ACROSS THE ANDES INTO ARGENTINA
Before we undertook the journey to the Patagonian Channels we had
resolved to move our field of work to a more northerly latitude during
the rest of the winter, and I have already described the excursions
made between July and September 1908. Naturally we had also discussed
how we were to return south again, and the idea of proceeding
overland--_i.e._, going on horseback from Lake Nahuelhuapi to Punta
Arenas--had also suggested itself. We did not conceal from ourselves
that it would be a risky enterprise. When we left Sweden we were by
no means prepared for such an eventuality, and therefore had not even
studied what had been written describing that part of the country. This
lack could in part be supplied, but not completely, and we did not miss
any chance of getting information about Patagonia from persons who had
personal experience. As to the equipment suitable, the way of arranging
a caravan, and the technical side of the matter, Quensel had gained
very useful experience from his strenuous summer round Payne and Lake
Argentino. The financial difficulty was the worst to get over. We were
told we could not start with less than fifty horses--and I daresay
this was no exaggeration from a South American point of view. But we
could not dream of any such number; our money would not permit of our
buying more than ten or twelve altogether. Anyhow, we made up our minds
to risk it, hoping that by marching at moderate speed and resting the
horses every third or fourth day we should manage with the smaller
number. By the kindness of the Argentine and Chilean Governments, we
had received complete sets of the maps of the Boundary Commission,
and had had ample time to study them in all details. Unlike our
predecessors, we regarded guides as unnecessary; with a map and a good
compass one should certainly be able to get along everywhere, letting
common sense determine the details of the march. In general, fixed,
scientific ideas must lead us, and the usefulness of _vaqueanos_,
guides, who can never read a map, would most probably turn out to be
illusory. On the other hand it was necessary to get hold of a good and
strong all-round man to accompany us the whole time, as we did not want
always to be tied by all the regular daily routine work. It is not easy
here to light upon reliable people for such a purpose, and one ought
not to take anybody into one’s service without strong recommendations
from trustworthy persons. When we left Punta Arenas we had told Pagels
that we should perhaps send for him later on, and we never had cause to
regret that at last we resolved to do so. I telegraphed to him to join
our party in Puerto Montt or at Nahuelhuapi, and he declared himself
willing to come.
Briefly our plan ran as follows: We were to cross the Perez-Rosales
pass to Nahuelhuapi, and there complete our equipment, buy horses, &c.
Our way at first would lead along the mountain across the high pampas,
then run between the main range and the mesetas, across the transandine
valleys and close to the east end of the large lakes; on some of
them boat excursions would be undertaken. Everywhere we would avail
ourselves of all possible chances of penetrating westward into the
mountains. Our scientific purpose was to gain a series of geological
and phytogeographical observations along the mountains, as well as on
some sections across them to the Pacific Ocean. Before I invite the
reader to follow us across the frontier to the neighbouring republic, I
shall make some few remarks on the more important surveys made in the
interior of Patagonia.
The shipwreck of Camarga in the Magellan Straits in 1540, as well as
the unhappy result of Sarmiento’s colonizing enterprise in 1584, gave
birth to all sorts of stories. It was said that survivors of these
disasters had wandered into the interior of Patagonia, where they had
found immense treasures and established a settlement, which by-and-by
had developed into a flourishing city, mentioned in the tales as “la
Ciudad de los Césares,” the Town of the Emperors. No grounds whatever
for such a supposition existed, but that, of course, did not hinder
the place from becoming the chief attraction for a large number of
expeditions, which tried to penetrate into the mysteries of Patagonia,
and succeeded in doing so during the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries. Now and again a rumour cropped up of the enchanted city,
where the natives had prohibited the white men from going back to their
own countries, and even to-day there are ignorant people who still
believe it. I myself have met one fellow who was sure of the existence
of such a city--and he was an educated man.
In 1621 Captain Flores de León started with an expedition from Calbuco
(near Port Montt). He discovered the Perez-Rosales pass and reached
Nahuelhuapi, where he encountered numerous savage Indians. And probably
he is not the only one who made that journey at so early a date. Soon
the Jesuit mission on Chiloé tried to effect communication with the
east side of the Cordillera, and on one of his journeys Father Mascardi
founded a station on the shore of Nahuelhuapi in 1670. Under changing
fortunes it existed until 1717, when the Puelche Indians completely
destroyed it.
Investigations now ceased for a time, but at the end of the eighteenth
century we find new brave pioneers setting out, and in the south the
first expedition penetrated far inland. Antonio de Viedma in 1782
marched from San Julián, on the Atlantic coast, across the pampas to
the foot of the mountains, where he discovered the big lake now named
after him. We must skip some years to find any dates worthy of mention
in this brief summary. The glorious expeditions of the _Adventure_
and the _Beagle_, well known to all English readers, opened a new era
of modern scientific investigations, and Captain Fitzroy, accompanied
by Charles Darwin, in 1834 pulled up the Santa Cruz river. From the
point at which they were forced to return they beheld the depression
where Lake Argentino is situated; but not until 1867 was this big lake
discovered by the English engineer H. Gardiner.
R. A. Philippi, C. Fonck, and others in the fifties started to explore
the regions of Llanquihue and Nahuelhuapi, and in 1862 William Cox, an
ancestor of the Swedo-Chilean family Schönmeyr, made a famous journey
to Nahuelhuapi and went down the rapids of Rio Limay, till he got
shipwrecked and was made prisoner by the Indians. We owe him a debt
of gratitude for a great deal of information about the natives. Later
Captain G. Musters made prolonged journeys through the land of the
Tehuelches and rescued the knowledge of their habits and customs from
oblivion. However, large “white patches” still remained along the foot
of the Cordilleras.
The man who has gained the greatest merit for their exploration is Dr.
F. P. Moreno, late director of the museum in La Plata. In my opinion
his travels well match most of those made in our days, and if his name
is not so well known in Europe the fault is ours, not his. In the years
1875 to 1880 he crossed Patagonia in all directions, often amidst
great dangers; more than once he nearly lost his life. He and his
companions were the first to reach Nahuelhuapi from the east; together
with Moyano he discovered Rio de la Leona, the outlet of Lago Viedma in
Lago Argentino, and also the great Lake San Martín. Later he became the
leading spirit of the Argentine Boundary Commission, when a piece of
geographical work almost without parallel was performed. In 1880 Moyano
made an expedition from Santa Cruz along the valley of Rio Chico, and
thence to the north, and he was the first white man who beheld the vast
surface of Lake Buenos Aires. Another prominent Argentine explorer was
R. Lista.
Long before these important events, Argentina as well as Chile had
begun to think of expansion, Argentina towards Patagonia, the cramped
Chile through the transandine valleys out over the east slopes of the
mountains. Thus a boundary dispute arose, carried on with great heat
by both parties. It was deemed to have been brought to an end by the
treaty of 1881, which settled that the Cordillera should constitute
the boundary, and thus the ground for dispute seemed to be removed.
Commissions were established to regulate the matter, but soon all
negotiations were broken off; a new controversy had arisen. It was
found that for long distances the water-parting did not coincide
with the highest mountain-ridges, but lay east of it, and the
Chileans considered that the water-divide ought to be the frontier,
the Argentines that only the highest peaks and crests would make a
just and natural boundary. The question was of great importance,
as the dispute involved the fertile subandine valleys, which with
every reason were considered a good field for future colonization.
However, matters could not be settled as long as the region was not
mapped, and in the nineties a fine piece of work was accomplished,
in which several Scandinavians also took part as cartographers.
The Argentine exploration resulted in a large work, accompanied by
splendid photographs and numerous maps. We could see now how much was
still left to be discovered: large lake-basins, such as Fontana-La
Plata, Belgrano-Azara-Nansen, Pueyrredon (Cochrane)-Posadas, the last
one as late as in 1898. Sometimes naturalists also accompanied the
expeditions. From the Chilean side efforts were made to start from
the fiords on the Pacific coast and penetrate up the rivers through
the mountains to the sources--enterprises associated with tremendous
difficulties. Dr. Steffen, the well-known geographer, surveyed the
river systems of Puelo-Manso, Palena-Carrenleufú, Cisnes, Aysen and
Baker, Dr. Krüger those of Reñihue and the numerous lakes east of it,
Yelcho-Futaleufú and Corcovado. The data having been gathered, the
question was submitted to the award of King Edward VII., in order to
prevent a terrible war. The King sent a commission under the command
of Colonel Sir Thomas Holdich, and in November 1902 the decision was
published and the boundary was settled. After this combined work was
undertaken to erect the marks, new geographical results being gained.
The Chilean Government published a work in several parts with numerous
maps, and the keystone was laid in 1908, when the Argentine description
of the demarcations appeared.
Private expeditions had also operated in Patagonia during this time.
Dr. Hatcher with the Princeton University Expedition occupied himself
in the interior of South Patagonia, discovered Rio Mayer, the outlet of
the Belgrano system, and did important geological work. The geologists
Hauthal and Roth made extensive surveys, the former principally in
the southernmost part of the country, also visited by the Swedish
expedition of 1896-97. In 1903 Mr. A. Thesleff, a Finnish gentleman,
crossed Patagonia in order to look for land fit for cultivation;
with him went the Swedish botanist P. Dusén, who brought home large
collections from the region between Santa Cruz and the lakes San Martín
and Viedma. Many smaller journeys are worthy of notice, but I must
confine myself to those already mentioned. There was still, however, a
vast field for scientific work.
The winter was coming to an end. In the forests round Reloncaví the
trees opened their flower-buds; in Puerto Montt we enjoyed the first
real spring days. We were now more busy than ever, the question being
to choose a complete but light equipment, and to pack the rest and the
winter collections and send all together to Punta Arenas. Our modest
resources were severely strained buying horse-gear, clothes, and a lot
of small things.
The last nails were driven into the boxes, which were sent down to
a shed to wait for the next steamer, and with a ridiculously small
amount of luggage we started for Puerto Varas at the Lago Llanquihue
on October 6. One is able to drive there very comfortably, for we had
not yet said good-bye to civilization, and were ordinary passengers.
A German-Chilean company, the leaders being Germans, called Compañía
comercial y ganadera Chile-Argentina, owns land on both sides of the
mountains, and has established regular traffic between Port Montt and
Bariloche at Nahuelhuapi. A route like this in Europe would certainly
be crowded with tourists, and prove a real gold-mine. But the everyday
Chilean has not got his eyes open to the beauty of his country; seldom
does he travel for pleasure in South America. And when a foreigner
has his holidays he goes to Europe, where he will hardly find anything
so magnificent as the journey from Chile to Argentina across the
Perez-Rosales pass.
In the evening our carriage stopped in front of the Hotel Llanquihue
in Puerto Varas. On the road we had passed the half-completed
railway joining Puerto Montt to the town of Osorno, and thus with
the longitudinal main trunk. There is peace and comfort in that
small summer place, Puerto Varas, where numerous families spend the
favourable season on the shores of the large lake. We have good luck,
the sun rises on a splendid day, and the small steamer takes us over
a lake like a mirror, between the two famous giant volcanoes Osorno
and Calbuco, which raise their shining white heads one on each side of
the east end of Llanquihue. What a contrast to the landscape farther
west, with pastures and cultivated fields between the grooves! German
colonists have changed the province of Llanquihue into a land literally
flowing with milk and honey, for butter and honey are valuable articles
of export. The honey has a rather peculiar taste, but the bees have to
collect it from plants very different from those we can offer them.
From an æsthetic point of view Osorno is an ideal volcano. The cone,
7403 feet high, is very regular, and covered with a cap of eternal
snow. It is a long time since it showed any signs of life--the last
eruption must be that described in his usual fascinating manner by
Darwin, who was lucky enough to witness it. Calbuco is more than 1600
feet lower, and has not the same regular shape, but is still active.
With the glasses we could see tiny puffs of white smoke between the
snowdrifts on the jagged crest; old Vulcan still has one of his forges
there, and one day or other he will blow his biggest bellows again!
Then the industrious people will tremble; mud-streams will again drench
their fields, again the cattle will wade in the burning hot ashes with
hanging tongues--as some years ago, when the sky became dark far away
in Ancud in the middle of the day.
We land at the foot of Osorno. One of the old lava streams comes down
there, a picture of devastation, where vegetation still struggles to
give some life to the stony desert. Horses are ready, we mount and
gallop across the neck of land to the next lake, Todos los Santos,
and go on board a small steam-launch. Calbuco now lies behind. This
lake has been called one of the most beautiful in the world. Perhaps
this is an exaggeration--I have not seen enough to judge--but it is
certainly magnificent. Over its mountains, virgin forests, and dark
blue water there is a peculiar charm; it is an enchanted lake if there
be one in this world. What a play of light and shadow on its surface,
what colours when the sun is painting the peaks with gold and crimson,
throwing longer and longer shadows over the calm water! Slowly the rosy
gleam fades away: last of all Osorno is seen glowing, flashing a while
in the last beams, and then lies blue-white and cold. Night has come,
forest and water melt together in the shadow of the mountains, but on
the peaks the moon casts its light. Osorno is wonderful in its silver
cap. As we advance new, fantastic peaks appear; we turn with the
lake, catch a glimpse of Tronador, and land in Peulla.
[Illustration: PUERTO MONTT.]
[Illustration: READY TO START.]
The day had filled our minds with delight, but the body had been
neglected, and we were glad to see a laid table again, not having had
anything since the early breakfast.
The manager of the company in Peulla, Mr. Roth, proved of great help in
realising our plans. The next day he arranged an excursion to Tronador,
the Thunderer, a mountain 11,382 feet high, partly covered by five
glaciers, making a noise that gave its name to the mountain. With good
horses we rode through the beautiful forest to Casa Pangue, at the foot
of the Andes, where one makes the ascent to the pass. Here mules more
suited to the ground were waiting. Along the stony bed of a glacier
stream we slowly approached a large glacier, coming down right into the
forest--a remarkable sight. The morning had been very fine, but we knew
that rain could not be far off, and just as we had tied up the animals
in the dwarf forest the first drops came, followed by a proper Chilean
storm. We climbed across the huge moraines on to the ice-border itself,
which is somewhat curious. All the lower part is covered by sand and
gravel, and the glacier advances so very slowly that vegetation has
time to take possession of it. There are small groves of dwarf trees,
some getting not less than twenty or thirty years old before they are
carried down to destruction. One may walk in the soft carpet of mosses
and scrub without suspecting anything; suddenly a crack opens, showing
the sheer ice, blue and cold. This is not unique, but I never met with
anything like it before. By-and-by the rain, which increased to a
veritable deluge, drove us from the place. The horsemen who arrived in
Casa Pangue that night were in rather a miserable condition. There was
literally not a dry thread on our bodies. We made a fire, undressed,
and changed the place into a fine exhibition of dripping rags. Wrapped
in blankets, we whiled away the time before nightfall with a game of
cards, and our dark-eyed hostess made us a nice _cazuela_. The next
morning we returned to Peulla, and made excursions round it. The
forests here still bear a marked resemblance to those on Chiloé. On
October 10 we rode to Casa Pangue and got mules for the march across
the pass, which is only 3300 feet high. It had been a favourable
winter, and the road, climbing zigzag up the steep, forest-clad slope,
seemed good enough on horseback. The traffic with the bullock-carts
had not been opened yet. The difference in vegetation attracted our
attention; the numerous leaf-trees became fewer, needle-trees more and
more frequent. In the pass extensive snowdrifts were still left. For
a short distance we rode on level ground, passed the boundary mark,
and came down into the deep grave where Laguna Fria is situated. Its
icy green glacier water looks cold indeed, and it needs sunshine and
fine weather if the shores, at the foot of perpendicular cliffs, many
hundred yards high, are not to produce a gloomy or even terrifying
impression. We pulled across and walked over the isthmus separating
Laguna Fria and Nahuelhuapi, following a road in the forest down to
Puerto Blest. One need not walk on foot; a car drawn by a bullock and
running on wooden rails brings luggage and passengers down to the
“hotel.” How easily we had reached the famous lake in comparison with
the pioneers who risked their lives only to behold its blue water!
It has been compared with the lakes in the Alps, but who knows if
Nahuelhuapi does not bear away the palm? It has so many different
aspects: far to the west it washes the foot of the Andes, in narrow
inlets reflecting the dark forests of alerce and cedro, thickly wooded
isles making the scenery more varied; in the east it opens into the
endless widths of the pampas, the mountains are left behind, the
forests have dissolved into groves and patches.
In Puerto Blest we counted on getting one day for excursions, and on
the next we expected the steamer from Bariloche. It had, however,
started to blow hard, and no steamer came, but a storm, first with
rain and then with snow and cold; winter made its expiring efforts,
the shores were dressed in white, all the forest lay powdered with
snow. We were shut in in a miserable room, where a red-hot stove made
life almost insupportable. We could not complain, however, for in our
bedroom the thermometer refused to rise above freezing-point; thus we
got a tolerable daily average! One day passed; two, three, during which
the gale raged with unabated strength, making the house tremble at each
gust. Finally on the 15th the sun showed its glorious face again. There
was still a good breeze, but as it was an ordinary boat-day we could be
sure that every effort would be made to fetch us. In the afternoon the
small steamer arrived after a rough voyage. The day had yet another
surprise in store for us: when the bullock-cart from Laguna Fria came
rolling down the slope Pagels was enthroned on the top of the load, and
after him came our old dog Prince lumbering along. An extra mail-day
brought letters and papers from Punta Arenas. Now all of us were
assembled, Pagels had performed the commissions we had given him with
exactitude, and we could go to bed and sleep a couple of hours--not
more, for long before the sun gilded the surface of Nahuelhuapi we
slipped out of the bosom of the Cordillera, to start a new kind of
life, and for the future march with this gigantic fold of the earth’s
crust to the west, whither we had been used to look out over the
endless ocean. The small town, or rather village, Bariloche, was the
destination of our steamer, and at the same time the starting-point for
our long ride. We tried to make ourselves comfortable in the small,
dirty inn, and began our preparations without delay. Pagels occupied
himself making saddle- and provision-bags, while we had some excursions
to make.
Bariloche is situated on the edge of the forest region. West of it are
big cedar-forests (_Libocedrus chilensis_), in the east a yellowish
steppe. Several mountains exhibiting interesting geological features
were easy to reach from there, and as we did not want to encumber our
caravan with heavy collections at the very start, Quensel and Halle
made an excursion south for a couple of days. I myself went round the
lake, ferried across Rio Limay, and stayed two days with an American
gentleman, Mr. Jones. He has a big cattle-ranch, with a stock of
several thousand head, his special business being to breed mules,
which fetch double the price of an ordinary horse. We had already
solved our most important question, the horse problem, and were the
happy owners of a small _tropilla_ of ten animals and a mare, the
_yegua madrina_, without whom no troop keeps together. They were rather
small, and looked like skeletons after the winter. Eight of them were
saddle-horses; each of us got two and the two others were to carry our
baggage. Generally the horses in Patagonia are not shod, but as we were
going to spend most of the time in the mountains we were forced to shoe
them. Horses are cheap in Patagonia; in the spring prices seem to be
higher, and we paid sixty dollars each--about £5 6_s._
Our equipment was very simple indeed. We had no suits other than those
we wore, and they were already old and shabby. The expedition also took
one common pair of reserve trousers. Of underwear each of us had two
shifts, but of socks we had a more ample supply. Most of the clothes,
some necessary handbooks, perishable provisions, ammunition, a number
of small, strong bottles of formaline or spirits, some instruments
such as aneroids, thermometers, compasses, &c., films for the camera,
a 3½ by 4¾ ins. Kodak, notebooks, journals, and other small things
were packed in two small waterproof English leather boxes, specially
constructed to be attached to a pack-saddle. We only carried one
rifle, a Winchester of small calibre. We had had serious intentions of
bringing also a shot-gun, but it disappeared in one of our numerous
flittings before we reached our starting-point--firearms are always
welcome in Patagonia, and I am pretty sure it is in use somewhere.
Overcoats or cloaks we had none, but tied a poncho behind the saddle.
Neither did we use riding-boots, only leggings or puttees--certainly
to be preferred when one has to walk much. The two chests made one
horse-load, at the top of which our coffee-pot was tied. The second
load consisted of a small tent for two, very seldom used, but sometimes
necessary to protect our equipment, a bag of provisions, and a small
bag containing our kitchen requisites, which were of aluminium. The
sleeping-bags, a simple blanket-bag with canvas covers, were used as
underlayers for the loads, which were thereby prevented from galling
the horses’ sides. The load was fixed with a strong rope after Pagels’
patent method--very practical but certainly not without intricate
sailor’s knots; woe to him who tried, if only in the slightest degree,
to deviate from the approved arrangement: Pagels at once told him the
truth. Every load was of about 150 lbs.--quite sufficient if one takes
into consideration that the pack-horses had to work all march-days,
the saddle-horses only every second day. Besides our own weight, they
carried also the _maletas_, containing various articles of apparel,
camera, plant-press, &c., and there also the collections made during a
march were stowed away. Perhaps I ought also to say some words about
our horse-gear. The pack-saddles were almost new; they had only been
used for Quensel’s travels, and were of the common South American type.
Our saddles made a varied show: one English, one half English, half
Chilean, one of the Falkland pattern, and one Argentine _recado_. The
rest of the harness was pure Patagonian, _bozal_ and _cabresta_, always
carried in the hand with the reins; the stirrup had the usual leather
protection, the whip was a common _rebenque_.
The provisions were of the most simple kind. They were calculated for
one month only--during which we certainly counted on the renowned
Patagonian hospitality--and consisted of the following articles: ship’s
biscuits, flour, rice, oatmeal, coffee, tea, cocoa, _maté_, dried
fruit, sugar, salt, and fat. Luxuries such as butter, condensed milk,
&c., were, of course, not to be thought of. A concentrated pea-soup,
called Knorr’s “Erbsenwurst,” we carried a supply of for the whole
journey, as well as plug tobacco.
October 23 dawned with radiant pampas weather. For the first time
we saddled, and it took us a good while to get ready, and not until
half-past eleven could the caravan start. The solemn time had come,
and, driving our troop in front of us, with good speed we left
Bariloche, where people had only tried to fleece us. Before us a free
life attracted us, full of privations but far away from cash-books and
bills; with deep breaths we filled our lungs with the fresh pampas air,
bringing with it an undefinable sense of happiness and freedom.
A group of Bariloche people had gathered to see our start. I daresay
no one believed that we should get very far with our few horses, and
no doubt they laughed at our dream of reaching Punta Arenas. Never did
such a small caravan start in Patagonia on such a long and difficult
journey, never before had one reached its far-off destination with
all the horses in even better condition than at the start. But we had
burnt our boats; there was no return; we must succeed with the scanty
resources we had at our disposal.
In the very last moment our expedition got another member, a shaggy
dog. He had made Prince’s acquaintance in Bariloche and came lumbering
with us. In vain we made the most energetic efforts to chase him away;
he hung on, and followed us all the time under the name of Pavo. And
then we took our faithful friend with us to Sweden, where he gained
citizenship only by royal grace, for Argentina at that time was
declared to be infected with rabies.