patagonia has always been a land of mystery. only a few years ago the geographers labelled it “no man’s land,” because no nation seemed interested in it. later chile and argentina, longing to expand, cast envious eyes upon this great territory immediately adjoining their borders, and parcelled it out between themselves. the andes was made the general boundary line, and this gave to argentina by far the greatest share of the territory. even tierra del fuego, the land of fire, was thus divided, so that each nation has a share in that large island which is the last inhabited land on the way to the antarctic continent.
patagonia impresses the traveller as vast and elemental. its natural configuration is stamped with these characteristics. from its northern boundary it tapers gradually to the straits of magellan. the argentine section naturally divides itself into three divisions,[137] running north and south. along the atlantic shores lie the pampas, the flat and level plains. these plains rise in gently graduated terraces toward the west, one level plain above another. then follows a network of lagoons and lakes, some connected by rivers and others by channels, many of which shift and alter under the climatic influences. on the western side the andes range of the cordilleras stand out against the sky like a mighty barrier. they are a tumult of mountains ever climbing upwards, their lofty gorges choked with glaciers, their hollows holding great lakes of ice-cold blue waters, and about their bases stretch thousands of miles of forests of which only the mere edge has been explored. thus it is that the vast extent of patagonia offers the most extreme and the most abrupt contrasts. flat pampa, with hardly an undulation in sight, stands in sight of mountains almost inaccessible in their steep escarpments. side by side these contrasts lie, mountain against plain, forest against thorn-scrub. the wind is the only element common to both. for a thousand miles the atlantic coast is a low-lying, level, treeless series of bleak and brown downs, with few bays that offer protection to shipping; the pacific[138] coast, in chile, is dented and notched with fiords, and the shores are covered with dense forests due to the excessive rainfall.
patagonia is a land of big distances. on the atlantic coastland it is often a ride of three or four days from one farm to another. the holdings are measured by the square league and not by the quarter-section. there is one farm that covers five hundred square leagues, or more than two million acres of land, and is larger than the state of rhode island. no wonder the distances seem almost appalling to the traveller. one accustomed only to cities would indeed feel very forlorn here. as one travels into the interior, a white face becomes more and more rare; empty leagues upon leagues surround you on every side. one seems to stand alone with only the wind, the mirages and the limitless distances, and the blue sky above for a canopy. this wild land appears, according to geologists, to have been the last habitation of the greater beasts of preceding ages. it is now one of the last to be occupied by civilized man, and receive its proper share of the human population.
the discovery of patagonia dates from 1520, when that intrepid explorer, ferdinand magellan,[139] forced his way down the east coast of south america in the face of continuous storms. with his little fleet of five vessels he pushed on in the hope of finding a strait which connected the two oceans. he was compelled to winter one season along the coast of patagonia. a mutiny broke out among his captains and only one remained loyal. two of the others were executed, and one was marooned upon the shore. for months no signs of life appeared on shore, although expeditions were sent a short distance into the interior; but one day a painted savage, very tall, appeared. one of the crew wrote, “so tall was this man that we came up to the level of his waist-belt. he was well enough made and had a broad face, painted red, with yellow circles around his eyes, and two heart-shaped spots on his cheeks.” thus was the report of giants inhabiting patagonia first carried back to civilization. they were named pata-goas, big feet, and that name has since clung to the country. sir francis drake visited these shores a half-century later with a small squadron, and during the succeeding hundred years a number of navigators skirted along the coast. several of them brought back tales of the giants, but[140] these have since been found erroneous, as the indians are not much taller than the north american indians, whom they strongly resemble in physical characteristics. darwin visited this country early in the last century and gave the first detailed account of the country and people, and his report dwelt strongly upon the desolate character of the land. since then it has become better known, and a number of travellers as well as scientists have visited patagonia and recorded their impressions. the chilean and argentine boundary commissions have also been at work for several years, establishing the international boundaries, and their reports have contained much valuable information.
on the eastern coast there are a number of settlements, such as santa cruz, san julian and gallegos, at the mouths of the half-dozen rivers which pour their icy waters across the wind-swept plains. gallegos is the name given by the spaniards to the strong west wind, so this name was given to a river, and, finally, to the little settlement at its mouth. this village of corrugated iron is a mecca for the sheep-men and indians who dwell in the vicinity. from it a few highways may be traced out on[141] the pampas, where they disappear. the welsh have founded settlements at dawson, gaimon and trelew, which have grown into thriving colonies, and there are a few smaller ones in the interior. the welsh settlements are made up of good sturdy folk, who are excellent pioneers for an undeveloped country.
the sheep ranchers on these lonely pampas are interesting studies. some of them own hundreds of thousands of these useful little animals, and there is one company that possesses more than two millions which are kept on their several ranches. these are usually divided into herds of a couple of thousand each. each flock has several square miles of pasture allotted to it. the shepherd has a number of dogs who aid him in controlling the recalcitrant ones, and they understand their masters’ orders very well. these herders are scotchmen, germans and half-breeds. the animals feed all the year around on the pastures. the successful ranch in patagonia must possess both a winter camp and summer camp. the winter camp is land available for pasturage which is protected from the fierce winds and where the snow does not fall too deep for the sheep to get at the grass, as no provender is[142] put up for them. the summer camp is any other grazing land which is so exposed that sheep could not feed on it during the winter. from this it may easily be seen that the number of sheep that can be maintained is determined not by the total acreage, but by the extent of winter camp. even under the best conditions an unusually severe winter greatly decimates a flock. at the end of winter the shepherds always go out over the ranch, taking the pelts off the bodies of the animals that have perished during the winter. another feature to be sought is accessibility for the bringing in of supplies and taking out of the wool. for this reason most of the ranches are located near the rivers so that boats can be used. from some places in the interior it is a trip occupying days and weeks for the ranchman to transport the wool to market.
a sheep dip
the estancia buildings are usually insignificant affairs, for all the material has to be brought long distances. one of the most distinctive features is a large square corral into which the stock can be driven, and the miles upon miles of wire fencing which spread out across the plains in a thin line. every farm has its own store, where the men get their supplies[143] at good prices. the “scab” is one of the enemies of the sheep here, as elsewhere, and the ranchers constantly fight it. the “dip” is usually employed, in which the sheep are washed several times each year. it is expensive to keep the sheep free from this troublesome little parasite, which spreads so rapidly, but it must be done, for it will eat into the flesh and the sheep will frequently die before many days after infection. the dip fluid is placed in large vats so deep that the sheep must swim in order to get through it, and they are then driven into it at one end and emerge on a dripping board at the other side, where they are allowed to remain for a few minutes for the “dip” to drip and run back into the pool. the cost of running a sheep ranch in patagonia is comparatively small because of the low value of the land and low wages paid.
it is not difficult to leave civilization behind in patagonia. for hundreds of miles in the interior there are few pioneers and only an occasional tribe of wandering indians. otherwise it is absolutely unpeopled. near the cordilleras it is practically houseless; scarcely a human inhabitant can be found, and little animal life flourishes under the snow peaks and[144] in the unmeasured spaces of virgin forest. there are hundreds of square miles of forest land, gorges, open slopes and terraced hollows, on which the eye of a white man has never yet fallen.
for the traveller across this vast land it is necessary to take a supply of food and an entire camp outfit, including a reliable guide. a man alone seems very puny within this vast setting. the wind-blown grass stretches out as far as the eye can see, with the thorn and a green shrub called “poison-bush” for variety. in other places the surface undulates in graceful monotony, and occasionally a swift-flowing river cuts across the plains on its impatient way to the sea. mirages like lakes or squadrons of cavalry will often be seen near the horizon. many long reaches are almost desert wastes and are known as the “land without water.” over the sterile wastes the cold winds from the andes sweep and raise great dust and sand storms which are almost blinding and suffocating.
herds of wild cattle are found in some places, although not in such numbers as the stories that are sometimes heard down in that region would lead one to believe. the guanaco is the[145] principal game animal, and helps out the traveller in the way of food. this animal is very much like a wild llama and they are found by the thousands, although generally in small herds. they look very picturesque when seen in an attentive attitude, with their long sleek necks stretched out in inquiry or curiosity. wild ostriches may also be found in many parts, while duck and geese are generally plentiful where there is water. of the wild animals the puma is the most dangerous, and will sometimes attack a man. he is a terrible foe to the sheep farmer, levying heavy toll upon his flocks before strychnine or a bullet puts an end to his career. the wolf is another enemy of the farmer. the curious armadillo is quite common, and is considered very good eating by the hunter.
lake buenos aires is one of the big lakes of patagonia. one writer, who spent several weeks in that vicinity, says: “lake buenos aires is certainly the very heart of the wind’s domain. while we were there the wind never died down; it blew all the time, often lifting sand and gravel, and sometimes a great piece of our camp fire, sheltered as that was. it raged on most days, blowing so hard that most[146] people in england would not have cared to venture out of doors.” this lake is the largest of a chain of lakes which lie in the foothills of the great andes system. it is fully seventy-five miles in length from north to south, and its waters are in perpetual motion from the action of the winds. near the lake is a stretch of arid land that is the very picture of desolation. there is a very horror of bareness about it that almost makes the eyes sick to look upon it. right near it is one of those sudden contrasts that one will find in patagonia, fine and fertile land where sweet flowers bloom in profusion. lake argentine is another large lake to the south of the other. it is a great sheet of blue water, is higher up, and the peaks of the cordilleras are nearer. this lake and those farther south are often filled with small icebergs, for the climate is getting colder all the way.
at almost the southernmost point of the mainland lies the little city of punta arenas. it is situated on the straits of magellan, and is sheltered from the worst storms by the many islands which lie between it and the antarctic seas. punta arenas is the most southerly city in the world, several hundred miles farther[147] south than the cape of good hope. there is plenty of building space left in this city, but a few years ago, when the boom was on, the people had visions of a southern chicago. fabulous prices were asked for building lots and real estate agents were almost as plentiful as the indians. that time has passed and the town has dwindled. its latitude is about that of labrador, but it is much more equable and is not so severe as many imagine. perhaps fifteen thousand people live here and seem to be contented. it is a very mixed population. you can hear spanish, english, german, italian, russian and even the chinese mingled with the guttural tongues of the indians. the scotch are probably the most thrifty of the inhabitants and many of them have lived there two or three generations. there are many rough characters, some even who have drifted from the mining camps of our western states. the loafing places are the bars, where many brawls occur during the long winters. there are clubs, however, where the well-to-do gather and have their games and drink their favourite drinks just as they do the world over. most of the buildings are cheap one-story affairs, frequently built of the corrugated iron so common[148] in this land. punta arenas is a free port, and this makes it a great supply station for vessels passing through the straits. all the vessels passing through the straits call there for supplies and coal, and this business, together with the trade in whaling products, wool and furs, furnish the inhabitants with employment. it is one of the great wool-exporting ports of the world, having shipped more than sixteen million pounds of that commodity in a single season, and four hundred thousand pelts. it is a beautiful ride through the straits of magellan, with their many narrow channels, and the icebergs, which are always in view.
native indians of patagonia
out upon the pampas the traveller will occasionally stumble upon the toldos (huts) of the tehuelche indians. these are simply made huts of the skins of the guanaco sewn loosely together at the edges, and supported squarely upon awkward-looking props or posts forked at the top to admit the ridge poles. the skins are fastened to the earth by wooden pegs. the tehuelches are the native indians of patagonia—the so-called giants—and are well built specimens of manhood. these indians live almost as their ancestors did hundreds of years ago. they are still nomads and exist[149] entirely by the chase. they do not cultivate anything whatever, but sometimes own a few cattle. in general they still dress in skins, although some of them have purchased store clothes at the settlements. as a rule they are mild mannered, when sober, and do not deserve the name of being bloodthirsty savages. their numbers have greatly decreased since the first discovery of patagonia through dissipation and disease, and some have estimated that the total number yet remaining will not exceed a few hundred. they still hunt with bows and arrows and the bolas. this consists of three thongs of rawhide fastened together at one end, with stones or bits of iron on the free end to give them weight. the indian throws the bolas with marvellous accuracy at any animal he may be pursuing, and the thongs wind themselves around the legs of the animal, thus entangling it. the principal game animal is the guanaco, which furnishes them food, raiment and shelter, and skins which they can barter with the trader for fire-water or other luxuries.
they are an ignorant and superstitious race. a death will invariably cause them to shift their camp, for to their superstitious minds the place must be accursed. sickness is always the[150] work of the evil spirit and is driven away by incantations. with them there are good spirits and bad devils. the dominant spirit of evil is called gualicho. he is an ever-present terror, and they spend a good portion of the time in either fleeing from his wrath or propitiating it. they believe in a future life which will be much the same as the earthly one, except that there will always be plenty of food with an abundance of grease.
there are practically no tribal laws, as the tehuelches are usually peaceable. quarrels and fights occur only as a result of drink. polygamy is permitted but is uncommon. the women are well treated, although they have the bulk of the work to do as among all primitive tribes. the men practically live on their horses and a tehuelche is lost without a steed. the women are not at all overburdened with beauty. progress does not appeal to the tehuelche. as his forefathers were, so is he content to be—a human atom with a movable home, passing hither and thither upon the waste and dreary spaces of his native land. he is silent when in the presence of strangers, dignified at all times; unobtrusive as well as inoffensive, and very lazy. he does not particularly[151] care to mingle with white people, but will not run away from them.
useless bay, tierra del fuego
the fuegian archipelago, that little known group of islands at the southern extremity of south america, covers a goodly territory. it contains as much land as nebraska, and is several hundred miles long from east to west. a perfect labyrinth of tortuous, wind-swept waterways separate the hundreds of islands which form this group. they are no doubt formed by the submerging of the lower end of the andes mountains. when the land sank these stormy waters beat through the valleys and chiselled the shores into incongruous shapes and labyrinths. they are not all a desolate mass of ice and snow, however, but contain plains which are covered with succulent grasses and slopes which are thickly wooded. the largest island, called tierra del fuego, is half as large as illinois. it is divided longitudinally between chile and argentina, by far the largest portion belonging to the former nation, and the best part of it too. this name was originally given to the entire group of islands by magellan when he saw the trails of smoke made by the camp and signal fires of the natives who dwelt on them.
[152]
thirty years ago this entire island was roamed and hunted over by the aborigines. the fact that the northern part consisted of open country, with few ranges of hills, caused the white man to look upon it with envious eyes, as pasturage for sheep. then began a warfare against the indians which almost resulted in their extermination. thousands of sheep now quietly graze in the rich valleys and on the verdant plains, and thrive very well indeed. very little of the land is cultivated, although perhaps susceptible of cultivation, but the marketing of the products would be a difficult feature at the present time, and the season is short. its latitude is about that of labrador but the climate is probably milder, and its longitude is that of boston. in the summer the grass is green, but in the winter the chilly winds change it to a rich brown. the ground rats are a terrible nuisance to the farmer, as they burrow in the fields so much that they destroy half the usefulness of a good meadow. the mountain slopes are covered with a thick growth of trees, ferns and mosses up to a height of a thousand feet or more, due to the great amount of rainfall, but above that distance the growth is very stunted. it seems strange to see green trees[153] and green grasses amid snows and glaciers, but such is the contrast offered by this “land of the fire.” the trees are mostly evergreen, not very high, but very close together. a deep bed of moss, into which a man may sink knee-deep, generally surrounds them, and large ferns with leaves a yard long grow in places otherwise bare. even bright flowers make this sombre landscape seem almost gay when the sun shines on a summer day.
desolation island, on the chilean side, is a bleak and barren island well indicated by its name, while others are clarence, st. inas, and navarin. there are many others, from islands twenty miles in length to some so small that a good base-ball pitcher could toss a stone clear over them. cape horn is a monster rock which thrusts its jagged outline into the antarctic seas. it is a couple of hundred miles south of the straits of magellan, and more than a thousand miles south of the cape of good hope. it is surrounded by waters that are tossed by terrific storms which mariners fear. the hulks of wrecked vessels can be seen on every hand as reminders of the terrible tribute which has been here levied. even in the straits of magellan the glaciers are always in sight, and[154] masses of ice hundreds of feet high are frequently seen, seeming to threaten the venturesome mariner for invading those beautiful waters. it is sometimes impossible for vessels to force their way through the smythe channel, which is the most picturesque route through the straits, but is least used. there is not much animal life except seals, with occasionally a whale, but wild ducks and geese are generally plentiful.
midway on the southern coast of tierra del fuego, and on the argentine side, is a bleak and inhospitable coast upon which the government has established a prison. this place, named ushuaia, is the southernmost settlement in the world. the barriers created by nature are impassable without the massive and forbidding walls erected by man. to the south is the unknown antarctic, to the north the impassable barrier of snow-clad peaks, and in all other directions the fathomless channels separating, it from the other islands. with the exception of the irregular trip of a small steamer from punta arenas and an occasional visit from an argentine warship, this little settlement is unvisited, and not even a telephone or telegraph wire keeps it in communication with the world.[155] there are two prisons here—one for military and one for civil prisoners. in one are the offenders of the argentine army, and in the other several hundred criminals, many of whom are the very dregs of humanity sent down here from buenos aires. here in this unknown quarter of the globe, guarded by a few score of armed men, these unfortunates work on the roads, dress stone for new and stronger walls, or make the coarse garments worn by the prisoners. few attempt to escape, and fewer still succeed, for the loneliness and desolation alone would keep a prisoner where human companionship might be found. there is little danger of a prisoner escaping if he attempts, as there would be no means of a wanderer supporting himself.
there are two races of indians who inhabit these inhospitable islands, the yahgans and the onas, both of whom are very low in intelligence. even though the climate is very cold a part of the year, these savages formerly wore very little clothing, but greased their bodies with fish oil that keeps out the cold. in recent years, however, they have begun to wear warmer garments. they are very treacherous, and many murders have been traced to them.[156] they will mingle very little with white people, but always hold themselves aloof. their houses are of the most primitive character and are frequently little more than a hole in the ground or side of a hill, or a rude construction of brush on a skeleton of sticks stuck in the ground. sometimes they are made of guanaco skins sewn together, from which the hair has been removed. they are not particular about food, as to whether it is very fresh or not. they live entirely by the chase and fishing, and in every way are as near to primitive savages as it would be possible to find in the americas. there is frequently a dearth of food, and then it is that they are driven to eat the flesh of a stranded whale or of an animal found dead. ground rats and the fishy-flavoured penguin are included on their regular bill of fare. as usual among savage tribes, the women do the most of the work, and assist in the hunting and fishing as well as prepare the meat after it has once been caught.
the yahgans are short and muscular and below medium height. their lower limbs seem rather stunted, but above the waist they are heavily built. the onas are better built and will average above the american in stature.[157] they are strong and well built specimens of the human race. the struggle for existence has made them inexpressive in feature and stoical in actions. good fortune or ill fortune is met in much the same way. their settlements are now usually found in the regions which have not attracted the white men. on these islands and the southern part of the largest island where it is not rock, there is generally bog or impenetrable forest, and here these pristine people dwell.
