Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-13

west of the Cordillera, including the noun
tatns and all the islands, is now claimed by
Chile, and though good for nothing agri-
culturallv, is believed to be rich in coal and
copper, and possibly in gold and silver, not
to mention an ine1haustible amount of
timber. The distance is 80 short between
the Andes and the Pacific, that its longest
river, rising near the summit, measures
barely 13 miles in its windings to the coast.
There are several active volcanoes among
its mountains, the largest of which-Minch-
inmadiua, opposite the island of Chi1oe-is
5000 feet high.
The mean temperature Of this region is
$50 Fair. both winter and summer, for the
weather seldom varies from q damp, pene-
trating chilliness, which is more trying
to both man and beast than . greater de-
gree of cold in q dryer atmosphere.
In spite of the cold, this eternal damp
ness has produced forests of tropical luxuri-
ance in whose depth jaguars lurk, and
guanaco-one of the five species of "camel
sheep" peculiar to South America, while
along the coast seals and sea elephants
abound.
Lakes OF Poisonous Walton
"Argentine Patagonia" which comprises
about four-fifths of the whole country reck-
oned by square miles, stretches from the
Andes eastward to the Atlantic, and is COM
monty spoken of as 1.-THE Pampas" (plains),
though most of it bears no resemblance to
the name. The true pampas begin away up
north near the Rio de la Plata, and end not
far below the Rio Negro. South of this the
whole country is a succession of stony
steppes and grass-grown meadows, varied by
salt lakes and brackish marshes. The pebbly
surface is mixed with earth of q pale-gra
Il lrrn nf
strewn with enormous boulders-gradually
rising in natural terraces from the ocean to
the Cordillera, the highest terrace reaching
an altitude of 5000 feet The soil is
strongly impregnated with saltpetre, and
the numerous small salt lakes are surrounded
BY a dazzling, snow-white crest In several
OF these lakes the water is poisonous, and
all have the popularity of being extremely
cold in summer time and correspondingly
warm in winter.
Other places are overgrown with tall
rushes; alternated by patches OF thorny
brushwood, morasses salter than the sea
itself, and "salinas," or beds of solid salt,
often two or three feet thick and covering
an area several miles square; while toward
the West, the dead level of the landscape is
broken by basaltic ridges, the home of
hawks and eagles.
When Condors Cross the Andea
The great Andean condor here crosses the
continent for the, first and only time, and
does not disdain to build his clumsy nest
upon bare rocks overhanging inland streams
es well as on cliffs that front the sea He is
accompanied into exile by the big, black
turkey-buzzard, and also by two species of
polyborus, or eagle vultures.
Geologists tell US that all this country was
once sea-bottom, tor everywhere sea shells
are found, and other evidences that the
ocean once rolled over it Far inland the
remains of fossil monsters are met-the |
giant amadillo (glyptodon), and colossal |
mylodous and megatheriuns; and several |
hundred miles of the Southern coast is one |
vast deposit of tertiary strata, underlying |
q white punaceous substance chiefly com.
posed of marine infusoria
In surprising contrast to Western Pata-
gonia, the eastern side is mostly dry and
hot Travellers who have seen both
declare that portions of this bear
q striking similarity to the deserts OF South
ern Africa, the resemblance being height
eDed by the presence of ostriches, two
ding over the Patagonian plains like ships
under sail Others compare this to "Bad
Lands" of the Colorado, and the Barren
Grounds" of the Hudson Bay Company.
The Fierce Prairie Ninds.
Patagonia has never been cultivated at
all, except in the neighborhood of Punta
Arenas; but there are few estancias
(ranches), especially near the Rio Negro,
where horses and cattle are bred. There
are deep valleys, too, where the dreaded
pamperos cannot penetrate, furrowed by
torrents, and dotted with pictur-
esque lakes, blackened by wild duck that
are tame as barnyard fowls, having never
learned the fear of man. The plague of
Eastern Patagonia is the pamperos, or
prairie winds, cold and cutting, that occa-
,ionally sweep the country with the fury of
hurricanes, demolishing everything In their
path.
The principal industry" of Patagonia
# such term can be applied to the sloven- !
" habits of Indians-is hunting guanacos
md ostriches, for the skins Of the former
md the feathers of the latter are valued
articles of commerce, and the flesh of both
serves for food. Evening after evening we
lit at the feet (fguratively speaking) of a
,rizzled American, who hailed originally
rom Maine, 1 believe, but has lived in
,hese parts more than 80 years and has come
% be considered authority, par. excellence,
N ostrich lore. / wish could reproduce