The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-08-31
A welsh Colony in Patagonia.

Some correspondence laid before Parlia-
ment gives a curious account of the Welsh
settlement on the river Chupat, in Patago>
MIA. A party of about one hundred and hf-
ty Welsh people-men, women and children
-betook themselves TO this unknown land
In 1866. under the superintendence Of Mr..
Jones an independent minister of Bala,
North Wales. and, after many reverses, pri-
vations, and desertions, and twenty-five new
arrivals, about one hundred and fifty still
remain, IN good health and spirits, and max
ing fair progress. They are separated from
all mankind except the Patagonian Indians J;
and their occasional communication and
commerce with Buenos Ayres having been
interrupted by two years. drought, maxi
ing the journey impossible, her Maj4sty's
gunboat Cracker was sent found to the
mouth of the Chubat in April to ascertain
whether these adventurous people were still
in the land of the living and doing well.
The visit was most welcome /; and but Tor
the commanders being able to spare them
considerable quantity of provisions it might
have gone i'll with some of them by this time.
They had been without any description Of
groceries for ten months, living chiefly on
bread, butter, and milk, and what guanaco
aud ostrich meat they could obtain by hun
ing, their few (300) cattle being far too val
QaOI6 10 DC uSCu iOT IOOu aI PRESENT. Be
men have land allotted to them, on which
they cultivate wheat and little barley. and
rear cattle and horses, and the woman man
age the dairies. The settlement extends for
some ten miles along q valley Of rich alluvial
soil, only requiring irrigation, which they
are giving it as well as they can. A disas>
trous flood was followed by the two years
drought; but, under favorable circumstances,
the virgin soil yields thirty-fold of wheat.
There is good promise of minerals in the
mountainous country from which the Chupat
arises. Small vessels can come up the river
to the colony, but the bar is difficult, and in
fact, the traffic with New Gulf is chiefly by
road or track, of forty miles, traversed by
unshod horses. There are many things they
have at present TO do without. They have
no shop or "store," and are very short Of
clothing. They have no doctor; mechan-
ic, a self-taught herbalist, has charge of the
medicine chest. They have mo lunatics,
blind, deaf or dumb )" no poor law, no cur
rency except ostrich feathers, no taxation.
The colony belongs to the Argentine Confed-
Grafton, and in the absence of any represent
ative Of the National Government, they
elect annually by ballot few municipal Off
GERS. They have no prison, and, substans
TALLY. no crime the adult male population,
or "militia," on one occasion turned cut en-
maSSe to enforce settlement of a debt, and
this is the only display of force that has
been. They are on good terms with the In
dians. aud traffic with them. They have
also occasional commerce with Buenos Ayres
"a land journey of 200 miles, where little or
no water is). sending thither Indian products,
skins. ostrich feathers, &c. The climate is
very healthy. and the colonists feel sure of
success as an agricultural settlement, only
needing-that great need of new colony
communication with the rest of the world.
In future, the man-of war going to the Faux.
land Islands is to call annually at New Gulf
and present the compliments of the outside
world, and make kind inquiries.