Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-07

From The Stars Travelling Commissions.
Or CoRoNEI, Sept "a, 1891.
WHEN YOU AND WENT TO SCHOOL,
w dear reader, there was Patagonia on the
maps that we studied, and also . Terra del
Fuego, but now there are no such countries
anywhere. although the old names still cling to
the localities. A few years ago it happened by
rare chance that the two most powerful repub-
lies of South America-Chile and the Argen-
tine-found themselves with no internal revo-
lutions on hand, and 20 they combined in Q
sort OF missionary enterprise against their
weaker because less civilized neighbors, the
Patagonians and Terra del Fuegoans, killing
of most of them, enslaving the remainder and
dividing their possessions between themselves.
When 1t came to a division Of spoils the United
States was called upon to assist, through her
ministers in Buenos Ayres and Santiago, and 80
entirely to the satifaction Of the victors was the
matter adjusted that they afterward presented
costly testimonials Of regard to the ministers
aforesaid.
1t was agreed that the boundary line Of
Chile should be extended down the coast and
then run eastward just north Of the Strait OF
Magellan, so that the Argentine should have
me vast pampas, or prairies, Of Patagonia, and
Chile the strait, and most Of the islands, thus
making a correct map Of Chile look, as some
body expresses it, like the leg Of a tall man,
several conspicuous bunions." II is difficult
to say which country got the best Of the bar
gain-whether the great international water
way and the southwestern archipelago COM
prising thousands Of unexplored islands, be-
heved to be rich in gold, silver, coal and
copper il most valuable, or the broad plains
that fell to the share of the Argentines, which
rise in regular terraces from the seaboard to
the summit Of the Cordilleras a. extensive as
those that stretch between the Mississippi
river and the mountains of Colorado, and as
useful for agricultural purposes a. for cattle
raising.
HOW THE COUNTRY WAS DIVIDED.
About this high-handed dissection Of
peaceful country Mr.. W. E. Curtiss says: at 10
commonly the custom to divide property after
the owners death. but in this instance the in
heritance was first shared by the heirsand then
the owner was mercilessly slaughtered They
called it q grand triumph of the genius Of civil
hzatlon over the barbarians, but, as In many
other cases, the impediment to civilization was
swept away in a cataract of blood" Gen. Roca,
q recent president of the Argentine Republic,
was the author and executor Of the scheme of
civilizing Patagonia. and he accomplished it ~
the early Conquistadores introduced Christian
ity-with the keen edge Of a sword The fol-
lowing true incident is fair sample of his
tween Patagonia and the Argentine was the
Bio Negro. mighty river which flows along
the fOrty-frst parallel, nearly 900 miles north
of the Strait of Magellan. The southern end of
this greatstretch OF country is bleak and barren,
being mere shale beds covered with thorny
shrubs and coarse grass, upon which nothing
but ostriches can subsist; but farther north the
well-watered pampas rise in successive ter
races up the Andean slopes. During half the
year the region of the straits 10 swept by those
fierce winds called pamperos, which are the
dread of both navigators and landsmen. From
time out of mind the Patagonians had been in
the habit of driving their cattle from the cold
and windy lowlands to winter in the foothills
Of the Andes-and these gentle savages also
had habit Of leaving their herds and their
women In the mountains, while they made ex-
cursions into Argentina, stealing, burning and
killing. At every raid the terror-stricken
rauchmen fed toward the cities, SO that year
by year the frontier line of that republic re-
coded toward the capital instead of advancing.
Drsc1PLISISo THE INDIANA
President Roca-then a general Of cavalry,
who had won some renown in the war against
Lopez the tyrant Of Paragusy-was sent out
with three regiments to discipline the In
dams" And this is the way he did it: While
the Indians were enjoying their customary
winter picnic he set 5000 soldiers to digging
an enormous ditch, twelve feet wide and fifteen
feet deep, all the way from the mountains to
the Rio Negro and gave the diggers particular
orders to scatter the earth from the excava-
ton in such manner as to leave no evidence
of their work. When the ditch was completed
he fanked the Indians with his cavalry and
drove them southwark on the double quick.
Ignorant of the trap that had been set for them
the Patagonians ealloped pellmeH into the
waiting grave. where presently thousands Of
were piled one above another Q writhing,
screaming, struggling mass. Most of them were
killed outright by the fall or were crushed
by those who tumbled on top and
the few who managed to crawl out were dis
patched by the sabers Of the cavalrymen.
Those who were not driven into the ditch fed
eastward along the river, hunting for q crossing,
which the soldiers allowed them no time to
make. The Patagonians had no tools for bridge
building; picks, spades and shovels were un-
known among them, and, as they were not the
wards of any nation. muskets and ammunition
had never been furnished them. 1t was about
such chase as that willy rascal, Chief Joseph
Of Nez Perces, gave our Gen. Howard q few
years ago, and finally ended in Roca's driving
the Indians into corner, with the impossible
Rio Negro behind them, where the slaughter
was continued until most of the warriors fell.
The remainder were made prisoners and dis
tributed among the several regiments of the
Argentine army, in which they afterward
proved excellent soldiers, and the women and
children were sent to the Argentine cities.
semi-slavery by the families of influential men.
The dead were never counted, but were buried
in the ditch which caused their destruction,
and SO Patagonia was wiped out Of existence,
and the great Indian nation which thsearly ex-
plorers romanced 50 much shout was nearly
exterminated.
NOT RAcE OF GIANTS.
Both history and tradition have falsely re-
ported them as o race Of giants and attributed
to them traits Of herceness and courage which
they never possessed. Probably that arch
romancer, Pigufetta, who accompanied Magal-
haens (anglicized Magellan), the great navi-
gator who discovered the passage or Strait
that bears his name was responsible for most Of
those absurd tales. The two were the first
white men to interview these Indians in 1870,
az well as the first to enter the Pacific ocean
Pigufetta spun marvellous yarns for the world 9
edifcation. which had about AZ much founda-
ton in fact as those Of African pgmies, the
warrior women that gave their name to the
greatest river on earth, and other sixteenth
century fables. For instance, he gravely as
serted that the Patagonians "were OF that big
ness that our MEME OF meane stature could
reach up to their waysts and they had bigg
voyces, SO that their talke seemed lyke unto the
roar of o beaste." Later nxvigAtors felt in
| duty bound to see and describe as amazing
| things as their predecessor had witnessed. and
| even went further in their hudable efforts to
keep up European interest in the Now World,
and SO the fables crept into history, and many
| Of them still find credence.
Therefore, though We speak OF exploring
Patagonia and Terra del Fuego whom going int
| those regions Of romance, in reality we shall