The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-12-20
THE PATAGONIAN At HOME
Fannie B. Ward Tells of Things She Saw
on the Little Island of PabOn.
What 1t Is 10 Be an Indian Tra6er-SantaC Cruz
Port and Riyer-RelgiOn vs.. Rum-The
Gentle Patagonian by His Ain Preside.


Special Correspondence of the sunday Journal
EsTANCIA DE PABON. Patagonia. of all
the heaven-deserted regions whereto my
rowing fortunes have led. surely this is the
most utterly forlorn. Imagine. if you can,
tiny island, hardly mile and half long
by $50 yards across. lost in the broad Allan
tic off the eastern coast of Patagonia, hun
dreds of leagues from any where-the limits
of vision bounded on all sides by the
stormest waters on the face of the earth.
except to the northwest. where barren
plains and salt morasses stretch to the hOr-
lion, trodden only by Indians, ostriches,
pumas and guanacos. How did we get herei
IL happened, inopportunely, that the
presence at Punta Arenas of the small gov
eminent cruiser that visits these coasts
only twice year rendered it possible for
our party to accept the invitation of
pleasant Argentine family to visit their
Patagonian estancia tranch). where they
reside two months out of twelve. Our tenn
porary home has not even the merits of
Crusoe's island, being neither beautiful nor
fertile. Though marked on the charts of
Fitzroy and Darwin as Middle island" it
is hereabOuts called Pabon. and lies near
the point opposite central Patagonia where
the great Santa Cruz river, having been
Joined by it's greater tributary, the Rio
Chico. comes rushing into the sea. A few
years ago. by special grant from the Argen-
tine government 1t became the property OF
our entertainer land his heirs forever"
together with exclusive right to work the
adjacent seal fisheries and the privilege OF
unlimited pasturage on the mainland. But
the tiny domain is not valuable posses
sion. except as an Indian trading post and
for the fisheries aforesaid. No feudal baron
III his mOated castle, with draw-bridge up,
was ever more secure from the raids of out
side barbarians than we are to-day, for Pa
bon cannot be approached, except by very
narrow ford on the south, which is passa-
BILE only at low tide. The northern chan
mel is much wider and deeper, but the
swiftness of the current renders it impass-
able except by row-bOats. with the oars In
skillful hands. Fronting the ocean side IS
fort, over which float the sky-blue and
| white stripes of Argentina the prettiest
| flag In the world next To that of the United
| States); and on the land side high stock
| ade is further defended by fosse, which
| the spring tides fill with water. And be-
sides all these, a nine-ponnder 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 muffin
| Gus seamen. Besides the owners
| house. which is built Of brick and
| tiled roof. are several cottages tenanted by
| employees. each surrounded by garden,
| where corn and vegetables struggle for On
| existence. There Is also an almacen, or
store house OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES: stocked
| with supplies for the residents and articles
| for barter with the PataROnians The rest
] of the island is overgrown with small
round "spike-thorn" thistles and stunted
/ shrubs. twisted by ceaseless winds into
used to be frequently overlooked until
| deep drain was cut across, and now the lat
| ter serves q double purpose. being the best
| kind of an irrigating ditch.
THE EsTANCIA's SURROUNDINGS.
horse or two for immediate use and a
| few cows, sheep and pigs are kept on the
island. but the flocks and herds ale rele-
| gated to the mainland to q deep ravine
called Ell Potrero, where coarse grass grows
in rank luxuriance. The deep sea ford
furnishes moat to this estate which q
baron of We olden time would have envied.
and row-boats. moored on the island beach,
| answer we'll for draw bridges whenever q
retainer must attend to affairs ashore.
aud swap few furs or feathers for
| tobacco, ammunition, sugar. beads,
OF = more likely - rum. Close by
| the Potrero IS an extensive salt lake, which.
the Beagle expedition. for Mr.. Darwin
| fixes the southernmost limits of the
salinas" at Port st. Julian. some two
hundred miles above: Lying less than half
| mile from the beach are apparently mex
haustible beds of excellent salt. but. as
| yet, they have been worked only for use on
| the island and In the nearby fisheries. ex-
| cept as now and then, the Falkland island
| ers send over for q ships load.
Almost within sight of the island is the
| port of Santa Cruz where q splendid bay
| is formed by the confluence of that river
| with it's tributary, of easy access to the
any number of ships, there being fifty feet
| of water over the bar at high-tide. Here
| the Argentine government maintains q
| small garrison-fOr the same reason, prob
| ably. that Uncle Samuel sends soldiers to
| divers unnecessary places. merely to furnish
| the blue-coats with some semblance of en-
| ployment. There are also two or three
sheep-farns within radius of fifty
m db OF bat pabo On is seai tSo f 6nv stn
worth ,Or u mann name IS in ''' all 0n Central trail
| Patagonia, and this Is maintained merely
| for Tehuelche 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 Wad-
| dell Bluff, about ten miles mp the river, in
valley which the good Bishop Sterling
L
| scribed in most glowing terms, but which.
during nine months of the year Is as cold
| and cherries as tho rest of Patagonia.
! The plan of these gentlemen was to
establish trade at the port of Santa
| Cruz, in order to insure regular visits from
the nomadic Indians; but the mission man.
ayers did not approve the scheme. and they
| were soon compelled to abandon the field.
| Missionaries stand no chance in Patagonia
| against the counter attractions of any
/ rascally trader who has rum to sell, for
every blessed Indian will travel scores of
miles to eXpend all the spolls of his hunt
ing for fire. water, but has no time nor dis
| position TO parley with white men who will
| not furnish 1t. Messrs Hart and SchmId
spoke often IN their journals. in terms of
warmest affection, abOut the "bright-faced
! Patagonlan children" whom they hoped TO
| Christianize in time. if they could not make
much impression upon their elders. To
this end MIR. Schmd compiled the only
vocabulary extant of the Tsoneca languages;
but that comparatively 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
missionaries a Frencnman, named NJ. Ron
| quand. endeavOred to found a settlement
| in the same valley. number of colonists
came and houses wero built of timber
brought from Buenos Ayres. But CHILEAN
! jealousy spoiled NJ. Rouqu.nd's courageous