"Tierra del Fuego" is more than a suspenseful seafaring tale in the tradition of Captain Hornblower; it is also a chilling psychological and cultural tale, reminiscent of "Heart of Darkness" or "Lord of the Flies," that probes deeply into human nature. Based on the true story of the Yamana Indian, Jemmy Button (parts of which are recorded in Chapter 10 of Charles Darwin's "The Voyage of the Beagle"), the novel explores Captain Robert Fitzroy's abduction of Jemmy Button and his attempt to "civilize" him in England and return him to his country as a bearer of "enlightened society." His...