Patagonia Bookshelf
Tierra del Fuego: Of Sailors and Savages (1851—1900)
Contacts between ships and natives groups, as reported in the English-language press
Contacts between ships and natives groups, as reported in the English-language press
NONE [1889]
| Article title | Miracle-Working Christianity | Ship | Ship, , |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source | Brisbane Courier (Queensland), 8 July 1889 | Date of event | 1889 |
| More info. | Original source: "Pall Mall Gazette" | Location | Tierra del Fuego |
| Article | Transcript | Informant | Rev. Edwin C. Aspinall, medical doctor and missionary |
Abstract: The reports of murderous tendencies are a thing of the past. It is doubtful that the natives were ever cannibals. Their violent outbursts can be understood better when one considers the treatment that they have suffered at the hands of sealing ships' crews: kidnapping of women, random shootings, and wholesale murder.
Assessment: The missionary's statements coincide with other sources: there is little published data on the abuses committed by sealers and whalers, generally operating with impunity far beyond the reach of the law.