in search of the castaways-第14章

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hy　geographer。　　We　shall　see　the　Patagonians　yet。〃　〃I　am　not　sure　of　it。〃　〃But　there　is　such　a　people；　anyhow；〃　said　Lady　Helena。　〃I　doubt　it　much；　madam；　since　I　don't　see　them。〃　〃But　surely　the　very　name　Patagonia；　which　means　'great　feet'　in　Spanish；　would　not　have　been　given　to　imaginary　beings。〃　〃Oh；　the　name　is　nothing；〃　said　Paganel；　who　was　arguing　simply　for　the　sake　of　arguing。　　〃And　besides；　to　speak　the　truth；　we　are　not　sure　if　that　is　their　name。〃　〃What　an　idea！〃　exclaimed　Glenarvan。　　〃Did　you　know　that；　Major？〃　〃No；〃　replied　McNabbs；　〃and　wouldn't　give　a　Scotch　pound…note　for　the　information。〃　〃You　shall　hear　it；　however；　Major　Indifferent。　　Though　Magellan　called　the　natives　Patagonians；　the　Fuegians　called　them　Tiremenen；　the　Chilians　Caucalhues；　the　colonists　of　Carmen　Tehuelches；　the　Araucans　Huiliches；　Bougainville　gives　them　the　name　of　Chauha；　and　Falkner　that　of　Tehuelhets。　　The　name　they　give　themselves　is　Inaken。　　Now；　tell　me　then；　how　would　you　recognize　them？　Indeed；　is　it　likely　that　a　people　with　so　many　names　has　any　actual　existence？〃　〃That's　a　queer　argument；　certainly；〃　said　Lady　Helena。　〃Well；　let　us　admit　it；〃　said　her　husband；　〃but　our　friend　Paganel　must　own　that　even　if　there　are　doubts　about　the　name　of　the　race　there　is　none　about　their　size。〃　〃Indeed；　I　will　never　own　anything　so　outrageous　as　that；〃　replied　Paganel。　〃They　are　tall；〃　said　Glenarvan。　〃I　don't　know　that。〃　〃Are　they　little；　then？〃　asked　Lady　Helena。　〃No　one　can　affirm　that　they　are。〃　〃About　the　average；　then？〃　said　McNabbs。　〃I　don't　know　that　either。〃　〃That's　going　a　little　too　far；〃　said　Glenarvan。　　〃Travelers　who　have　seen　them　tell　us。〃　〃Travelers　who　have　seen　them；〃　interrupted　Paganel；　〃don't　agree　at　all　in　their　accounts。　　Magellan　said　that　his　head　scarcely　reached　to　their　waist。〃　〃Well；　then；　that　proves。〃　〃Yes；　but　Drake　declares　that　the　English　are　taller　than　the　tallest　Patagonian？〃　〃Oh；　the　Englishthat　may　be；〃　replied　the　Major；　disdainfully；　〃but　we　are　talking　of　the　Scotch。〃　〃Cavendish　assures　us　that　they　are　tall　and　robust；〃　continued　Paganel。　　〃Hawkins　makes　out　they　are　giants。　Lemaire　and　Shouten　declare　that　they　are　eleven　feet　high。〃　〃These　are　all　credible　witnesses；〃　said　Glenarvan。　〃Yes；　quite　as　much　as　Wood；　Narborough；　and　Falkner；　who　say　they　are　of　medium　stature。　　Again；　Byron；　Giraudais；　Bougainville；　Wallis；　and　Carteret；　declared　that　the　Patagonians　are　six　feet　six　inches　tall。〃　〃But　what　is　the　truth；　then；　among　all　these　contradictions？〃　asked　Lady　Helena。　〃Just　this；　madame；　the　Patagonians　have　short　legs；　and　a　large　bust；　or　by　way　of　a　joke　we　might　say　that　these　natives　are　six　feet　high　when　they　are　sitting；　and　only　five　when　they　are　standing。〃　〃Bravo！　my　dear　geographer；〃　said　Glenarvan。　　〃That　is　very　well　put。〃　〃Unless　the　race　has　no　existence；　that　would　reconcile　all　statements；〃　returned　Paganel。　　〃But　here　is　one　consolation；　at　all　events：　the　Straits　of　Magellan　are　very　magnificent；　even　without　Patagonians。〃　Just　at　this　moment　the　DUNCAN　was　rounding　the　peninsula　of　Brunswick　between　splendid　panoramas。　Seventy　miles　after　doubling　Cape　Gregory；　she　left　on　her　starboard　the　penitentiary　of　Punta　Arena。　　The　church　steeple　and　the　Chilian　flag　gleamed　for　an　instant　among　the　trees；　and　then　the　strait　wound　on　between　huge　granitic　masses　which　had　an　imposing　effect。　Cloud…capped　mountains　appeared；　their　heads　white　with　eternal　snows；　and　their　feet　hid　in　immense　forests。　　Toward　the　southwest；　Mount　Tarn　rose　6；500　feet　high。　　Night　came　V。　IV　Verne　on　after　a　long　lingering　twilight；　the　light　insensibly　melting　away　into　soft　shades。　　These　brilliant　constellations　began　to　bestud　the　sky；　and　the　Southern　Cross　shone　out。　There　were　numerous　bays　along　the　shore；　easy　of　access；　but　the　yacht　did　not　drop　anchor　in　any；　she　continued　her　course　fearlessly　through　the　luminous　darkness。　　Presently　ruins　came　in　sight；　crumbling　buildings；　which　the　night　invested　with　grandeur；　the　sad　remains　of　a　deserted　settlement；　whose　name　will　be　an　eternal　protest　against　these　fertile　shores　and　forests　full　of　game。　The　DUNCAN　was　passing　Fort　Famine。　It　was　in　that　very　spot　that　Sarmiento；　a　Spaniard；　came　in　1581；　with　four　hundred　emigrants；　to　establish　a　colony。　He　founded　the　city　of　St。　Philip；　but　the　extreme　severity　of　winter　decimated　the　inhabitants；　and　those　who　had　struggled　through　the　cold　died　subsequently　of　starvation。　Cavendish　the　Corsair　discovered　the　last　survivor　dying　of　hunger　in　the　ruins。　After　sailing　along　these　deserted　shores；　the　DUNCAN　went　through　a　series　of　narrow　passes；　between　forests　of　beech　and　ash　and　birch；　and　at　length　doubled　Cape　Froward；　still　bristling　with　the　ice　of　the　last　winter。　　On　the　other　side　of　the　strait；　in　Terra　del　Fuego；　stood　Mount　Sarmiento；　towering　to　a　height　of　6；000　feet；　an　enormous　accumulation　of　rocks；　separated　by　bands　of　cloud；　forming　a　sort　of　aerial　archipelago　in　the　sky。　It　is　at　Cape　Froward　that　the　American　continent　actually　terminates；　for　Cape　Horn　is　nothing　but　a　rock　sunk　in　the　sea　in　latitude　52　degrees。　　At　Cape　Momax　the　straits　widened；　and　she　was　able　to　get　round　Narborough　Isles　and　advance　in　a　more　southerly　direction；　till　at　length　the　rock　of　Cape　Pilares；　the　extreme　point　of　Desolation　Island；　came　in　sight；　thirty…six　hours　after　entering　the　straits。　Before　her　stem　lay　a　broad；　open；　sparkling　ocean；　which　Jacques　Paganel　greeted　with　enthusiastic　gestures；　feeling　kindred　emotions　with　those　which　stirred　the　bosom　of　Ferdinand　de　Magellan　himself；　when　the　sails　of　his　ship；　the　TRINIDAD；　first　bent　before　the　breeze　from　the　great　Pacific。

CHAPTER　X　THE　COURSE　DECIDED

A　WEEK　after　they　had　doubled　the　Cape　Pilares；　the　DUNCAN　steamed　into　the　bay　of　Talcahuano；　a　magnificent　estuary；　twelve　miles　long　and　nine　broad。　　The　weather　was　splendid。　From　November　to　March　the　sky　is　always　cloudless；　and　a　constant　south　wind　prevails；　as　the　coast　is　sheltered　by　the　mountain　range　of　the　Andes。　　In　obedience　to　Lord　Glenarvan's　order；　John　Mangles　had　sailed　as　near　the　archipelago　of　Chiloe　as　possible；　and　examined　all　the　creeks　and　windings　of　the　coast；　hoping　to　discover　some　traces　of　the　shipwreck。　A　broken　spar；　or　any　fragment　of　the　vessel；　would　have　put　them　in　the　right　track；　but　nothing　whatever　was　visible；　and　the　yacht　continued　her　route；　till　she　dropped　anchor　at　the　port　of　Talcahuano；　forty…two　days　from　the　time　she　had　sailed　out　of　the　fogs　of　the　Clyde。　Glenarvan　had　a　boat　lowered　immediately；　and　went　on　shore；　accompanied　by　Paganel。　　The　learned　geographer　gladly　availed　himself　of　the　opportunity　of　making　use　of　the　language　he　had　been　studying　so　conscientiously；　but　to　his　great　amazement；　found　he　could　not　make　himself　understood　by　the　people。　〃It　is　the　accent　I've　not　got；〃　he　said。　〃Let　us　go　to　the　Custom…house；〃　replied　Glenarvan。　They　were　informed　on　arriving　there；　by　means　of　a　few　English　words；　aided　by　expressive　gestures；　that　the　British　Consul　lived　at　Concepcion；　an　hour's　ride　distant。　Glenarvan　found　no　difficulty　in　procuring　two　fleet　horses；　and　he　and　Paganel　were　soon