Uttermost Part of the Earth

by E. Lucas Bridges

The Compelling True Story of Life at the Far Reaches of Civilization "E. Lucas Bridges provides in his brilliantly written book our most valuable resource on the lost heritage of the Yamana." The Daily Beagle Famous for being the southernmost city in the world, the wild and windswept port of Ushuaia sits at the inhospitable southern tip of Tierra del Fuego in South America. That rugged, rocky landscape of sharp mountains, beech forests, and barren outcrops was originally home to hunter-gatherer Yaghan Indians, the southernmost indigenous people on the planet. The western world's colonization of the area (sometimes called "Fireland") began in the 1800s when explorers and missionaries established settlements. The Bridges family was part of this movement as the founders of Ushuaia, and author E. Lucas Bridges was born there in 1874. This classic memoir chronicles the captivating Bridges' early life among the coastal Yaghan people and his later initiation into the more remote and fierce Ona tribe. Confronted with unfamiliar cultures and traditions, Bridges engages fully, committing himself to learning and participating in the ways of his neighbors, people he would proudly come to call his friends. As a respected equal, he learns to hunt, fish, farm, canoe, and live amongst them. Bridges' revealing personal account captures the geography and natural history of the isolated region flawlessly, painting the stunning scenery and amazing encounters in vivid detail. It also documents the tragedy of European colonization. The Yaghans were decimated by disease and violent inter-cultural conflicts; Bridges' unmistakable compassion and admiration for the people and their traditional heritage mark Uttermost Part of the Earth as a seminal work in the literature of historical anthropology. A lucid, informative, funny, and singular first-hand account, this epic autobiography, accompanied by maps and photographs, is a captivating read for anyone interested in exploring the indigenous peoples, culture, and ecology of this exotic homeland at the end of the world. This book is also available from Echo Point Books as a hardcover (ISBN 1648371752).

Genres: Travel

616 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Herrholz Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an autobiographical account of a man's encounter with the indigenous natives of the southern most areas of South America, now known as Tierra Del Fuego. The story takes place between around 1870 and the early nineteen hundreds. What is particularly interesting, for me, is how the local tribes, after a brief period of self defense, quickly embrace a new and vastly different culture from overseas with its creature comforts and monetary system. It is perhaps too tempting for those of us who have benefited from modern culture to reminisce about ancient tribal culture which has been changed beyond all recognition. It is the all too common violence against these more primitive peoples with superior weaponry and the abuse of trust which is abhorrent and which we as a modern civilization can be ashamed of.
The Narrator tells of how he is assimilated in the local tribe - a great honour for a white man! How he takes part in their way of life and becomes one of them. This is truly fascinating reading and I am asking myself why this book seems to inhabit the literary underworld. As well as a great story, there is much of interest for the anthropologist and anyone interested in the confrontation between ancient and modern societies.

[Conrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and very readable account of the Bridges family who first settled in Ushuaia and worked tirelessly to befriend and improve the lives of the native inhabitants of Tierra Del Fuego. Ushuaia has grown into quite a busy port city these days with many Antarctic expeditions coming and going from there. This was a great read to set the scene for what we might expect there. The waters and the coastline were well described , although we were spared the ferocity of the storms often mentioned in the narrative.

[Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great explorer and adventure book.