The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1868-11-19

miles distant by land nnd seventy ihlleH
by seq, In n schooner-called the Mary
Ellen. The voyage was not expected TO
have lasted more than II couple of days,
but owing to the prevalence of tempestu-
GUS weather the vessel was no less than
seventeen days making the passage, nearly
all the women and children being huddled
together during that time in n semi
starved condition in the ships hold. This
disastrous voyage occasioned the deaths of
FIVE more children. The male colonists for
the most part proceeded to the Chupat on
foot, in small parties, the route lying
through a wild and uninhabited district.
Some of the men, being ignorant of the
landmarks of the district, found them
selves obliged to pass four or five nights
on the road, in the open air, and nearly
without food. On arriving ut the site
of the intended settlement. II was
,ound-it being the beginning of DC
tober-that the time for sowing had
passed by, and that to n great extent they
would become dependent on their W re-
sources. Some dissatisfaction was express
sed ut this. the more so that the agent, Mr..
Lewis Jones, announced his intention Of
proceeding in the Mary Ellen, which form
ed the only link between the settlers and
the rest Of the world, to some other place
where the prospect seemed brighter Meot-
ing on his way n vessel laden with stores,
ordered some time previously by him, he
returned to the colonists whom he had so
hastily deserted, but they refused to have
anything 90 do with him.
About the beginning Of 1896 accounts
from Patagonia and Buenos Ayres reported
that over onc-third of the emigrants had
fallen n prey 10 famine and want Of water
] .1-. gI,e a.. atttrafion af fine guryiNOTg WAS
precarious in the extreme. These reports
being brought under the attention Of the
English government, the Earl Of Clarcn.
don forwarded instructions to Mr.. Ford, at
BuenoB Ayros, to investigate the
whole matter, and to procure fol
the emiprnnts whatever assistance
and protection the government of the
Argentine Republic could afford them.
Mr.. Ford found that the alarming state.
ments made respecting the condition OF
the colonistg were devoid of truth; mt the
same time ne expressed his belief that the
colony had little chance Of permanently
establishing itself unless assisted by the
Argentine government. The men were
generally unncquaintcd with farming
work, aud displayed considerable lack OF
energy. In almost every possible respect
they we're totally unqualified TO act NJ
pioneers in a land at present occupied only
by Indians and wild animals.
To the credit of the Argentine govern.
ment it should DO mentioned that, despite
the %incapacity of the emigrants, they wore
taken under liz protection, and regularly
supplied with food and other necessaries,
the Argentine authorities being now desir.
Gus TO promote ut any cost the settlement
of n colony under their flag, on Pataganian
soil. which they claim IA Argentine terrific.
~, but which, from its hitherto unoccupied
condition, has been open to dispute, al
though no direct question ~ 10 its rightiu
sovereign has been pressed upon the gov.
eminent. At first Mr.. Ford and Sonoi
Rawson, Argentine Minister ofthe Interior.
were led to believe that tile emigants wcr,
an inherently idle and lazy body, but after
wards they acknowledged their mistake.
The settlers occupied n series of farms
extending over u distance of twelve miles
the number Of farms. of one haudred acre,
each, measured out. being 1--WE hundred. -
II WINS computed that the valley of Ia,
Chupat could, If properly cultivated, sup
port "A colony of abOut twenty thousant
souls. II appears 10 have frequently at
tracted, by reason of its rich fertility, tn,
attention of explorers, ~ being n locality
suitable for II European settlement; ant
about thirteen years since an Argentiu,
colony attempted, but without success, e
establish itself ON the spot nov forming
the Headquarters Of the Welsh settlement
The chief drawback is the absence o
wood, nm inconvenience proposed TO bC
remedied by planting large numbers o
fast-growing trees, such as the willow OF
the Australian gum-tree. Plantations o
olive trees nave also been suggested.
BY the middle of 1866, sixty acres o
ground had been sowp with wheat, severn
houses and fences erected, ton miles o
cart road completed, and other improve.
monts effected. A portion of the settlers
had also formed themselves into a volun-
teer corps, for protection against the neigh
boring Indians, whom, Notwithstanding
the professions of goodwill, made by the
leading Caciques, they greatly distrusted,
having been told how on more than one
occasion the Spanish colony at Patagonia
had been plundered by the Indians. NoI
wore they ignorant Of the fuct only a few
years since, n tribe Of Patagonians allowed
Commander Alan Gardner, Il. n, aud hiH
companions TO staryo to death, and mur-
derad the crew of the Ocean Queen. The
chief difficulty with which the colony had
to contend was its isolated position, being
nearly 80 miles from the nearest estnb,
liRhcd post, and 200 miles nom the nearest
market. Moreover the wheat crops were
liable to be totally destroyed in a single
night by one of the Pampero winds which
occasionally sweep across the plains.
At tho beginning of last year the nowf
from the colony WAS anything but favora'
BILE, and Mr.. Matthew, writing from Bue
nos Ayres 10 Lord Stanley, stated that the
failure of the settlers wheat harvest, to,
gether with the u~nwillingnoss OF the Al,
genuine government 10 make any further
p~ecuniary advances, had led the Argentine
authorities 10 contemplate the removal Of
the colonies from the Coeput river, and OF
offering them the choice of lands near the
settlement OF Patagonia, or in the province
of Santa Fe. Two months later it was an
nounced that the Argentine Government
had temporarily Suspended Its decision
and, later still, in June, 1867, 1t was form
ally stated that the Argentine authoroie'
were prepared 10 continue 10 the c~olonist'
the subsidy hitherto received by them until
the autumn Of 1868, by which time 1t wa
anticipated the fate of the haplens colony
would DO determined one way or the other
In a few weeks we shall probably know
more of the matter.
Melancholy Suicide.
Morrow, o., Nov. 9.-Ou Friday last
the 9Th inst. AT 9.ib n. m. our uguRll'