The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1871-07-28
N UMBER 80

| Until about TINS IlIne nearly ail tHc
settlers lived in small huts at the. VIII
lage, but, confidence reviving, a gener-
| al move was made to live on their farms,
and eAdobe'' houses sprang up along
the banks of the river. These arc now
gradually giving way to burnt brick
cottages.
while the aforementioned album
dant crop was being harvested, and the
recently arrived cows all on the point
of calying, disastrous rain and flood
covered the whole valley, sweeping
away everything, and causing gener-
al CONSERVATION.
The wheat was nearly all lost or DAM
aged, many of the houses fell down, and
and some 60 COWS, driven to the plateau
by the flood, strayed away and were
never recovered.
In the. meantime, representatives
were made to the Argentine Govern
ment az to the precarious means OF
communication with the colony, owing
to- the loss of the schooner. Most. con-
siderately the Government advanced
one.half the purchase money for anoth-
or vessel, Mr.. Lewis Jones finding the
other half, and SO small schooner of
45 tons was again at the service of the
colony: This the Government gave in
addition to another years reduced sub
sidy, the craft being Immediately en-
ployed to take down these renewed pro-
visions. From the colony she made a
trip to Patagohes for cargo of heifers,
mares, and flour mill, and returning
thence got aground on the bar of the
Chupat, where she was so damaged
that it was with great difficulty she was
kept afoat to reach Buenos Ayers, and
it was found necessary to sell her for
one-third of the purchase money, as the
repairs required he estimated at ESQ
and no funds were available for that
purpose.
The colony was thus for the second
time deprived of the means of commu-
nication at its own command. 1t was
during this latter voyage that the first
consignment of the diary produce of
thescoIony was introduced to the mar
ket of Buenos Ayres, where it met an
instant sale by its excellent quality.
A commercial company (the Welsh
Colonizing and Trading Company,
Limited) was then forming in Wales,
and about purchasing vessel to trade
with the colony. At this time, also, it
was deemed advisable to introduce q
few fresh immigrants.
With this letter object in view, but
more especially for the purpose of as
certaining the intentions of the trading
company as to the communications of
the colony, Mr.. Lewis Jones returned
to Wales. Before his departure, in
April, 1869, the Government had again
kindly consented to supply the settlers
with groceries to the end of the year,
which supplies arrived on the follow
ing June.
The sowing season of 1869 found the
colonists not recovered from the. panic
caused by the floods, securing the camp
in all directions for their lost cattle, and
erecting new houses, sc. Their saved
wheat had mostly spronted, and was
therefore unfit for sowing purposes.
Notwithstanding, a limited extent of
land was sown, but owing to the quail
ty of the seed and the unusually dry
season, only peor crop was reaped in
the following January, 1900
In May, 1870, Mr.. Lewis Jones retur-
ned to the colony from Wales in the
brigantine Myfanwy, belonging to the
trading company referred to, and from
that time the colony has had no commu-
nication with the outer world until the
visit of this ship. The trading compa-
ny, it appears, cannot lend itself exclu-
siVely to the interests of the colony, and
must not, therefore, be relied on for
communication.
During the winter of 1870 Dune and
JULY an unusually large number of
Indians visited the colony, and the US
ual supply of groceries, &C., not being
available, their trade was almost eXciu-
| sively confined to bread, flour, and
| wheat. Great exertions were also
made by every one to SOW as much
| wheat as possible. The consequence
was that some two months before har-
vest a great scarcity of bread-stuf
again occurred, but with previous ex-
| perience to guide the people it passed
1 off
| what is worth noting, without the sac
rafice of any cattle. The crop proved a
| failure, with one or two exceptions.
Since the rain storm preceding the
great floods of 1869, but an occasional
| shower has fallen in the colony, SO that
severe drought has affected all vegeta-
| ton. Nevertheless, wheat growing be-
| ing now dependent on irrigation, the
drought might not have SO injuriously
affected the crop had not the river sud
| denly fallen in the hot month of No
| vember, and the bitches been unprepar-
| ed for such low fall.
1t is now in contemplation to open
| natural canal existing along the entire
length of the valley, which would obvi-
| ate the necessity of depending on rain
| or the river. Immense tracks of arabic
| land lie on each side of this canal, and
| there can be no doubt that if it could be
| opened the prospects of the colony as
an agricultural settlement are most
| promising.
| herewith attach detailed statistical
report of the present condition and re-
sources of he colony, giving every item
| of information have been able to col
Iect, together with the report of the sur
geon on the sanitary condition of the
| colony as ordered.-I have, &c,
| Il. p. DENNIsToUN,
/ Commander