Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-08-23
TERRA DEL FUEGO.
Late Information About q Little
Known Country.
Results OF Scientific and Geographical Ex-
observation-disclosures misconceptions
COrrocted-Th0 Namo
Mf6nOmer.


Misnomer.
TERRA del Fuego has hitherto at
tracted but little attention, and the
busy world has been content to let it
alone. OF late. however, circumstances
have arisen which give the country
interest and supply information about
it. Within the last five years it has
been the subject of more thorough and
scientific investigation than has ever
been previously attempted. Lieutenant
Bove, of the French navy, has, by per-
mission of the Argentine Government,
and partly under its patronage, made an
expedition to the southeast portion of
TERRA del Fuego; and his labors have re-
suited in a valuable report on the fau-
Ma, flora and general characteristics
OF the country, and the condition and
language of the people. Another even
more valuable contribution to our
knowledge on the subject has been
made by Rev. Thomas Bridges. a
Church OF England missionary, who
has lived IN the southeastern part of
TERRA del FuegO for over twenty-five
years, and has during that long resi-
dence accumulated an important
amount of information about the coun-
try and its inhabitants. Mr. Julius
Pepper, a man of scientific antecedents,
has also. on behalf of a mining COM
pany, recently made an expedition
right across the country from Useless
the east and thence along the coast.
Lastly. Don Ramon Lista, well-knOwn
explorer and a member of the Geo
graphical Society of Buenos Ayres, has
just returned from scientific and geo.
graphical expedition to the east and
southeast coasts, undertaken at the in
stance of the Argentine Government.
These combined sources of information
have served to correct many errors
hitherto current about the country, and
to add to our knowledge in many i'm
portant respects.
The group of islands which form the
archipelago of TERRA del Fuego have
an area of about eighty thousand
square miles. nearly the same size as
England and Scotland. Darwin de-
scribes the country as "a mountainous
land. partly submerged in the sea, so
that deep inlets and bays occupy the
place where the valleys should exist.
To find an acre of level land in any
part of the country is most rare" Don
Ramon Lista, however. who has had
greater and more rece mt opportunities
of Investigations, thinks the description
mistaken one. He describes Argen-
tine TERRA del Fuego as presenting
two aspects. In the north there are
valleys more or less extensive. COW
cred with splendid groves. and irri-
gated by large rivers. some of which
are navigable: this region enjoying an
agreeable temperature, with very little
snow during the winter. South of this
he reports that the appearance of the
country changes, and extended forests
appear, where the grass is not so
abundant or the rivers so large. The
face of the land in this part is some
thing like Switzerland. with small
lakes. elevated mountains and valuable
timber forests. He seems to think the
country capable Of great development,
for he adds: lon the plains there will
yet be planted a great pastoral indus
try. while believe the mountains will
be found to contain valuable mineral
deposits"
The geological formation of TERRA
del Fuego corresponds with that of
Patagonia: its mountains are the con-
tinuation and southern extremity ofthe
Andes. while the plains and uplands
correspond to the Patagonian steppes.
In some parts the formation is decided
ly volcanic, pumice stone is found in
large quantities. and granite and
quartz are abundant On the other
hand, limestone, iron and coal seem to
be wanting. Gold has been found in
considerable quantities in the north,
and for a number of years the enter
prising Chilians have been washing it
at the foot Of the chain of hills which
forms the coasts of Useless and Future
Bays The climate is certainly not the
best in the world. but its disadvan-
tAges seem to have been q good deal
exaggerated by casual visitors who
have, perhaps. been unfortunate as to
times and localities. Mr.. Bridges tells
a. that in the humid regions of the
vest frosts are almost unknown; while