Journey to the World's End

Danish traveller Hakon Mielche sets his sights on Tierra del Fuego in this book, travelling first to Germany to take a berth on a cargo steamer bound for Punta Arenas (which he rightly refers to as Magallanes, as it was renamed this for the period 1927-1938). This book was published in 1936, the travels occurring, presumably, in the year or two prior.

His companion on this voyage is another Dane, who was serving in the Danish Life Guards (mechanised infantry in the Danish army) who he invited along as a joke, but was taken up on it immediately.

Mielche's book is travel and history in a readable mixture. The men establish themselves in Magallanes, and make various trips to parts of Tierra del Fuego as the opportunities arise, traveling in whatever ships are available, shunning no hardships.

One strange aspect to the narrative I hadn't expected was the praise of the Germans Mielche comes into contact with, referring to the crew on the steamer as ‘good Nazi's' at one point, and commenting on the pictures of Hitler in various locations! Worse than this however is the shockingly racist chapter titled The white man again proves his superiority which amongst other things cheers on Mussolini's heroic troops overtaken the barbarian city of Addis Ababa, freeing the slaves to allow them to become slaves to the Italians! There is also a history of the Indians of Tierra del Fuego and how the white men happily massacred them when they dared to defend themselves from invaders who populated their lands with sheep and became upset when they continued to hunt for food. He finishes the chapter with the words ‘Our wonderful race, which always comes off best.' which really sums up this chapter which lost this book a star from this reviewer.

When Mielche desisted in his racist rants, I enjoyed the side-stories and mixed history of the region, for example Julius Popper who crossed the main island in spite of the Indians resistance, collected gold from the rough beaches which had acted like a separator over the centuries. He set up a private army, minted gold coins and was murdered in Buenos Aires, the culprit never found.

There are many other snippets of history retold in this book, but it remains that the author insists on adding his personal thoughts about the inferiority of the Indians at almost any opportunity.

2.5 stars, rounded down.