Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-19

agine, II You can, . tiny island hardly mile
and half long by $50 yards across lost in the
broad Atlantic OF the eastern coast Of Pata-
gonna hundreds Of leagues from anywhere-ths
Limits OF vision bounded on all sides by the
stormisst waters on the face Of the earth. ex-
oept toward the northwest where barren plains
and salt morassss stretch 70 the horizon, trod-
den emily BY Indians, estrichss, punAs and
guanacos.
How did We get hsref It happened, mop
portunely, that the presence at Punta Arenas
OF the small government cruiser that visits
these coasts only twice year rendered IL pos
n si,is for our party to accept tn: invi.
their Pstagonian sstancia (ranch), where they
reside two months out Of twelve. Our tenn
porary home has not even the merits Of
Crusoes Island, being neither beautiful nor
fertile. Though marked on the charts of Fitz-
roy and Darwin a. middle Island" IL is here
sbouts called Pabon, and lies near the point
opposite central Patagonia, where the great
Santa Cruz river, having been Joined by its
greater tributary, the Rio Chico, comes rush
ing into the sea- few years ago. by special
grant from the Argentine government, it be-
came the property Of our entertainer land his
heirs forever" together with exclusive right
TO work the adjacent seal fisheries, and the
privilege OF unlimited pasturags on the main
land. But the tiny domain is not . valuable
and for the fisheries aforesaid.
SECURE FROM OUTSIDE BARBARrANs.
No feudal baron in his moated castle, with
drawbridge up, was ever more secure from the
raids of outside barbarians than We are today,
very narrow ford on the south. which is pass
able only at low tide. The northern channel
is much wider and deeper. but the swiftness of
the current renders 1t impossible except by
row boats with the oars in skiilful hands
Fronting the ocean side is b fort, over which
host the sky blue and white stripes Of Argen-
tina (the prettiest Gag in the world next to that
OF the United States) and on the land side
q high stockads is further defended by fosse.
which the spring tides fill with water. And
beside all these a nine-pounder occupies
the front porch Of our friends substantial
casa, ready at any moment to deal
death and destruction to rum-crazed Indians
and rowing bands OF mutinous seamen. Be-
sides the owners house, which is built of brick
with tiled roof. are several cottages tenanted by
employees, each surrounded by garden, where
corn and vegetables struggle for an existence.
There is also an slmacen storehouse Of gen.
eral merchandise. stocked with supplies for the
residents and articles for barter with the Pata-
gonians. The rest of the island is overgrown
with small round spike thorn thistles and
stunted shrubs, twisted by ceaseless winds into
strange and ghostly shapes One end Of it
used to be frequently overhowed until a deep
drain WAS cut across, and now the latter serves
q double purpose, being the best kind Of an
irrigating ditch.
A horse or two for immediate use and q few
cows, sheep and pigs are kept on the island,
but the focks and herds are relocated to the
mainland to deep raviue called FL Potrero,
where coarse grass grows in rank luIuriance.
The deep-sea ford furnishes Q moat to this
estate, which q baron Of ye olden time would
have envied. and row boats moored on the
Island beach answer well for drawbridges
whenever q retainer must attend to affairs
ashore or an Indian wants to come over and
swap few furs or feathersfo- tobacco, ammu-
milton, sugar, beads, or. more likely, rum.
Close by the potrero is extensive salt lake,
which by the way must have been overlooked
by the Beagle expedition. for Mr.. Darwin fixes
the southernmost limits Of Salinas at Port St
Julian, some 200 miles above. Lying less than
half a mile from the beach are apparently in
exhaustible beds of excellent salt, but as yet
they have been worked only for use on the
island and in the nearby fisheries, except ss
now and then the Falkland Islanders send
over for ships load.
MAINTAINED FOR A TRADING POST.
Almost within sight Of the island is the port
Of Santa Cruz, where splendid bay is formed
by the confluence of that river with its tribu-
tary, of easy access to the ocean and capabls of
afording shelter to any number Of ships there
being nifty feet OF water over the bar at high
tide. Here the Argentine government main
tains small garrison-for the same reason,
probably, that Uncle Samuel sends soldiers to
divers unnecessary places, merely to furnish
the blue coats with some semblance Of employ
ment. There are also two or three sheep farms
within q radius of fifty miles, but in reality this
station of Pabon is the only one worth q name
in all central Patagonia, and this is maintained
merely for Tehulche trading post. American
and English missionaries have come here from
time to time, but never accomplished much
toward civilizing the aborigines. In 1868
Messrs. Schmid and Hart brought their families
and settled at point called Waddell Bluff
about ten miles up the river-in q valley which
the good Bishop Sterling (who saw it only in
summer time) described in most glowing terms
but which during nine months of the year is as
cold and cherries as the rest of Pata-
gonia. The plan Of these gentlemen was
to establish trade at the port of Santa
Cruz, in order to insure regular visits from
the nomadic Indiana, but the mission managers
did not approve the scheme and they were
soon compelled to abandon the field. Mission
aries stand no chance in Patagonia against the
counter attractions Of any rsscally trader who
has rum to sell, for every blessed Indian will
Of his hunting for fire water. but has no time
nor disposition 70 parley with white men who
will not furnish it Messrs. Hart and Schmid
spoke often in their Journals in terms Of warm
est Affection about the ''bright-faced
Patagonian children" whom they hoped to
christianize in time, II they could not make
much impression upon their elders. To this
end Mr.. Schmid compiled the only vocabulary
extant Of tho Tsoneca language, but that COM
paratively useless work and the name "Los
Missionaries" which still clings to the deserted
valley, are the only traces that now remain of
their residence here.
Some time after the departure Of the mis-
sionaries Frenchman named NJ Rouquand
endesvored to found Q settlement In the same
valley. A number Of colonists came and houses
were built Of timber brought from Buenos
Ayres. But Chilean Jealousy spoiled N.
Rouquand's courageous attempt The perma-
nent line Of division had not then been estab-
ished between Chile and Argentine and the
former country took odense at his occupying
q miserable piece of waste land, of no value
to anybody, without having previously gone
through the formality OF asking its ratification
of the concession granted by the Argentine gov
eminent
ADMIRAL YITzRoYs EXPEDITION.
It was in 1884 that Admiral Fitzroy's famous
expedition, composed Of three light boats
manned BY eighteen sailors and having the
naturalist, Darwin, on board, went up this
Santa Cruz river with the object Of ascertain
ing its source and to observe the remarkable
foundations which Darwin 90 accurately de-
scribes in his work on the geology of South
America. Having ascended the river some $50
miles by its course (though only about half
that number Of miles from tho sea), provisions
gave ont and they were compelled 70 turn
back. Finding no diminution in the water,
EitZroy inferred that the r1pner couraa NJ the