The Land of Fire

The Land of Fire

Author: Captain Thomas Mayne Reid (1818-83)

Year: 1885

As we are told in the Preface, this is the last book Reid wrote before his death in 1883. A young farm-boy walks down to Portsmouth, a port not too far away, and eventually gets taken on as a hand on an American barque, trading with the Pacific. Four years later he has risen to be second mate. But when rounding Cape Horn a severe storm overwhelms the vessel, and she is lost after springing a very bad leak. All on board take to the boats, but the pinnace gets separated from the gig, on which our heroes have made their escape. The ship's carpenter, an old and experienced seaman, a former whaler, has an extraordinary amount of knowledge of the natives of Tierra del Fuego--the Land of Fire--for that is where they are. Without that knowledge the party would not have survived. Unfortunately this great seaman (somewhat after the style of Masterman Ready) does not speak in educated English, but you will just have to get used to that. There are various encounters with the tribes of the region, all very well told. Eventually, shortly after their most serious brush with the locals, they reach a large vessel at anchor, and the pinnace alongside her, so that they are saved. Reid, being a good n