The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-12-20

this end Hr Schmid compiled the only vo-
cabulary extant of the Tfoneca language;
but that comparatively useless work, and
the name LOS Misionarios.n which still
cllngs to the deserted valley, are the only
traces that now remain of their residence
here. Some time after the departure of
the missionaries Frenchman, named H.
Rouquand, endeavored to found settle
ment in the same valley. A number of
colonists came, and houses were built of
timber brought from Buenos Ayres. But
GILLIAN JEALOUSY
spoiled M. Rouquand's courageous attempt.
The permanent line of division had not
then been established between Chill and
Argentine and the former country took
otfense at his occupying 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
government 1t was in 1884 that Admiral
F1tzroy's famous expedition, composed of
three light boats manned by eighteen
sailors and having naturalist, Darwin, on
board, went up the Santa Cruz river, with
the object of ascertaining it's source and to
observe the remarkable formations which
Darwin so accurately describes in his work
on the geology of South America. Having
assembled the river some $50 miles by its
course, though only about half that num-
Der OF miles from the sea, provisions gave
out and they were compelled to turn back
Finding no dimunition in the water, Fitz-
roy inferred that the upper conrse of the
river must be along the base of the
Andes and that its source was
therefore near that Of the Rio
Negro. That he was mistaken in both con-
lectures was proved few years later by
DR.. f. Moreno, who found the source of
the river few miles from lake Viedma-
with which body of water il has no visible
communication. The lake measures thirty
miles from east to west, and ten miles
across at the widest point, and is so deep
that DR.. Moreno could find no bottom, even
short distance from shore, with line 100
feet long. Near lake Viedma is Volcano
the Chalten-that
CONSTANTLY THROWS OUT SMOKE AND ASHES.
The Santa Cruz river varies in bredth
from 400 yards to nearly a mile and in
some places is 100 feet deep. 1t runs along
winding valley, almost due eastward,
with a rapidity Of current from fifteen to
twenty miles an hour. Readers of history
will remember that Magellan remained at
Santa Cruz ano Port ST. Julian more than
half the year 1520-iust before he sailed
southwark and discovered the strait that
bears his name l have been talking to a
New Englander, (Mr. Clarke, from Salem,
Mass.) who lived at Pabon several
years, as administrator for the owner
of the island, carrying on trade
with the Tchulches. He enter tains high
opinion of their intelligence and generous
disposition, and says thai though they are
keen bargainers. often spending two or
three hourt in debating the price of sin
gle skin, they never fail to discern and ap-
preciate disposition to treat them fairly.
A regular tariff with equitable prices was
fixed and scrupulrusly adhered to by which
the barter of peltries and ostrich feathers
was regulated. The prettest things to be
found here are rugs, made of the breasts
of young ostriches, soft as down and beau
tIful as plumage can be. The plumes are
plucked from the wings and tails of Ii ring
birds; but to make rug, the young ones
are killed and skinned and the soft fluffy
breasts sewn together till they reach the
size of a blrnket. am the proud possessor
of one containing nine skins, of the gray
and white Rhea Darwinii, sewn together
in such way that the colors alternate and
produce tide Artistic effect. In some of