The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-02-25 00:00:00

EMIGRATION TO BUENOS AYRES.

The Ernigrat'on Commissioners having been desirei
by the S_cretary of State for tho Colonies to make
known the le rile to which settlers at Bahia Blanca, in
the province of Buenos Ayres, have recently been ex-
nosed, have sent the following to the papers fur pub-
lication :

Gar Mej sty'a Government having received information
that tba settlets at Bahia Blanes, IL the province of Buenos
Ayres, have recently been exposed, and indeed, are still
exposed, to great perils from the Indians of the neighbouring
plains. Its stated that for several years friendly relations haat
existed between the Local Government and the ladian tribes,
(ha chiefs of which wet e in the habit of receiv.ng rations end
supplies from the towns bet is. the month of April, 1820,
three friendly relations canoe to an end. The Comandante at
Bahla Blanca seacd the envy of the chief who had come In
for the motel rations, find organized a rout, In which the
chief anal hi family were made prisoners, the cattle, horns, and
property belonging to the tribe were carried MI, the women
were °etre ged, and ten Deli ins,including children, were killed.
The barrel was taken up by the chief of a neighbouring
tribe, who, in July, made a nubs on the settlement at
Bahia Blie.ca, and eerie! off all one horses he could find.
Perth, r raids ft, no Ned rapidly, in which the Indians some-
times succeeded In caret lag elf their booty, some-
times ac's MUCColl7tolly opp ;and or pursusi, till at last,
on Octob-r 23 an attack was made on B Bhmea by
a body of 2,000 Indians, who Bet the to farm build-
ing, destroyed farming implement.), and killed a number
of the settders, some it is said by shutting t lem up in a
rancho and rettiog tire to it. At oue place eve English-
men kept the Indians at hay for a considerable time, but
their ammunition beleg at last exhausted, they were obliged
to surrender their sheep to save their lives. It is
rall-Ted that the Commandants bad received certain Intel-
ligence from men who had escaped from the Indians ot
the intend.. d raid, but took no steps for the prot &don of
he settlers, and that when the approach of the Imitate,
was announced he matched out to meet theta ni.h a band
of about Lb men, including seven or eight Englishmen, but
ran away as soon ise the Indians cams it, sight, leaving
the Englishmen to eseale as they coal. Ile afterwards
laud to make ally attempt to recover the pt °party carried off
by the Indians, w hich, (ti, geld, might have been done with-
out, difficulty. 1 lieea facts having been reported to hat
Mej ,sty's Charge d'Affaires at Buenos Ayres, he mta'e an
earnest rem, sentation on she subjset to the Argentine Govern-
ment, urging th it a Mall body of the regular army
should be sent for the protection of the settlers In lieu of
the convicts employed for that purpose. Ills represent.
Mtn, beweser, was in vain, It being answered that the
Government required all their multi. troops LT the war in
Ent•e Itms, '' a matter of far greater importance." The
Torun Is that the ccionists, being left without any protection
beyond what they nut in their own courage, will eventually
be forced to abandon the settlement, and thus a country,
the natural advantages of which off -sr the best pr .rpects to
settlers, will be closed against immigrants by the absence of
lilting protection to life and property.