Tierra del Fuego, instead of being a “Land of Desolation,” as it is
generally designated, is a land of picturesque scenes, and possesses
natural resources to make it a country of prospective wealth, with a
promising future. The archipelago includes hundreds of islands, some
of which are rocky, mountainous, and barren, but most of them are
covered with woods, and on some of the larger islands, especially that
of Tierra del Fuego, are wide stretches of valley and plain, covered
with rich grasses, affording splendid pasturage for sheep, cattle and
horses. There is some valuable timber on the islands, and placer gold
mining is carried on to some extent at various places. The commercial
importance of the archipelago depends, however, upon sheep raising,
an industry that is rapidly developing, and one that is proving
profitable. There have been established in recent years a number of
large sheep ranches, called “estancias,” on the island of Tierra del
Fuego, and in Patagonia. Millions of sheep are pastured on the rich
grasses that grow luxuriantly there, and the annual output of wool,
mutton, and fat is an important commercial product of the country.
There are few more interesting and picturesque sights than those far
southern farm lands in the Magellanes territory, the Scotland of
South America. Long, sweeping, undulating downs climb upward to the
forest-clad hills, or down to the edges of the blue glacial lakes;
and through the mazes of black thorn, the bloom of which fills the
air with fragrance in the flowering time, wander vast herds of sheep,
often accompanied by large flocks of ostriches, which find safety in
associating with the wool coated animals. Northward across the horizon,
the castellated and unbroken outlines of innumerable mountains
stretch their length across the landscape; while all around are
sandstone hills, cliff-bored, and forest covered, and along the banks
of turbulent streams, wild flowers bloom, giving a touch of brilliant
coloring to the pastoral scene. It is beautiful in outline, detail and
coloring, and in its infinite variety.