
The tempest went off during the night, and the bright sunlight of the
ensuing morning saw us riding safely at anchor, not forty fathoms from
the city's wharves.
Valparaiso was a city of much less importance then than now, but it was,
nevertheless, a smart seaport for that remote portion of the globe. It
is built right at the water's edge, with the grand mountain-wall of the
Andes running so stiffly, loftily and impenetrably up behind, that you
wonder how the rays of the rising sun ever reach the little city nestled
at their rocky feet. At least you think they must have daylight on the
level pampas beyond many moments before it surmounts those mountains to
reach the narrow strip of plain between them and the sea. There is a
fine cathedral in the city now, but when I was there, the largest
establishment of this kind appeared to be a wooden structure. It was
surmounted by a great red, wooden cross, and every morning and evening,
we heard the sweet music of the Catholic service come floating to us
over the waters of the bay.
We only remained in this port a few days, but, while at anchor there, I
was a party in a kind of sport seldom, probably never, met with in any
other portion of the globe. This was nothing more nor less than a hunt
for electric eels.
Tony Trybrace and I became acquainted, while at Valparaiso, with a
Chilian gentleman named Jose Gonzales. He possessed a large landed
estate in the interior, and, when Tony had told him of our ostrich hunt
in Patagonia, invited us to visit him at his country place, and he would
promise us sport of, at least, a more novel character. Dicky Drake
begged us to have the invitation extended to him also, which was readily
complied with by Don Jose. And, one morning, having obtained a
three-days' "leave" of Captain Joker, we mounted some fine mules, and
set forth with our pleasant host. A portion of our journey lay through
mountain land--the outskirts of the Andes, and we had a good opportunity
of observing the inhabitants of the country.
Chili is, at present, considered, and with justice, the first of South
American countries in point of everything pertaining to population; and
evidences of her future were not lacking in the year 1812. The Spanish
population of the mountain region were a simple and hardy race; whose
hospitality alone causes the heart of the stranger to warm toward them
with a kindly thrill.
We saw a great many of the llamas of the country, more condors, as well
as monkeys, and many other strange and interesting individuals of brute
creation.
A ride of about six hours from Valparaiso brought us to the ranch of our
host. It was most beautifully situated on the fertile table-land, and
made me in love with South American rural life. As we approached the
mansion, we passed several black-looking pools, or lagoons, and were
much surprised when told, by our host, that they were to be our
hunting-grounds.
As we rode by the largest of these lagoons, which was scarcely a furlong
from the ranch, Don Jose drew a biscuit from his saddle-bags and tossed
it into the middle of the still, black waters. Instantly, and before it
touched the surface, the lifeless-looking lagoon was filled with a
strange and horrible existence. Myriads of snakes (as they appeared)
rose suddenly to the surface, and engaged in a furious combat for the
floating biscuit. Presently we saw the little fins on either side of
their necks, and we then knew them to be eels. Some of them were very
large--from six to seven feet in length, I should judge--but they
averaged a much briefer length. Presently one of the larger snapped the
biscuit under the water, which caused a sudden disappearance of all of
them. One little fellow, however, swam around the edge of the tarn, in
hopes of more food, projecting his shining head out of the water, and
even climbed up the slimy bank, eying us with a peculiarly villainous
gaze from his dull, leaden-colored eyes. Here was a chance for Dicky
Drake, for, of course, there was no liability of a scrape that he did
not seize with avidity.
"I allers wanted a specimen of that cuss for my old uncle's cabinet at
hum', and here's my chance!" he exclaimed, springing from his mule, and
advancing, with hands innocently outstretched; while, from the peculiar
expression of Don Jose's features, Tony and I suspected that there was
something in the wind.
"I've got yer, yer varmint!" exclaimed Dicky, stooping joyfully over the
reptile.
But no sooner did he clutch it than over he went, head over heels, with
a bellow of pain, at the same time dropping the "critter" as if it was a
candent thunderbolt.
"Don't give it up, Dicky! At him again!" roared Tony through his
laughter.
"Bravo! Buena!" exclaimed the señor.
Smarting at the merriment which his mishap occasioned, Dicky picked
himself up in a rage and again grabbed the reptile, which was making
tracks for the water. But again he was knocked over by the electric
shock, and the eel made its escape to the water.
The discomfited eel-catcher regained his feet, and slowly returned to
his mule.
"Where's your specimen?" I asked.
Everybody else had something similar to say.
"Blast ther critter!" said Dicky, sulkily. "I never heer'd of a snake as
was stuffed with red-hot needles afore."
With no other incident worthy of recording, our party soon arrived at
the comfortable ranch of Don Jose.
The next day, at an early hour, we were summoned from our beds by the
servants, and, descending, found our host already on muleback, with an
eel-prong in his hand. Our mules and weapons of the same kind were
awaiting us. We mounted and were soon on our way to the lagoon.
It was a glorious morning. The sun had not yet appeared, but the golden
spears of his coming shot high above the sublime peaks of the Andes,
gilding their ancient summits with a thousand hues, and flashing down,
with a glittering swoop, upon the luxuriant plains. Everything was
bright and blooming. Monkeys were leaping amid the branches of the
tropical trees, and gaudy-plumed paroquets were flitting here and there;
while the bright-green lizards glided across our path, rejoicing
silently in the morning beams.
We reached the lagoon, which looked as lifeless and stagnant as ever. I
was surprised at not seeing any boats; for I thought that, of course,
they were necessary for the pursuit of our game. But they have a better,
though more cruel, way of catching the festive eel in Chili.
We were accompanied by a large number of Don Jose's peons, who proceeded
on foot, with legs bare as far up as the thigh, and each armed with an
eel-prong, which is a four-pronged "trident," so to speak, sharply
pointed, and provided with a wooden handle, or stalk, about four feet in
length. They were a merry set, and kept up an incessant conversation and
song in their mongrel Spanish, which the devil's interpreter couldn't
understand.
We reached the margin of the lagoon, and waited there a short time, when
we were aroused by a great trampling of the ground, and perceived a herd
of some hundreds of wild horses and mules coming over the prairie toward
the tarn at a thundering gait.
Don Jose now condescended to explain. These animals had been purposely
kept without water for two days, and now, so soon as released, were
rushing to the nearest lagoon to satisfy their fiery thirst. The
character of the inhabitants of the pool was well known to them, and,
under ordinary circumstances, not a horse or mule could be induced to
put nose or foot into the electric waters. But now, maddened by thirst,
and forgetful of everything but the frantic desire to satisfy it, they
were making for the nearest water that glittered on the plain.
On came the thundering troop of steeds from the opposite side neighing
and snorting, with their tongues lolling out. They burst through the
chaparral and thick-growing cacti of the border, and in a moment were in
the center of the pool--which was but a few rods in diameter.
Then commenced a scene which completely beggars description.
A most furious contest commenced between the animals and the
electric-eels--who, thus suddenly aroused and trampled upon, were
striking their strong enemies with all their power. Now and then an eel
or two would flash up through the surface, but they were mostly
invisible. The horses plunged frantically, uttering cries of agony
almost human-like. They bit at the water, shrieked, and endeavored to
reach the bank, but in vain. Stricken down by their unseen foes, many of
them lost their legs, and went down, with difficulty keeping their heads
above the water; and those that fell blocked the path of escape to those
less fortunate. The appearance of the horses was most agonizing. Their
manes fairly bristled with horror and pain, while it made me sick to
hear their cries. The mules also suffered terribly, but not quite so
acutely, it seemed to me, as the horses. Don Jose and his people enjoyed
the scene immensely, shouting and crying out in the exuberance of their
joy.
The singular contest lasted fully ten minutes, when it became evident
that the fury of the attack of the eels was sensibly abating. In about
five minutes more, the fear and pain of the horses and mules totally
ceased. Those which had fallen regained their feet, and the whole herd,
after quietly drinking their fill, left the pool, and galloped off over
the pampas.
The reason of this was that the electric power of these eels becomes
completely exhausted or expended after it has been exercised malignantly
for a certain time, and it requires several hours of rest to recuperate
their electric power. And during this time they are powerless of harm.
And now the peons advanced into the lagoon, brandishing their spears,
while the Don, Tony, Dicky and myself dismounted and stood on the
margin, watching our chance. The peons drove their prongs along the
bottom, spiking the enfeebled reptiles, which they threw on the shore in
great numbers, and then, retracing their steps, drove them toward our
position on the bank, where we soon had our fill of the sport. The eels
came up, first singly, then in knotted masses, and we darted our spears
into them at our pleasure.
Dicky Drake enjoyed the sport hugely, but, as usual, met with some
mishap. He had taken off his shoes, and was toddling barefoot in the
slime, when he accidentally trod on an eel which had been prudent enough
to hold off from the attack on the horses.
The poor fellow leaped back, with a loud scream, and went limping up the
bank.
"Did you ever tread on a paper of red-hot pins?" he asked of me at the
conclusion of the sport.
"Never did," I replied.
"If you'd like to know how it feels, just sot yer hoof on that air
innocent-lookin' varmint," said he, pointing ruefully to the reptile by
which he had suffered; but I had no anxiety to make the attempt.
At length we grew weary of the sport, left the peons to carry home the
captured eels--which are much esteemed as an article of food--and
proceeded on our return. Many thousands of eels were captured on that
day.
We returned to the ranch and enjoyed ourselves in other, and less novel,
ways than eel-hunting.
Before we left, our hospitable host showed us some curious relics of the
ancient Indian inhabitants. These, from appearances, seem to have been
mound-builders. We saw one of the mounds which had been excavated, and
Don Jose, afterward, shewed us some specimens of earthenware and
instruments of war--the latter fashioned of stone--which he had procured
in the neighborhood.
We also made a short expedition with our host, to the crater of an
extinct volcano, and looked with wonder, upon the vast basin, which had
once--long, long ago, perhaps--vomited fire and lava upon the plains
below.
Thanking our host for the pleasure he had afforded us, we, at the close
of the second day, set out upon our return to Valparaiso, at which place
we shortly arrived.
Captain Joker having transacted his business to his satisfaction, and
the coast being clear of British cruisers, we, shortly afterward,
weighed anchor, set all sail to catch the trade-winds, and danced out
seaward and westward, intending to create an excitement among the
British whalers of the South Pacific.