At the back of the world

A first-person narrator recounts youthful life at sea and wide-ranging travels across oceans and continents, describing shipboard training, daily routines, storms, a burning ship, and rounding Cape Horn. Land excursions include visits to Pacific and South American ports, journeys on mountain railways, Andean highland life, stops at goldfields and colonial settlements, and encounters in remote island communities. Vivid anecdotes illustrate practical seamanship, hardships, local customs, and moments of humor and danger, and the narrative closes with a return voyage home. The tone mixes practical detail, travel observation, and personal reminiscence.