THE RIO NEGRO SETTLEMENTS.
Patagones, or Carmen Old Town. -- The Fort and Buildings. -- The
Southern Town. -- The English Mission. -- Elements of the
Population. -- The Negroes. -- The Convicts. -- Lawless State
of Society. -- The Cemetery. -- Early History of the Colony. --
A Successful Stratagem. -- Villarino's Ascent of the River. --
Expedition of Rosas. -- The Island of Choelechel. -- La Guardia
Chica. -- Estancia of Messrs. Kincaid. -- Ancient Indian
Graves. -- Flint Weapons. -- The Shepherd and Pumas. --
Estancia San André. -- The Indians and the Colonists. --
Calficura's Raid. -- Indian Method of Attack. -- The Tame
Indians. -- View of the Valley. -- Trade of Patagones. --
Fertility of the Soil. -- Rio Negro Wine. -- The Sportsman. --
Advice to Emigrants. -- Interview with Col. Murga. -- The
Government Grants to Chiefs. -- Casimiro again. -- The
Tehuelches in Town. -- Farewell. -- The Welsh Utopia. -- Social
Life at Patagones. -- The Steamer at Last. -- Aground. -- The
Pilot. -- Pat Sweeny. -- Adieu to Patagonia.
As it did not at the time occur to me that the rising settlements of
the Rio Negro could have escaped being fully described already, I must
candidly confess that the duty of keeping a diary was neglected during
my stay; and recollections alone have furnished the materials for what
has been peremptorily urged on me as a necessary supplement to my
travels--a description of Patagones. This name, which seems intended to
designate the future capital of Patagonia, has completely usurped the
place of the original title El Carmen, conferred on this settlement
in honour of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, under whose patronage it was
placed.
The modern town, situated on a bend of the Rio Negro, about eighteen
miles from the sea, consists of two parts separated by the river, here
about 450 yards wide: the older and most important on the northern bank,
where the authorities and principal people reside, and a new suburb on
the southern bank, known as El Merced, which, though of recent growth,
threatens to eventually rival the northern portion. The means of
communication between the two is supplied by ferry-boats, which are
procurable at almost all hours.
On the northern beach a wooden pier has been erected, opposite his
store, by Señor Aguirre, the grand capitalist, banker, and factotum of
the place, to allow the steamer to unload with greater facility. It is
probable that the northern side will continue to preserve its importance
for some time to come, owing to the want of equal facilities for landing
goods on the other side, where at low tide an extensive mudbank is
exposed, which has to be passed to reach the shore.
The position selected for Carmen by the founder combined security with
easy access to the river. The barranca at this spot advances as it were
to meet the river bend, and leaving but a narrow intervening space. A
rather steep hill rises to a plateau, which again to the north, or rear
of the town, falls by a step to the level of the pampa. The crest is
crowned by the fort, and up the declivity climbs the town, laid out with
scrupulous adherence to the prescribed pattern, the regularity of its
streets and cuadros not being, however, very perceptible to a stranger,
owing to the formation of the ground. Next to the fort, the most
prominent buildings are the Commandante's house, a pretentious red
brick building, and the old church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, an
insignificant edifice, both situated a little below the crest of the
hill, and under the wings as it were of the fort.
The fort itself, crowning the crest of the hill, or barranca, is of
imposing appearance when viewed at a distance, but a closer inspection
dispels the illusion, and reveals its utter uselessness for defensive
purposes. The walls are in wretched repair, and the whole edifice is so
decayed that when one of the American gunboats stationed in the Rio de
la Plata visited the place some four years ago, and duly saluted the
Argentine colours, the reverberation of the discharge of her big gun
shook down a portion of the wall fronting the river! The armament
consists of a few field pieces of small calibre mounted _en barbette_,
and of very little use, as a single well-directed shell would demolish
the whole structure; but if advantage were taken of the position for the
construction of a substantial battery mounted with modern artillery, the
approaches to the town from all sides could be thoroughly commanded and
easily defended.
The Plaza or square lies immediately behind the fort, which forms one
side, and some comfortable houses are situated in it, several of which,
however, were only in course of construction. The condition of the
streets is very bad, especially those descending the hill to the
river-bank; in some places the pedestrian sinks ankle deep in sand, and
in others stumbles over rugged masses of sandstone. The pleasantest part
of the town is the street running from the pier and store inland round
the base of the hill: here a considerable tract of low land stretching
from the rear of the houses on the eastern side to the river is laid out
in gardens, or quintas, full of all kinds of fruit trees, backed by a
row of tall poplars fringing the waterside.
One of these houses was the hospitable abode of my esteemed friend Don
Pablo Piedra Buena. It was a long low house, built of sun-dried bricks
and whitewashed. We occupied one end, consisting of three rooms, the
next part being occupied by Don Ramirez, captain of the steam transport
Choelechel (at anchor within hail, off the Quinta), and his wife. The
remainder was tenanted by Don Domingo, an Italian, as a restaurant and
hotel. Besides Don Domingo's hostelry, the town boasted another hotel,
the property of Señor Aguirre, situated close to his store and pier, a
fine well-built stone house, the only one of that material I observed in
Patagones, almost all the other edifices being of brick, except in the
Negro quarter of the town, where they were simple adobe houses. Whatever
their material, many of the buildings in all parts of the town were,
like the fort, in a most tumbledown condition, and a freer use of
whitewash would, if the inhabitants only knew it, cover a multitude of
sins, both against external decency and internal cleanliness.
On the southern shore a considerable tract of low land extends from the
river, and is liable to be overflowed at high spring tides. This is
devoted to the cultivation of wheat, ditches being cut to afford
imperfect drainage; across these flats a causeway--the construction of
which is chiefly due to the exertions of my friend the Welsh boatman
Solomon--leads to the new town of El Merced, built on the higher ground,
beyond the reach of floods. This, too, is laid out on the universal
plan, and judging from the piles of brick and the numerous sites marked
out for future houses, is rapidly growing in size and importance. The
roads, however, were at the time of my visit as execrable as on the
north side, and the outskirts were offensive with offal and rubbish,
while the pantaño or mud-hole seemed to present an impassable barrier to
friend or foe. The most noticeable buildings were--first, the new Church
of Señora del Merced, in the Plaza, which, with its two towers, quite
threw into the shade its elder rival del Carmen, on the northern side;
and next the English Mission Station, a considerable building occupying
two sides of a square, one wing containing the room used as a chapel,
whilst the other constituted the residence and dispensary of the
missionary, Rev. Dr. Humble. This gentleman, whose hospitality I
frequently enjoyed, combined in his own person the functions of doctor
and clergyman. As regards the mission, the converts did not appear to be
numerous; indeed an Indian girl, who acted as servant and nurse, seemed
to be the only specimen. The whole establishment was scrupulously
neat and clean, and afforded an agreeable contrast to the surrounding
buildings. In front a considerable tract of ground extended to the
river bank, part of which constituted a pleasant garden, or quinta,
the remainder being used for grazing the horses of the establishment,
whilst a ditch cut at the lower end afforded a harbour for the medical
missionary's boat.
Dr. Humble formerly had a school for children, but it was given up, I
believe, on account of the opposition raised by the Padre. The church
was generally pretty full on Sundays, when the British flag is hoisted
to denote the hour of prayer; and as half the service was conducted
in Spanish, a good sprinkling of the native inhabitants was generally
present--some perhaps with a view to obtain advice from the pastor
in his medical capacity, in which his skill and kindness made him
deservedly popular.
According to Sir Woodbine Parish, the population of Patagones in 1832
amounted to no more than 800: although no statistical means of accurate
information were at my disposal, I should be inclined to estimate the
present number of inhabitants at not less than 2,000, and they may
exceed that number.
They are divided into four very distinctly-defined classes:--1st. The
descendants of the original and early Spanish settlers; 2ndly. The more
recent foreign immigrants; 3rdly. The negroes; and 4thly. The convicts
sent hither from the Argentine Republic. The descendants of the original
settlers, who for some unknown reason are styled by their townsmen
'Malagatos,' both in name and character manifest their unmixed descent
from the sturdy Gallegos, or settlers from Galicia. Closely united by
intermarriage, they form, as it were, one family, almost every member
of which is either a Crespo or a Real. Although hitherto jealously
exclusive as regards any admixture of their 'sangre azul' by alliance
with the foreigners--except perhaps Englishmen--the men are remarkable
for their hospitable kindness and courtesy, whilst the ladies would vie
with those of any part of Old Spain or the Argentine provinces in grace
of manners or beauty. One noticeable feature of their character was
that both men and women manifested a far more punctilious respect for
religion than I had ever observed in other Catholic countries. Every one
made it a point of being present at mass whenever it was celebrated. I
was among the guests when Don Benito Crespo was entertaining a party at
dinner, given to celebrate his daughter's birthday, which happened to
fall during the period of the novena in honour of Santa Rosa, and when
the bell sounded for vespers everybody rose from table and hurried off
to the church.
The second part of the population--the foreigners--present a motley
group of people of all nations, but the majority are Italians and
Basque Spaniards. There are a few French, English, Welsh, Swiss, and
Germans.
The negroes are the descendants of an importation of slaves, introduced
when the slave trade was legal by the Governor, a Frenchman named Viba,
Casimiro's patron, who appears to have entertained an idea of employing
them to cultivate the public lands. They all live together in one
quarter of the town--excepting, of course, those who go out as
servants--and keep up many old traditions and customs. They are called
by the Gauchos 'Blandequis,' which may be a corruption of Mandingo,
and are a fine hard-working race, whose industrious habits and general
character differ widely from the debased type of the negroes in the
Brazils. Their exact numbers I am ignorant of, but was informed that
they were once very much more numerous, their rapid decrease being
caused by their being drawn as soldiers, and the ravages of the
universal scourge of small-pox.
Lastly comes the convict element. Carmen, at an early period of its
history, was made a 'presidio,' or frontier penal settlement, in this
respect resembling Punta Arenas; but the strict discipline of the
Chilian colony is altogether wanting in Patagones. There is a constant
importation to the latter place of deserters from the army, robbers, and
felons of every description, sent down from Buenos Ayres. These men
are, on their arrival, either enlisted as soldiers, or turned loose on
society, and allowed to work where and how they please, or otherwise
obtain a livelihood. They cannot, it is true, escape, as there is no
chance of getting away by sea, and the almost certain danger of death or
captivity amongst the Pampa Indians is a sufficient safeguard against
their betaking themselves to the interior; but beyond this there is no
restraint exercised. Horse-stealing is, in the event of any animal
being left unwatched, a moral certainty, and robberies of all kinds are
frequent and go almost unpunished; while murder, in the rare cases in
which the criminals are detected, simply involves being sent back to
Buenos Ayres for a trial, which results in a sentence of transportation
back to the Rio Negro. One man named Ruiz was pointed out as having
been four times backward and forward to and from Buenos Ayres for
murders committed: this man openly boasted that whenever he wanted a
trip he had to kill a man. Another man, who had robbed the Bishop of
Buenos Ayres of a jewelled clock, by presentation of a forged order,
filled the position of billiard marker at the hotel, and was looked on
as rather a clever fellow. The Commandante's orderly was also a man sent
down for homicide. The state of society when these ruffians--every one
of whom carries a knife, which is used on the slightest occasion--are
allowed thus to remain loose may be better imagined than described.
My friend Don Pablo was attacked one evening close to his house, but
fortunately escaped unhurt. Murder is of weekly occurrence, and it is
necessary for everyone to carry some weapon of self-defence, while few
people think of leaving the town without a revolver.
In the utter absence of legal protection, a project was mooted among
some of the foreigners to establish a vigilance committee on the simple
principle of mutual protection and agreement to avenge any injury to one
of the society. As Sir Lucius consoled his friend by the remark that
there is 'snug lying in the abbey,' the unprotected inhabitants of
Patagones can pride themselves on their possessing an excellent new
cemetery, situated to the north, about half a mile outside the town,
which is surrounded by a brick wall, with iron gates, and kept in a neat
and orderly condition. A little east of it, nearer the town, lies the
old cemetery, the neglected state of which, when I visited it, offered a
melancholy contrast: the mud wall was breached in many places; coffins
appeared protruding from the sand, and in some cases were actually
uncovered; skulls and bones lay exposed to view; and, as a climax, a
cat jumped out of one coffin in which she had taken up her abode. I was
extremely surprised at such want of respect being shown by the residents
to the bones of their departed ancestors, and remarked on it to my
companion, who shrugged his shoulders and muttered something which
sounded like the inevitable 'Mañana.'
The most interesting relics of the first founders of the colony are a
number of caves, or dwellings, excavated in the sandstone cliff, four
miles below the town; they contain three or four chambers, leading into
each other, and from eight to ten feet square. In one I remarked a sort
of trough, hollowed out in the sandstone, which more resembled a manger
than anything else. Tradition narrates that these were used as dwellings
by the first settlers, or perhaps as hiding-places for themselves, or
for their cattle, in times of war with the Indians.
Under the Spanish dominion the colony made but slow progress,
notwithstanding the abandonment of all other attempted settlements on
the Patagonian coast, which left the entire advantages to be derived
from the valuable whale and seal fisheries in the hands of the people of
Carmen; their inertness allowed this mine of wealth to remain unworked,
and it fell into the hands of English and American fishermen, who worked
them till a recent period. The Argentine Government has asserted its
claim and granted a lease of the fisheries to Don Luiz Buena, with
authority to warn off all intruders; but the fisheries do not, I
fear, produce the profit deserved by his energy. The Carmen settlers
alternately traded with, and were plundered by the Indians, preferring
the profits of this doubtful commerce to the dangerous, though
profitable, sealing and whaling. That the Indians' hostility had
something to do with the concentration of the Spanish forces at the Rio
Negro appears from a fact which has been studiously omitted from the
Spanish records. The Indians preserve an accurate tradition to the
effect that the first colonists at Port Desire aroused the anger of the
natives, who made a successful attack: the colonists retreated into
the church, where every soul perished at the hands of the natives. The
buildings and fruit-trees still existing are the only monuments of the
destruction of this colony.
From the time that the South American colonies asserted their
independence, Patagones shared in the consequent increase of population
and development of trade, as already pointed out. Since Sir W. Parish
wrote, the population has largely increased and the value of property
risen; and although the 'old inhabitants' complained to me of the want
of progress, the growing demand and price given for land and houses at
that time, compared with former years, proved the contrary. One item of
its history must not be omitted. During the war between the Brazilians
and the Argentine Confederation, the inhabitants of Patagones
distinguished themselves by defeating and capturing a Brazilian
expedition sent to endeavour to reduce the place. The story was told me
as follows:--A strong force of the Brazilians landed near the sea-coast,
and marched overland towards Carmen, halting about a league north of the
town. The garrison, numbering about fifty regulars and some volunteers,
sallied out, equipped with a large assortment of coloured ponchos.
Taking up a position behind a hill which concealed them from the enemy,
who were ignorant of their real strength, the cunning men of Carmen then
displayed themselves as if for a reconnaissance, and retreated, but only
to change their ponchos and reappear as a fresh detachment; the
enemy was thus led by these repeated feints and transformations to
considerably multiply the real numbers of the Argentine troops, and
hesitate to attack so seemingly large a force. After nightfall the
herbage in the neighbourhood of the bivouac of the invading army was set
on fire. Bewildered by the smoke, the Brazilians retreated, but were
encountered by other fires in their rear, and, seeing themselves
apparently surrounded and opposed by superior numbers, their leader
capitulated. The story is substantiated by the existence of the wreck
of a Brazilian man-of-war, still visible in the river.
The fertile valley of the Rio Negro must needs be described in order to
convey a proper idea of the resources of Patagones as a colony. By far
the greater extent of this valley is as uncultivated as when it was
first explored by Don Basilio Villarino, who, under the orders of
Viedma, ascended the river in order to ascertain its source, and whose
diary is extant in the collection of De Angelis, a valuable abstract of
it having been given by Sir W. Parish, though sufficiently long ago in
our rapid age to be almost forgotten. He ascended with launches first as
far as the Island of Choelechel, seventy leagues from Carmen, which he
recommended should be fortified as an advance post against the Indians;
thence, after incredible difficulties, he succeeded in reaching the foot
of the Cordillera, always keeping on good terms with the natives. Here
he met with the Araucanians (termed by me Manzaneros), and was in great
hopes of reaching Valdivia through their aid, as they showed themselves
friendly disposed; when, unfortunately, the Indians fell out amongst
themselves, one of the chiefs being killed in the mêlée. The chief who
caused this man's death came with his people to the Spaniards to implore
their assistance, which was promised. This led to the whole of the
remaining Indians forming a league and declaring war against the
Spaniards, whose name up to the present they detest. Being obliged
to abandon his intention of reaching Valdivia, Villarino reluctantly
determined to return, and accordingly, after being supplied by his
allies with a store of apples and piñones, descended the river and
returned to Carmen.
From the description of this journey, together with the mention of the
supplies of apples and piñones obtained at the farthest point reached, I
am inclined to assume that this point was near, if not identical with,
the place where we passed the Limay on our journey to Las Manzanas, a
mile or two below the rapids where Mr. Cox was wrecked.
Villarino states that he entered in his small boat a channel where the
river flowed over rounded stones to the S.W. Now the point where Mr.
Cox's boat was lost was a rapid to all appearance impassable for a boat:
however, it is possible that Villarino employed Indians on horseback to
track his boat, and that the state of the river was more favourable for
navigation at the period of his visit.
The mention of the friendly Indians who accompanied him on his return
and settled under the protection of the Spaniards, suggests the idea
that these may have been the ancestors of Los Mansos or the Tame
Indians, at present in the service of the Government. Casimiro had a
legend about Indians friendly to the first Spanish settlers, who were
subsequently illtreated by them, and I believe revolted. Luiz Aguirre
also asserted that his father was one of the original chiefs of the Rio
Negro, who for a long time was friendly to the Spaniards, but at length,
a revolt taking place, was imprisoned and kept in Carmen as a hostage,
where he died. In the year 1832, when Rosas, for the protection of the
southern frontier, made his great attack on the Indians, and driving
them back to the neighbourhood of the Cordillera, forced them to submit
to his terms, he established a military post at Choelechel, as advised
by Villarino. His scheme was, I believe, to extend from this point a
chain of forts as far as Mendoza, thus keeping the Salinas Indians quiet
inside the chain, and driving the Araucanos up to their native valleys
of the Cordillera.
This plan was never carried out, and the post, to which the name Isla
de Rosas had been given, was abandoned. Rosas was, notwithstanding his
having beaten the Indians back, very popular amongst them, and on his
overthrow a relation of his, Don Pedro Rosas, took refuge in the Salinas
with his artillery and battalion. Orkeke and several friends of mine
often inquired after Rosas, saying that 'he was a good man,' &c.
The next expedition up the river occurred only a year previous to my
arrival in the Rio Negro, when the steamer Choelechel ascended as far
as the island, accompanied by a land force under the Commandante Murga.
Indians were found occupying the island, and a European was reported as
resident among them, and as exercising the authority of chief. Although
he refused to hold any communication with the Argentine commander, it
is most probable that this was the famous Frenchman Aurelie I., who was
said to have obtained a supply of arms landed in the Rio Negro, and
brought up to this island. The expedition did not think fit to disturb
the Indians, and returned with little to show as the result of their
journey.
It was in contemplation to despatch another expedition, but I have as
yet heard no news of its progress from my Patagones correspondents, and
it is probably postponed till 'mañana.'
The large island of Choelechel, which I know only by description, never
having visited it, appears to be not only an important station in a
military point of view, but also admirably adapted for cultivation;
there are, however, some reasons against its occupation for that
purpose: the first is the undoubted hostility of the Indians to any
enterprise tending to occupy what they consider their country; secondly,
its distance from Carmen or Patagones as a base of supply for bringing
up implements and importing produce, supposing the first difficulties
overcome. A railroad or tramway might, I am sure, be constructed at
little cost to run down the whole valley of the river, or steam launches
of good power, fitted to burn wood, would furnish an effectual means of
communication. The present Government steamer Choelechel both draws too
much water and is of too small power to render material assistance in
the way of opening up the river. The Capitano Major Ramirez pointed out
these defects to his Government previous to her being brought to the Rio
Negro, but his opinion was overruled.
Foyel and a cacique named Limaron, who claims territorial rights
over the island, had a scheme for cultivating Choelechel and other
advantageous spots, importing for the purpose Valdivian settlers used to
the labour from the other side of the Cordillera, and obtaining their
supplies and implements from Carmen.
The present further limit of settlement in the valley is the advanced
military post called La Guardia Chica, situated about seven leagues
above the second Guardia, and about twenty-five leagues from Carmen. It
has not, I believe, been in existence many years, and was two years ago
the scene of an _émeute_ amongst the garrison, which was graphically
described to me at our watchfire in Las Manzanas by Rouque Pinto, who
had evidently assisted, if not as an actor, at least as a spectator at
the scene. The troops, who were mostly foreigners, according to his
account, suddenly rose, shot or stabbed the officer in command, and
then their lieutenant, who was killed whilst endeavouring to escape by
swimming the river. The mutineers then sacked the place, getting of
course intoxicated on the contents of the grog shops, and remained
in possession for a day or two, when a party, headed by a man named
Bonifaccio, a Government agent for treating with the Indians, rode in
and took the ringleaders, who were, I believe, summarily shot. I tell
the story as it was told me, and can only vouch for the truth of the
fact that the officers were killed in a mutiny, which was afterwards
suppressed by the determination and courage of Bonifaccio.
Woodcutters frequently come up the river thus far to procure the red
willow timber. Their plan is simple: they ride up bringing their axes,
ropes, and provisions, and when arrived at the scene of their labours
turn their horses adrift, which readily find their way home. The men
form their timber into a raft, and voyage on it safely down the river.
This, although hard work, is a profitable occupation for men skilled
with the axe. Perhaps at some future period their operations will be
extended farther west, and rafts of Araucarian pine, apple, and other
trees will be floated down from the forests of the Cordillera.
From the Guardia Chica or Little Guardia, still keeping on the north
side, a wide flat plain extends to the Guardia described in the previous
chapter; in this several farms are situated, most of them wheat-raising
establishments. Nearly all this land is leased by Señor Aguirre from
the Government, and he has at present a large number of men engaged in
cutting a channel or ditch for the purpose of irrigating an extensive
tract of land. The men employed in this work are nearly all of them
natives of Santiago del Estero, and it is needless to state that it is
a most expensive undertaking: it is only to be hoped that Señor Aguirre
will find his labour and expense repaid by fruitful crops.
A few farms are rented by Welsh settlers, refugees from the Chupat,
who wisely have preferred the valley of the Rio Negro to that luckless
settlement.
A little above the Guardia is situated the estancia of Messrs. Kincaid,
of which we caught a glimpse on our first arrival at civilisation. I had
the pleasure of staying some days at this farm, where a good deal of
land had been brought under cultivation, and flocks of sheep might be
seen grazing on the rich plain.
The estancia, from its situation in what is termed a rincon or corner,
namely, a peninsula nearly surrounded by a bend of the river, possessed
great advantages, and as it is one of the most convenient places for
passing cattle to the south side, the owner, who keeps a boat on the
river, was enabled to do a profitable business with the Indians when
they received their rations, by assisting them in ferrying their animals
across.
The overseer, under Mr. Kincaid, was a Scotch shepherd, whose gude wife
superintended the ménage; the house was a substantial edifice, built
mainly by Messrs. Kincaid, the beams being taken from willow trees
felled in the rincon. Up to the time of my visit these gentlemen had
been working against fortune, neither of the yields of grain in the two
previous years of their occupation having been even a good average.
Close to this estancia a number of ancient Indian burial grounds exist,
where, besides skulls and bones, numerous flint arrowheads may be found,
some of which, in my possession, have been exhibited to the learned
members of the Anthropological Institute, and found to present the
peculiar Indian type. Besides flint arrow-heads, pestles and mortars,
fashioned out of a porous stone, are also to be found. These articles
probably belonged to an old race of Indians who inhabited the Rio Negro
previous to the advent of Spaniards and horses, and the pestles and
mortars were probably used for pounding the algarroba bean into a paste
like that at present manufactured by Pampa Indians under Teneforo;
indeed, Luiz Aguirre gave me to understand that these Pampas were of
an original stock formerly inhabiting the valley of the Rio Negro, but
I leave these conjectures to the consideration of ethnologists more
skilled than myself. Near these ancient graves I renewed my acquaintance
with the old familiar vizcacha of the plains of Buenos Ayres, which I
have previously pointed out does not exist in Patagonia proper, viz., to
the south of the Rio Negro. Two other species of armadillo besides the
quirquincho were described as being found in their neighbourhood, but I
was not fortunate enough to meet with either description, as they were
at this season hybernating. Puma have been killed in the neighbourhood
of one of the sheep stations. The shepherd heard two outside the corral
on one occasion, and giving chase the puma ascended a small tree. The
shepherd was only lightly attired, but he stripped off his shirt and
fastened it to a stick planted by the tree, which unknown white object
so terrified the 'leones' that they remained quiet while he fetched his
gun and shot them both.
The skin of an aguarra killed on the premises was also shown to me, but
I had not the good fortune to see one alive. The rarity of the animal
causes the skins to be highly valued, being worth 5_l._ each in Carmen.
From the second Guardia a short gallop past the advanced barrancas, near
which the river flows in another bend, brings the traveller to another
wide plain, which to the north runs up into an abra deeply recessed in
the receding barranca: in this there are several farms; one of which,
six miles below the Guardia, belonging to Messrs. Fraser and Grenfell,
is named the Estancia San André, and is also situated (_i.e._ the house
and parts intended for wheat growing) inside a rincon or corner
partitioned off by a good whitethorn or chañal fence, resting at each
end in the river. The sheep and cattle graze during the day outside, but
the latter and the horses are invariably brought within the enclosure
at night for fear of theft. This foresight of enclosing the cattle had
saved Mr. Fraser a considerable loss a short time previous to my visit,
as a party of marauding Indians rode along outside the fence, and
finding nothing but sheep, which travel too slowly to be securely
lifted, proceeded to the next estancia and drove off the cattle and
horses, after stripping the shepherd of his clothes, but doing him no
bodily injury.
When the news reached Mr. Fraser he got some men together and started
in hot pursuit; although a stern chase is a long one, the cattle grew
tired, and the Indians, probably some of Calficura's people, abandoned
them, escaping with the horses only.
I passed several days at the Estancia San André, spending the greater
part of my time in reading, first the papers, and then all the available
books, and now and then sauntering about with a gun to shoot partridges
or pigeon, whilst my companions were busy, each with his team of oxen
ploughing in the seed, or carting bricks down to the new house in course
of completion.
The house we occupied was of adobe, and getting rather into a tumbledown
condition; but the new house was a substantial brick building, the
bricks burnt by the future occupiers, and the walls run up by some
Italian masons. This new house was situated on the extremity of the
rincon, or corner, or where its apex touched the river: in front of it
was a small island, rapidly undergoing conversion from its original
reed-covered state to a fertile garden, in which a good crop of potatoes
had already been grown and fruit trees were being planted.
The old house was to be given up to the Capataz, or head man, who then
resided with his wife in a portion of it. This man was a native, named
Medado; and I have since heard that, when pursuing the Indians who
had invaded some stations near Bahia San Blas, he swam the river
unaccompanied, and rescued two captives, for which he was made an
officer of National Guards. His chief business consisted in looking
after the cattle and horses, and training the racehorse, of which Mr.
Fraser was justly proud.
During my stay the San André crack was entered against a horse of
Linares' over a short course, and won easily, landing stakes of about
eighty head of cattle.
I noticed, whilst at San André, a very beautiful description of small
hawk, which appeared closely allied to our merlin, and shot one
specimen.
The San André people, like those at Rincon Barrancas, had been
struggling against ill-fortune for two seasons; the last season their
harvest was a fair one, but unfortunately they delayed thrashing out for
a long time, waiting for a thrashing machine from England, which, when
it did arrive, would not work properly, and made it necessary for them
ultimately to resort to the native fashion of treading out with mares;
bad weather ensued, and a considerable portion of the grain was spoiled:
such are the woes of Rio Negro farmers, especially improving ones.
During my visit the daily routine of tilling, marking cattle, bringing
up the horses, &c., was carried on; but we found time to visit the next
estancia, owned by a Swiss gentleman residing in Buenos Ayres, and
managed in his absence by a Swiss countryman, known by the name of
Don Juan. Here, as sheep at the present time hardly paid the cost
of shearing, an experiment was being made of curing mutton hams for
exportation to Buenos Ayres, and a large number had been already cured
and were ready for shipment; but the result of the experiment is unknown
to me, and the ingenious Don Juan has since died.
During my stay at San André and Rincon Barrancas I picked up a good
deal of information regarding the relations of the Indians with the
colonists, which perhaps may not be uninteresting to the reader. All the
settlements and guardias previously described are situated on the north
bank of the river, the south side being almost entirely, as far as this
point, in the hands of the Tame and other Indians. The Indian parties
who are most feared are the Araucanos, under the chief Rouque, and the
Pampas of Calficura, who has his head-quarters at the Salinas near Bahia
Blanca, while the former ranges from the neighbourhood of Choelechel
to the Cordillera. I should be inclined to think that Rouque is a
subordinate chief under Cheoeque, though I am not certain of the fact,
as the latter chief, during my visit to Las Manzanas, mentioned Rouque
as being with his people in the apple and pine groves, gathering the
autumn harvest; but I subsequently met some of these Indians at the
Guardia waiting for Rouque's ration, and recognised one as having been
present at our council and subsequent festivities in Las Manzanas. The
Government agent for Indian affairs, Bonifaccio, showed me a magnificent
pair of stirrups sent from Buenos Ayres as a present to Rouque, the
policy of the authorities being to keep him and Cheoeque from joining
Calficura in the threatened raid on the frontier. The reason assigned
for the declaration of war by this latter chief was the death--by which
he probably meant the imprisonment--of one of his inferior caciques; but
the real reason probably was that the Argentine Government, on account
of robberies committed by some of his people, had refused to renew his
ration of animals. The outbreak in Entre Rios, resulting from the death
of Urquiza, was then unforeseen, and it was intended to have despatched
a large force, under the command of Señor Mitre, to reinforce the whole
frontier, and if necessary crush Calficura; but the troubles caused by
Lopez Jordan necessitated the despatch of all available forces at once
to Entre Rios, and the meditated scheme of rendering the frontier
secure was postponed. Calficura subsequently took advantage of this by
attacking the frontier in various places, carrying off captives women
and children, besides numerous herds of cattle, winding up by attacking
and devastating the new settlements in the neighbourhood of Bahia
Blanca, his Indians penetrating boldly, almost without resistance,
into the very heart of the town, and returning with abundance of
booty. Patagones was not attacked, which may partially be due to
the arrangements effected in Las Manzanas, the unwillingness of the
Tehuelches to join, and the gaining over of Rouque. The latter chief,
however most probably played a double game, and whilst receiving rations
and gifts with one hand, allowed his people to join the raids and
received plunder with the other.
One reason for the Indians not committing great raids on the Rio Negro
settlements is simply that cattle and horses hardly exist in sufficient
numbers to reward a foray on a large scale. Small parties sometimes
come in, as in the case described, when the horses were taken from the
'China Muerte,' the estancia of Mr. Fraser's neighbour; but these are
rather robberies than hostile invasions--indeed, no important raids have
occurred since the time of Lenquetrou, who united all the Indians for
the purpose, and swept the valley in a raid which, it may be remembered,
was described to me by Gravino, a participator in it, at Inacayal's
toldos, near the Pass of the Rio Limay. The settlers were naturally
anxious to know my opinion as to the probable safety of the Rio Negro,
and I assured them that, from what I knew, there was little chance of a
raid, but that on the contrary Bahia Blanca was sure to be attacked, and
I especially warned one of our countrymen who was on his way to Bahia
Blanca not to hazard himself by settling outside the town at the present
juncture. Englishmen are apt to suppose that because they possess good
weapons, rifles and revolvers, and are able and ready to use them, they
can resist an Indian attack; but the whole system of their warfare
consists in sudden surprises. They secretly collect their forces, and
waiting at a safe distance during the night, come in at the early dawn,
and perhaps the unsuspicious settler, going to the corral or looking
for his horses, observes in the distance what appears to be a troop of
horses, driven, according to custom, by one or two mounted men; these
approach unchallenged, but in a second every horse displays an armed
rider, shouting his war-cry. They then spread out, as if to encircle the
game, thus presenting no front to the rifles of their opponents, and
dash down lance in hand; and whilst some secure the animals, others
set fire to the dwellings and carry off the women--if there are
any--captives. In some cases they kill the men, but generally only
when much resistance is offered.
Although their chief object in warfare is to carry off cattle and
captives, the Indians will at times fight desperately, regardless of
odds, and show little or no fear of death; and the survivors will never
leave their wounded or killed on the field. The Indians in the service
of the Government, mustering about fifty lances, and residing chiefly
on the south side, are commanded by a man named Linares, previously
mentioned as living at San Xaviel; he receives the pay and rations of
an officer in the army, of what rank I do not know, and all his men
regularly receive pay and rations. These are supposed to act as
gendarmerie; but although Linares and his four brothers are probably to
be depended on, I doubt very much if the rank and file could be trusted
to remain true to their colours in the event of a united raid taking
place, such as that organised by Lenquetrou.
They have all acquired, by their lengthened residence in the
neighbourhood of bad characters, a rowdy, swaggering disposition not
generally, according to my experience, common amongst uncivilised
Indians; and frequent losses of cattle occur to people settled on the
south side, no doubt attributable to these dubious allies and defenders.
Between San André and Carmen the winding course of the river twice
approaches and recedes from the barranca, forming two successive wide
alluvial plains, partly settled and partly in natural pasture, in one
of which a mill turned by water-power was at this time in course of
erection, the existing corn-mills being cumbrous, old-fashioned affairs
worked by horses.
The barranca then abuts on the river, except in one place, where there
is a farm and wharf used for loading salt, forming a cliff close to the
river bank as far as Carmen. Above this farm and wharf an old fort,
apparently untenanted, and armed with one gun, is situated; and away to
the north-east, in an indentation in the plain, lies a large salina from
which the salt is extracted.
From the immediate neighbourhood of this fort a fine view of the valley
below presented itself: right in front, or nearly due south, on the
other side of the river, lay San Xaviel, partially shrouded by trees;
scattered farms occurred to the west of this, and along the bank as far
as the south side of the town. In the river several delightful-looking
cultivated islands were to be seen, the most noticeable forming the
vineyard of Don Benito Crespo. Beyond the town, to the south-east, the
eye ranged over unbroken plains, with dots here and there marking sheep
stations or small farms. Of the south side little has been said: near
the town there are many small estancias; but a great drawback, I am
told, to settling there is the fact that no secure titles to the
properties are procurable, and therefore there is no security of
occupation in the event of acquiring a piece of land. An important
establishment must not be overlooked, namely, the saladero of Señor
Aguirre, situated about a league below the town of Carmen, whence a
considerable amount of hides and tallow is exported to England. During
my stay a North-German or Dutch barque was lying off the place loading
a cargo. Besides these commodities, the exports of Carmen include salt,
wheat, ostrich feathers, and peltries obtained from the Indians, and
some few ponchos and saddle-cloths; while the imports may be placed
under the head of sundries or notions, from imitation ponchos and cheap
finery to Paraguay tea and bad spirits.
Although to my eyes, so long accustomed to treeless wastes, rocky
spur-like mountains, and wild grassy valleys, the valley of the Rio
Negro appeared almost a garden of Eden, no doubt to any new arrival from
England it would not have the same aspect. The valley through which
the river winds is destitute of any trees, besides the fringe of tall
willows which belt the stream, extending (except perhaps in Sauce
Blanco) nowhere more than a couple of hundred yards from the bank. The
plains stretching on either bank to the chañal and scrub covered deserts
in many places were so closely eaten down by sheep and cattle as to
present the minimum of vegetation, at least in the winter season.
However bare and unpromising the land may seem, such is the fertility of
the soil that wheat may be grown, crop after crop, and year after year,
on the same land. Potatoes attain a very large size and are of excellent
quality, but these are chiefly grown in the islands of the river.
The Government have lately issued orders that all islands belong
inalienably to the State, and all present occupiers are obliged to pay
a small head rent to the authorities, which seems to point at a future
occupation of Choelechel.
Besides potatoes, all other European vegetables and fruit-trees grow
well; tobacco seems to thrive, and vines promise to furnish a staple of
export in the shape of Rio Negro wine. In one of the islands, occupied
by Don Benito Crespo, and leased by him on shares to some Spaniards from
the neighbourhood of Cadiz, a great number of vines have been planted
and large quantities of grapes pressed out yearly. The wine, which is
called 'Chacoli,' has the muscatel flavour and bouquet of Moselle, and
is a thin pure wine, excellent to drink in the warm weather, as it is by
itself not at all strong or heady. I should imagine that it would not
bear exportation, but Don Benito has hopes that his Andalusians will
shortly be able to produce a superior quality. Besides wine, I tasted at
the table of this hospitable gentleman some brandy, the produce of the
same grape: it was of course colourless, of good taste, but any number
of degrees over proof.
A sportsman can always find amusement either in shooting ducks,
partridges, geese, and other wild fowl, or mounting his horse and
chasing ostriches or deer in the abras or openings running far up like
inlets of grass between the scrub-covered promontories of the barranca.
Fish may be caught in the river, chiefly, I believe, the delicious
pejerey[13] or large smelt, and those perch-like fish described as
existing in the rivers of Patagonia.
[13] Atherinichthys Argentinensis. Cunningham, p. 54.
For guanaco, the pampas near San Blas must be visited, but the valley
and the lagoons formed by backwaters of the river furnish abundance
of black-necked swans, upland geese, red-headed ducks, widgeon, teal,
flamingoes, and roseate spoonbills.
It will be evident that to any active and enterprising young men,
prepared to rough it a little, and possessed of a small sum of ready
money, who wish to invest in land and cultivate, there is much to be
said for and against the Rio Negro as a home. The land may be had at a
reasonable price, and little clearing is required. Implements may be
brought from Buenos Ayres, either in a sailing ship or by the steamer
which is supposed to run monthly, though rather uncertain in its
movements. The climate is pleasant and healthy, and one good season of
harvest would almost repay the outlay on a moderate establishment.
As to the drawbacks to be placed on the contra side, the river is
subject at times to floods, at other times droughts prevail, and, unless
artificial irrigation be resorted to, crops will fail, besides which
occasionally a million of locusts will save the farmer the trouble of
reaping his harvest; the cattle, of which most people keep enough to
supply milk and meat for home consumption, may be run off by Indians;
and last, but not least, the settler may lose his life by the hand of
some felon. But no colony offers a certainty of making a rapid fortune.
The great mistake most English settlers make is going out to a place
with the idea that they are going to make a 'pile' in a year or two and
then return to Europe.
In my opinion the settler should go with the intention of making the
place he has chosen his home: then if successful he can return, but he
should not look forward to it. The Basque population are looked upon in
the Argentine provinces as the best immigrants, as they generally stay
in the country. The Italians, on the contrary, grub away for some years,
starving and pinching, until they have amassed a small sum of money
sufficient to enable them to live at ease in Italy, while English
and all others are looked upon as people to be fleeced if possible.
Sheepfarming in the Rio Negro is, I think, to be avoided, as in other
places in the Argentine provinces. Señor Aguirre told me that he had
lost a large sum of money in this investment, and many of my countrymen
from the Rio de la Plata can sympathise with him.
Two sturdy Scotchmen are at present trying the experiment near Carmen,
and as sheep were at a low price when they commenced, they may succeed.
It is a question in my mind whether larch or araucaria pines would not
thrive along the flats bordering the river; perhaps the climate is too
dry for the latter, but the experiment is almost worth trying for anyone
possessed of means and inclination to take up his abode for a term of
years in the Rio Negro. For my own part, were I a settler, I should
be induced to confine my efforts to the cultivation of the vine, and
perhaps tobacco, keeping of course the necessary stock of animals for
home consumption.
It must be clearly understood that I am not recommending or interested
in the Rio Negro as a place to which intending emigrants should direct
their thoughts; it undoubtedly possesses great natural advantages, which
are, as yet, insufficiently developed by most of the colonists. Their
estancias, with the exception of those of my Scotch and English friends,
are generally small, miserable-looking tenements, with offal scattered
round the ill-kept corral; and their agriculture is as indifferent
as the neglected appearance of the houses would suggest. But for all
that, there is not a really poor man--except in consequence of his own
laziness or drunken habits--in Carmen and its vicinity, and labour is
in great demand at high wages, while living is cheap, which experience,
since my return, has taught me to be a painful contrast to the state of
our own population at home.
I was recalled from Rincon Barrancas and my speculations on the Rio
Negro as a field for emigrants by the distant view of Indians, espied
from the lookout on the top of my host's house, as they descended from
the travesia, and hastened back to the town to receive them, according
to promise. It will be remembered that on my arrival as chasqui I
presented to Señor Murga my despatches, in which Casimiro detailed his
arrangements for the protection of Patagones. A list of the chiefs
to whom rations or gifts of cattle, horses, &c., were due, was also
enclosed, and a request that a hundred mares should be sent out at once
with the returning messengers. After some days' delay I was sent for
by Señor Murga, who, it may be here remarked, is reputed to thoroughly
understand the Indians, and to display considerable address in managing
them. It was amusing to observe the natural suspicion and perplexity
aroused in the mind of the Commandante concerning my position among the
Indians; and my reply to his question as to what rank and influence I
possessed among them, and how I was interested for them--that I was
simply a guest and friend--did not seem at all sufficient to explain
matters. But he discussed the question of the chiefs and their requests,
and assured me that all the chiefs who should be found to be entitled
to rations should duly receive them: he, however, absolutely refused to
send out any mares, declaring that Casimiro should receive all his dues
when he arrived.
As the grand Cacique had for several years not drawn his annual
allowance, amounting to 200 cows, 100 mares, 500 sheep, and a quantity
of clothes and yerba, it can be well imagined that with fair play and
prudence he would, on this visit, become a wealthy as well as powerful
Cacique, as a reward for his labours. At his previous visit he had
left a quantity of cattle and sheep, under charge of some of the Tame
Indians, to increase and multiply; but alas! on his arrival, in reply to
his inquiries, only one small flock of sheep was forthcoming, the rest,
instead of multiplying, having been gambled away by their guardians. The
liberality of the Argentines and the largeness of the gifts may appear
surprising; and indeed the nominal value, as charged to the Government
for these annual gifts to the Indians, is very great. I saw myself 1,000
head of cattle pass on their way to Rouque, and Cheoeque was expecting
1,200. The cattle were brought down from the Tandil by purveyors, whose
business must be as lucrative as that of American army contractors;
for the Indians are sometimes when sober, or oftener when intoxicated,
induced to part with their newly-acquired possessions for a mere trifle,
and the cattle, reverting to the dealer's hands, thus do duty over again
as a ration perhaps to the same Cacique. Thus the Indians benefit but
little, while the Government pays a large amount and the purveyors and
other agents grow rich, Indians and Government being esteemed apparently
as lawful and natural pigeons, to be plucked by any safe means.
The Commandante's reply had been duly forwarded to Casimiro, together
with some liquor and presents for my friends; and the morning following
my return from the country I was awoke early by a knock at the door, and
on opening it found five or six Tehuelches who had made their way over
the river to my quarters. After giving them a matè we all proceeded to
the store, and I gave one or two some small presents. Among these first
arrivals was my friend Jackechan, the Cacique from the Chupat, who
confided to me that he had been very drunk the night before. The
Tehuelches had not, however, waited till they reached the settlements
for an opportunity of abandoning themselves to the pernicious enjoyment
of 'lum.' It soon came out that their delay at Valchita had been
necessitated by a prolonged debauch on liquor procured from the Guardia.
Casimiro had of course set the example, and the drink had, as usual,
also led to quarrelling, which resulted in a general fight; several had
been killed, including Cayuke, so often mentioned as a staunch friend;
and I was greatly grieved at being unable to get any accurate tidings of
my Herculean comrade the good-natured Wáki, who had, beyond doubt, been
killed at the same time.
Such common occurrences were little regarded by my visitors, all of
whom were caciquillos, and whom I presently dismissed rejoicing, with a
promise to visit them on the south side in the evening. But my troubles
had only just commenced. All day long Tehuelches kept arriving, and not
knowing what to do with themselves, followed me about wherever I went,
much to the amusement of some of my acquaintances.
In the evening I crossed to the other side, and remained for the night
with my old hosts. All were in a great state of delight, as their
rations were to be given them without delay--the yerba, sugar, and
spirits from Aguirre's stores, and the cattle and mares from the Guardia
in front of Sauce Blanco. Old Orkeke, who had not expected to receive
rations, had been allowed, in consequence of my urging his claims, the
same as other minor chiefs, and was consequently in high delight.
They were, on the other hand, very dissatisfied at the extremely low
prices which their feathers and peltries had realised, and abused
the dealers very roundly as a lot of rogues. False weights and other
tricks of trade had been freely employed to cheat the Indians; and the
storekeepers also charged exorbitantly for necessaries supplied to
them. Their custom is to bivouac in the yards or corrals at the back of
the stores, where they light fires and cook as in their own country, and
pay in the end as dearly for their accommodation as if in a West End
hotel. I delighted the heart of Mrs. Orkeke by presenting her with
a long-promised iron pot and a shawl; and to Hinchel's son I gave a
promised pack of cards, and to the children raisins, sweets, or bread.
Jackechan's wife and daughter, who had always shown me great kindness, I
took into the store, and told them to choose whatever they fancied most;
whereupon they both, without hesitation, selected two small bottles of
scent to put on their hair. I must remark, _en passant_, that all this
family were exceptionally clean in their habits and persons, and I
promised, if I returned to Patagonia, to travel in their toldo, as I
had then some idea of journeying by the sea-coast to the Chupat, and
perhaps to Santa Cruz. Jackechan's son--the boy with light hair and
complexion--volunteered to come to England with me, and I consented to
take him; but on hearing that there were no ostriches or guanaco where
we were going, he thought better of it.
Some of Quintuhual's and Foyel's people also arrived, but behaved
themselves in a very different manner to the Tehuelches. Their women and
children had all been left in Geylum, and the men walked about in a very
independent manner, with a proud, superior bearing, not condescending to
admire anything, or to ask for any presents. One of them, on the boatman
requesting his fare for bringing him across the river, refused flatly,
and then drew his revolver to enforce his denial.
Last, but not least, as became so great a personage, Casimiro arrived,
attended by Meña, who acted as secretary. His costume had suffered
considerably from his late pursuits, and his appearance was by no means
improved by a gash in his face received from a Manzanero in a brawl at
Sauce Blanco. He installed himself in the hotel, hired the fifes and
drums of the garrison to play whilst he was at breakfast, and for two
days kept open house for all comers, ending the day in an advanced state
of intoxication.
At the end of this debauch a bill was handed to him which, I should
think, took the value of nearly half his rations. This sobered him, and
he, taking my advice, left the hotel, and crossing the river proceeded
to Sauce Blanco to look after his rations and Indians. On the whole, the
Indians behaved very well whilst in the settlement. I saw, of course,
some drunkenness, but not nearly so much as I had expected. One and all
parted from me with most cordial farewells, and pressed me to return to
the Pampa, as they call it, as soon as possible. Jackechan was one of
the last to leave. He, as well as one or two of the others, had found an
old acquaintance in Mr. Humphreys, formerly of the Chupat colony, but
now settled in Patagones as carpenter. We all met in Mr. Humphreys's
house one Sunday after church, and had a long talk relative to this
Chupat settlement, and to the answer received to my letter brought by
Jackechan's chasqui. The statement in it that the settlers had no stores
of any sort, and that of the Indian messenger that they were almost
destitute of clothing, have been fully corroborated by the despatches of
Commander Dennistoun, H.M.S. Cracker, published whilst these pages were
being written. Mr. Humphreys considered himself and the few companions
who had accompanied him to the Rio Negro fortunate in having left
when they did; and all agreed that the colonists would do better if
transferred to the Rio Negro, where those who were skilled in trades
would be able to live in comparative ease, and the mere labourers find
plenty of work, and be able at any rate to maintain themselves. I cannot
but record my astonishment that Mr. Lewis Jones--who, although I am not
personally acquainted with him, must, from the report given me by the
Indians, be a man of no ordinary understanding--should endeavour to
maintain the colony in a place which had formerly been tried by others
and abandoned as hopeless, the distance of the harbour--thirty miles
off--alone being a certain obstacle to its prosperity.
The visionary scheme of a Welsh Utopia, in pursuit of which these
unfortunate emigrants settled themselves, ought not to be encouraged,
likely as it is to end in the starvation of the victims to it. Had it
not been for the charity of the Argentine Government, this must have
been their fate ere now. Jackechan described to me that he had seen the
settlers 'eating grass,' and had taught some of them how to hunt and
furnished them with bolas. The Blue Book just published confirms the
truth of this statement, and perhaps renders it needless for me to go
more into the subject; but I must add that, though at that time friendly
and well-disposed, this chief considered the settlers as intruders on
his territory, and avowed his intention of demanding payment at a future
time--a refusal of rent being in such a case sure to be followed by a
very summary process of cattle driving and eviction.
The Rio Negro, with all its drawbacks of Indians, locusts, floods, and
droughts, is certainly infinitely superior to the Chupat. If the Welsh
wish to live as a separate community, I am sure that Señor Aguirre will
only be too happy to let them settle on his tract of land between the
Upper and Second Guardia, where already some of their countrymen--Messrs.
Williams and Owen--have taken land.
After the Indians had left, I gave myself over to the enjoyments of
social life in Patagones, which did not prove sufficient to reconcile me
to the delay consequent on the non-arrival of the steamer. My days were
spent in walking about, playing billiards, and taking matè; and a visit
in the evening to Don Domingo's, where a party were in the habit of
meeting to play 'truco' for sweetmeats. Sometimes we varied this by
calling on some of the fair señoritas, or spending the evening at the
house of Mr. Davis, the engineer of the Choelechel, in the company of
his amiable señora. All the young ladies agreed that Patagones was very
'triste,' especially those who had been to Buenos Ayres, and had enjoyed
the delights of the opera and bands of music in the Plaza.
On Sundays, after mass and service in the mission station, attended by
all the English, a race would sometimes take place, or, in default,
there would be sure to be a cock fight held on the south side; at
either of which Commandante Murga invariably attended. There was also a
fives court, where some Basques or natives were generally to be found
playing. Once or twice I accompanied Dr. Humble--not, however, on
Sunday--in a pull on the river. Every day we looked out anxiously
for the steamer, which had been so long overdue as to make it appear
probable that she had met with an accident. Tired of the delay, I had
just negotiated my passage in a Dutch schooner laden with grain for
Buenos Ayres, when one evening the steamer arrived, having been delayed
in Bahia Blanca.
In the morning I was agreeably surprised by the size of the steamer,
formerly the Montauk, of Boston, but rechristened the Patagones, and
owned by Messrs. Aguirre and Murga. She was pretty well fitted up as
regards accommodation, but all the decks, cabins, and every part of her
presented a very dirty appearance.
After two days' stay she hoisted the blue peter, and, having taken my
passage, together with Messrs. Fraser and Kincaid, who were going to
Buenos Ayres on business, and Mr. Gibb, who was on his return to Europe,
repaired on board, where we found a considerable number of passengers
assembled; the distinguished billiard-marker who had annexed the clock
amongst the number. About 4 P.M. we weighed, and, bidding adieu to
Patagones, started down the river with the ebb tide, intending to anchor
for the night in the Boca and cross the long line of sandbank, which
forms a dangerous bar, with the morning tide. We steamed along smoothly
enough until just well within sight of the ships lying in the Boca,
when a sudden concussion announced that she was ashore on a sandbank,
where she stuck hard and fast. We thought little of the misadventure,
expecting to be off at high tide, and some of us went on shore and
pic-nicked on the flats bordering the river. We returned about ten, and
about midnight I was woke up by hearing one of the funnel guys snap,
and, going on deck, found that, though the bow of the ship was high
out of the water, the stern was in deep water, and the ship severely
straining amidships in consequence. A few minutes after the main steam
pipe broke: the steam had, however, luckily been turned off, or the
consequences would have been disastrous to those in the after part of
the ship. The ladies were then landed, for fear of accidents, and the
remainder of us held a consultation as to how we should get to Buenos
Ayres, and ultimately went to sleep on it.
The following morning the Choelechel came down and succeeded in towing
the vessel off, and the Dutch captain of the schooner came on board and
agreed to take me and some others on to Buenos Ayres. We accordingly
jumped into a boat, and proceeding down to the Boca, got on board the
schooner, hoping to sail the next day; but were again doomed to be
disappointed.
The captain went up to buy provisions, and did not return till late the
following evening. Meantime the wind set in foul in the morning, and
the line of roaring white breakers on the bar showed the impossibility
of sailing; so we were compelled to wait, looking out on the dreary
sand-dunes which narrowed the entrance to the river on either side.
Some of us went on shore to visit the pilot station, and had a talk with
the pilot, a brave old German or Dutchman. This veteran and his men
had successfully defended his station against a large force of Indians
in the raid of Lenquetrou. The enemy desired to get possession of a
howitzer which is kept in the station, and the Indians rushed actually
up to the enclosure, while the men fired on them almost muzzle to their
breasts, at last succeeding in beating them off with immense loss.
The boat's crew consisted of men of all nations. I got into conversation
with one, at first in Spanish, then in English. After lending me his
pipe, he looked hard at me and said, 'I know you: I am Pat Sweeny, and
ran away from the Sheldrake. What ship did you run away from?' I was not
dressed in my best clothes, and looked doubtless weather beaten enough;
but I recognised my friend, though he failed to remember me, and was not
enlightened as to my identity. Several weary days were spent in drinking
schnapps, and ineffectually trying to catch fish, when at last a
fair breeze sprang up, which speedily wafted us out of sight of the
Patagonian shores, and after a boisterous passage of six days the anchor
was dropped off Buenos Ayres.
APPENDIX A.
_A partial Vocabulary of the Tsoneca Language, as spoken by the Northern
Tehuelches._
ENGLISH. AHONICANKA, OR TSONECA.
I _or_ mine ya
you _or_ yours ma
his _or_ hers ti
this one _or_ he win
who hem
here nanik
there mawoori _or_ mawook _or_ mon
where kinik
when kenoesh
what ket
how ----
how much _or_ many kinkein kerum
above eok
below penk _or_ _wumka_
immediately marso
to-morrow nush
yesterday nush
day after to-morrow eounnush
quickly gemmo
jealous ynaien
foolish chops
quick sourno
good ketz
pretty coquet
bad terosh
ill hammersh
hot yporsk
cold kekoosh
big chaish
little talenque
light höppen
heavy pogelsh
like nourks
far éouns
near ekel
similar wáks
tired wotysk
hungry pashlik
difficult wickemi
hard chornk
soft kattṅ
ready kush
yes ahon (_very guttural_)
no kompsh
man (_Indian_) ahonican
man (_Christian_) háchish
people (_Indian_) tchonik
woman (_married_) karken
father yank
mother yanna
wife ysher
son ykallum
brother yten
sister ystshen
children coquetra
friend _or_ companion gennow
head kittar
eyes ötl
nose tchal
tongue tal
lips chum
teeth oër
hands tsicc'r
legs noa
feet shankence
toldo _or_ house kou
poles for ditto hö
hides, ditto wummum
thongs cowan
mantle kai
fillet for hair kotchi
boots tsuccre
clothes kakewit
hat kor
bolas (_three balls_) yatschiko
bolas (_two balls_) chume
sinews katz
lazo laso
knife paiken
gun gilwum
revolver gilwinikush
powder tchampum
caps kun
lance waike
pot (_for cooking_) askem
bottle oëtre
barrel barr
(bodkin) needle, _or_ nail hüllen
bag hüll
pipe aniwee _or_ conganou
tobacco golk
saddle tusk
bridle hum
bit kankion
stirrups keshon
spurs wateren
girth genig
straps for securing horses' legs kaligi
whip wakenem
belt wáti
sun (_or_ a day) gengenko
moon (_or_ a month) showan
stars ááskren
a year tsor
fire yaik
water léy
snow gél
wind hoshen
rain téwa
smoke p´āān
clouds páwall
night queyomen
wood kaki
hill yorri
place haik
land _or_ country yerroen
river koona
road nooma
poncho lecho
meat yipper
stones kátch
rocks air
grass _or_ pasture kor _or_ oet
broth _or_ tea áásleish
horse ewoe _or_ cawall
cattle choi
sheep cámpān
large deer shóen
guanaco rou
ostrich (_or_ rhea) mikkeoush
puma gol
fox paltṅ
skunk wickster
armadillo áno
hare pȧȧhi
fowls peyou
fawn _or_ colt kooroo
skins wummun
gold wínki
eggs ȯȯm
bones kotsh
marrow tcham
grease am
a chief gounok
fish ȯin
marriage coyenk
wild potatoes appely
sleep shensk
a file kikeriki
council aix
ill hammersh
ship youlel
gum _or_ rosin maki
cards bersen
sit down pespesh
catch korigi
to be tired ywotisk
I go yschengs
he goes wansk
he has hell
give me moyout
lend me mon
write ȧākren
buy amili
change quewarien
I am tired wotyskiya
I am hungry pashlik ya
I am sleepy yshensk
to kill ymuck
to fight ywowesk
to sing yworrish
I like yshorske ya
to mount on horseback amcotts _or_ oin
to race káttern
to send messenger wickeni coëto
to talk ayensh
I understand ya omkes
I do not understand ytonkes
come along heroschengs
to hunt aoukem
to speak kinscott
to do a thing micheten
make máki
to work tirsk
to light kaime
to fill meshawr
to eat shehattu
march wéen
to break charsk
to play nayensh
EXCLAMATIONS.
of surprise wati, wati, wati
of anger worrioo-wálloo
curse it nourenk y sé
on erring with the bolas wow
on catching an animal or in fighting kow
COLOURS.
black chorlo
white golwin
yellow waieken
green arkum
red kāōpen
blue kaliken
brown _or_ bay soorsh
piebald hogel
NUMERALS.
one chuche
two houke
three aäs
four carge
five ktsin
six winikush
seven ouk
eight winicarge
nine humanakoutsen
ten kake
eleven chuche kor
twelve houke kor
thirteen aas kor
kor added up to twenty
twenty wommenikukikor
thirty aasenikaki
forty cargekaki
fifty ktsinkaki
a hundred patack
a thousand huaranca
SOME SENTENCES.
ENGLISH. AHONICANKA, OR TSONECA.
Thank you Nouremi naki
Lend me the pipe Mon aniwee--aniwee moyout
Catch my horse Korigi ya
Come along, friend Heroschengs gennow
Will you come out hunting? (_Lit._ Heros aoukemshaw kinscott ya
Come out hunting, tell me.)
The people are fighting Ywowishk chonik
How many are killed? Kinkeinkerum ymuck
Where are you going? Kinek nis chengs
Cook some meat; I am hungry Herósh yipper wummi pashlik ya
I understand Indian Omkes Ahonicanka
I like your wife Ma yshorsks ysher
What do you want? Keterum karn?
It rains much to-day Chaiske nush que tewa
We are going to see many people Wushkaeye seonk chonik
We are going to see another country Wushkaeye kaiok yerroen
Come here quickly Gommo heout witka
What do you buy? Ket, m amli.
APPENDIX B.
_Testimony of successive Voyagers to the Stature of the Patagonians._
A.D.
1520. _Pigafetta_ The least, taller than the tallest men in
Castille.
1578. _Drake_ Not taller than some Englishmen.
1591. _Knyvet_ Fifteen or sixteen spans high.
1598. _Van Noort_ Natives of tall stature.
1615. _Schouten_ Human skeletons 10 or 11 feet long.
1669. _Narborough_ Mr. Wood was taller than any of them.
1750. _Falkner_ A cacique 7 feet and some inches high.
1764. _Byron_ A chief about 7 feet high, and few of the
others shorter.
1766. _Wallis_ Measured some of the tallest: one was
6 feet 7 inches, several 6 feet 5 inches;
the average height was between 5 feet
10 inches and 6 feet.
1783. _Viedma_ Generally 6 feet high.
1829. _D'Orbigny_ Never found any exceeding 5 feet 11 inches;
average height 5 feet 4 inches.
1833. _Fitzroy and Darwin_ Tallest average of any people; average
height 6 feet, some taller and a few
shorter.
1867-8. _Cunningham_ Rarely less than 5 feet 11 inches in
height, and often exceeding 6 feet by
a few inches. One measured 6 feet
10 inches.
LONDON: PRINTED BY
SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE
AND PARLIAMENT STREET
[Illustration: MAP OF PATAGONIA]
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