Uttermost Part of the Earth: A History of Tierra del Fuego and the Fuegians

No other book has been written, to my knowledge, that is similar to the "Uttermost Part of the Earth." The book is well and evocatively titled. The author was the third white child to be born in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina in 1874. Ushuaia has become today the southernmost city of the world -- a place where 60 degrees F is a hot summer day and the wind never stops blowing. The author's missionary family came to Ushuaia to convert the Yahgan Indians who eked out a cold existence around the waters of the Straits of Magellan. Growing up, the author became even more fascinated with the Ona Indians who lived in the interior of Tierra del Fuego and hunted guanaco, a wild version of the llama. The author spoke the languages of both tribes, lived with them, and recorded their culture and lifestyles. These two peoples are now culturally extinct. In 1947 the author estimated that their numbers had declined from more than 7,000 when he was born to about 150. Disease brought by the White Man along with White settlement of Tierra de Fuego for sheep herding, mining, and fishing doomed the Indians. The "Uttermost Part of the Earth" is also an adventure tale, told in a dead-pan understated style that accentuates the extraordinary events in the author's life. There are tales of sailing in waters that probably have the worst weather in the world and of being the first to cross Tierra del Fuego on foot. One does not doubt Lucas's veracity; there is little of the contrived excitement lesser adventurers try to generate. Indeed, he seems guilty of understatement. One would welcome from him more forthright expression of his views. This book deserves a place on the short bookshelf of travel and adventure classics. "Uttermost" is one of the finest and most unique reads you will find, and one of the most informative also. Smallchief

An outstanding account of the triumph of the human spirit against all odds. A truly memorable work. A towering achievement to have written such a telling account of life on the edge of civilization. Tschiffely's achievement in persuading E. Lucas Bridges to commit the story to paper has preserved the memory of a lost race. Why it is out of print is beyond me.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. It is biography/ history/ anthropology/ natural history/ pholosophy/ adventure. When Dover published The Uttermost--- as a paperback,it was the book I chose most often to give as a gift.It is the story of (Estaban) Lucas Bridges' life in Tierra del Fuego. I enjoyed its intricate character (like I enjoy Pattern Language and the Holy Bible) One friend told me that he did not like the book because it was hard to follow and hard to keep track of the different people. The Uttermost--- is a book that I could read again and again and it would be fresh and new.

This truly has to be the best book ever written. While it is a non-fiction account of life in and around Tierra del Fuego, the author is able to entertain us and amuse us with stories and anacdotes of his own life and experiences. I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever wanted to attempt to understand the world of the natives of this heartless place. We often only hear of Tierra del Fuego in the stories and adventures of the sailors who pass her shores. This book allows us to step on the beaches and travel inland to taste the real experience of the land.

The setting is a little known part of the world, Tierra de Fuego, at a little known time in history(about 120 years ago) about the first contact with facinating (and little known) groups of indians. The author was the first white born on Tierra de Fuego and he grew up among the indians with his father, a missionary from England who arrived via the Falkland Islands. Bridges and his father later became sheep ranchers and in their own imperfect way tried to protect the indians (who were doomed to extinction) from themselves and outsiders. Bridges together with his indian friends endured hardships and adventures in a harsh and primative land where the winds blow north from Antartica, all without the benefit of Patagonia equipment!!