Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1868-11-19
lies dis,.o,

y sea, II py land a5I - II.
iilep ~ ~ 2 schooner ~ seventy miles
aSa I1s voyage ~ y allied tho Mary
I,t o.-.s .@os more thasf not expected TO
~ ~ VIZ 70 the ptfE 4 a couple Of days,
- nS.lther the w ,valence Of tempestu-
.htseehdaye mo ,ssel was no lees than |
~ sue women o. king the passage, nearly |
sSsnsr durir ld children being huddled |
: ,a.su cond' 1g that time in a semi
! ''s'tous .tion in the ships hold. This
o.e oyage ooeasioned the deathsiof
children. The male colonistsfor
o1r part proceeded to the Chupat ON
" n small parties, the route lying
oh q wild and uninhabited district
10 Of the men, being ignorant of the
hdmarks 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 at the site
of the intended settlement it was
(ound-it being the beginning of Oc-
iober-that the time for sowing had
passed by, and that 10 great extent they
would become dependent on their own re-
sources. Some dissatisfaction was express
sed at 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
theEest of the world, to some other place
where the prospect seemed brighter Meet
iuc ON his way 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
lanything 10 do with him.
About the beginning of 1866 accounts
from Patagonia and Buenos Ayres reported
I that over one-third Of the emigrants had
1 fallen prey to fimine and want of water;
also that the situation Of the survivors was
nrecarious in the extreme These reports
being brought under the attention OF the
English government; the Earl Of Claren-
don forwarded instructions 10 Mr. Ford, at
Buenos Ayres, to investigate the
whole matter, and to procure for
the emiprants 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 9ll
the colonists were devoid Of truth; at tie
same time he expressed his belief that ne
colony had little chance 81 permanently
estabiishind itself unless assisted BY the
Argentine government The men were
generally nnacquaipted with farming
work, and displayed considerable lack Of
energy. In almost every possible respect
they were totally unqualified to act as
pioneers ina land at present occupied only
by Indians and wild animals.
To the credit of the Argentine govern
ment it should be mentioned that, despite
the incapacity OF the emigrants, they were
taken under its protection, and regularly
supplied with food and other necessaries,
the Argentine authorities being now desir-
ous to promote Mt any cost the settlement
Of a colony under their flag, on Pataganan
soil, which they claim Ss Argentine terrific
nv, but which, from its hitherto unoccupied
condition, has been open to dispute, al
though 10 direct question as to its rightful
sovereign mas been pressed upon the gov
eminent. AT first Mr.. Ford and Senior
Rawson. Argentine Minister ofthe Interior,
were led TO believe that the emigrants were
an inherently idle and lazy body, but after
wards they acknowledged their mistake.
"The settlers occupied series of farms
extending over q distance of twelve miles,
the number Of farms, Of one handred acres
each. measured out, being five hnndred.-
| LII WNS GOnlDultu tuhb tlC NaliON VI bhS
Chupat could, if properly cultivated, sup
port a colony of about twenty thousand
souls. II appears to have frequently at
tracted, by reason of its rich fertility, the
attention of explorers, as being a locality
suitable for European settlement; and
about thirteen years since an Argentine
colony attempted, but without success, to
establish itself on the spot now forming
the Headquarters of the Welsh settlement.
The chief drawback is the absence Of
wood, an Inconvenience proposed to be
remedied by planting large numbers of
fast-crowing trees, such as the willow or
the Australian gum-tree Plantations of
olive trees have also been suggested
By the middle of 1866, sixty acres Of
ground had been sown with wheat, several
: houses and fences erected, ten miles of
cart road completed, and other improve
ments effected. A-portion Of the settlers
had also formed themselves into 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. Nor
were they ignorant of the fact only few
years since, tribe of Patagonians allowed
Commander Alan Gardner, r. N, and his
companions to starve to death, and muir
dered the crew of the Ocean Queen. The
chief difficulty with which the colony had
to contend was its isolated position, being
nearly l50 miles from the nearest estab-
lished post, and 200 miles from the nearest
market. Moreover the wheat crops were
liable to be totally destroyed in single
night by one of the Pampero winds which
occasionally sweep across the plains.
At the beginning of last year the news
from the colony was anything but favora-
BILE, and Mr. Matthew, writing from Bue-
nos Ayres to Lord Stanley, stated that the
failure of the settlers wheat harvest, to-
+ gether with the unwillingness Of the Ar
gentine government to make any further
pecuniary advances, had led the Argentine
authorities to 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, it was form
ally stated that the Argentine authorities
were prepared to continue to the colonists
! the subsidy hitherto received by them until
the autumn of 1868, by which time it was
anticipated the fate of the hapless colony
would be determined one way or the other.
+ In few weeks we shall probably know
more of the matter
Melancholy Suicide.
MORROW, O., Nov. 9.-On Friday last,