Children of South America

by Katharine A. Hodge

With many misgivings they hastened to Spaniard’s Harbour. It was then October, so seven months had passed since the notice had been painted on the rocks. The first vessel sent to the help of the brave missionaries had been wrecked. How had they fared during those months of waiting? Had the help come too late?

Yes, already that faithful band—our hero Captain Allen Gardiner, and his six comrades—have all passed into the Happy Land where “they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more.” Sorrowful indeed was the sight that awaited the searchers. A boat on the beach with a lifeless body within; another lying not far off, washed to pieces by the waves; another buried in a shallow grave upon the shore: all seven starved to death.

What was the effect of this martyrdom? Was it thought worth while for others to risk their lives for the Fuegian Indians? The Rev. G. P. Despard and his wife, when they heard of the facts, said: “With God’s help, this good work shall go on.” And in a beautiful new schooner called the Allen Gardiner, another mission party started for that distant land.

DUSKY DARLINGS

“It was decided to make Keppel Island, which is one of the Falkland group, their headquarters. With much labour a house was built, and a little mission-station and farm formed there. The intention was to try and get two or three of the Fuegian natives to come and live with them at Keppel, hoping to be able to learn the language from these natives, whilst they taught them all the good and useful things they could.

“Many years before, a native, who was known by the name of Jimmy Button, had been brought to England by Captain Fitzroy. When Jimmy went back to his own country he was quite lost sight of by his English friends. However, he was met with one day in his canoe by the party from Keppel, and they found that he still remembered much of the English he had learned. After being kindly treated by the missionaries, and enjoying some of their coffee and bread and butter, he said he was quite willing to go with his wife and three children to stay with them for six months.

“Jimmy Button and his family soon became quite at home upon the mission farm. One of Jimmy’s boys, a bright, sharp, little lad of about eight years, whom his father called ‘Threeboys,’ very quickly picked up many English words; but they were all so shy about speaking their own language before foreigners that they talked to each other in whispers, which of course made it very difficult for the missionaries to learn anything about the Fuegian language. When the six months were up Mr Despard took all the Button family back to Woollya on the Allen Gardiner.”

Little by little grew the work amongst the Fuegian Indians, and especially amongst the children, many of whom are orphans, now under the missionaries’ care.

There was one dear little Fuegian girl whom the missionaries named Jessica—bright, loveable, quick, and good both at lessons and work. She, with others, was taught many things, chief of which was the Bible.