The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-11-08
AFFAIRS IN CHILE
The Tip End of the Western
Hemisphere.
PATAGONIA. TERRA DEL FUEGO
The Secret of Gillian AnimOsity Towards
Americans-Two Very Powerful
Republics.

Orr CoRoNEL, September q, 1891
Especial correspondence Of The HERALD.
When you and l went to school, dear
reader, there was Patagonia on the maps
that we studied, and also TERRA oel
Fuego; but now there are no such countries
anywhere, although the old names still
cling to the old localities. A few years age
1T happened by rare chance that the two
most powerful republics of South America
Chile and the Argentine them
selves with no internal revolutions on hand
and SO they combined in sort of mission
airy enterprise against their weaker, be-
cause less civilized, neighbors, the Pata-
gonians and TERRA del Fuegoans, killing off
most of them, enslaving the remainder, aud
dividing their possessions between them
selves. When it came to a division OF
spolls, the United States was called upon
TO assist, through her minister's in Buenos
Ayres and Santiago; and so entirely to the
satisfaction OF the victors was the matter
adjusted that they afterwards presented
costly testimonials Of regard TO the minis
tiers aforesaid. 1t was agreed that the
boundary line of Chile should De extended
down the coast and then run eastward just
north of the straits Of Magellan, so that the
Argentine should have the vast pampas, or
pralries, of Patagonia, and Chile the strait
and most of tue islands-thus making a
correct map OF Chile look, as somebody ex-
presses il, like the leg of a tall man, long
and lean, with very high instep and sew
eral conspicuous bunlOnS." 1t is difficult
to say which got the best of the bargain
whether the great international water way
ana the south western archipelago, compris-
ing thousands of UNEMPLOYED islands be-
heVed 10 be rich in gold, silver, coal and
copper, is most valuable or the broad plains
that fell to the share of the Argentines.
which rise in regular terraces from the sea
board to the summit of the Cordilleras, as
extensive as those that stretch between the
mississippi river and the mountains Of Col
orado, and as useful for agricultural pur-
poses as Tor cattle raising. About
THIS HIGH-HANDED DISSECTION
of peaceful country Mr.. w. E. Curtiss
says:
1T is commonly the custom to divide
property alter the owners death, but in
this instance the inheritance was first
shared by the heirs and then the owner
was mercilessly slaughtered. They called
II grand triumph of genius of civilization
over the barbarians; but, as in many other
cases, the impeachment to civilization was
swept away in a cataract of blood.n
General Roca, recent president Of the
Argentine Republic, was the author and
executor OF the scheme of civilizing Pata-
gonna; and be accom- plished it as the early
Conqulstadores introduced Christianity
with the keen edge of a sword. The follow
lug true incident is fair sample of his mis-
sionary work. The old dividing line be-
tween Patagonia and the Argentine was
the Rio Negro, mighty river which flows
along the forty-hrst parallel, nearly a thou
sand miles north Of the strait of Magellan
The southern end OF this great stretch 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 further north toe
well watered pampas rise in successive
terraces up the Andean slopes. During
half the year the region of the straits ia
swept by those fierce winds called pam
peros, which are the dread of both nayiga-
tors and landsmen. From time out of mind
the Patagonlans had been in the habit OF
driving their cattle from the cold and windy
IowIands TO winter IN the foothills of the
Andes-and these gentle savages also has a
habit OF leaving their herds and their
women In the mountains, while they made
excursions into Argentine, stealing. burn
ing and killing. AT every raid the terror
stricken ranchmen fed toward the cities
SO that year by year the frontier line of
that republic receded toward the capital
instead of advancing. President Roca-
then general of cavalry, who had won
II,
tyrant of Paraguay-wss sent out with
three regiments to"discipline the Indians. -
And this is the way he did it: While the
Indians were enjoying their customary
winter picnic he set 8, 900 soldiers to digging
an enormous ditch, twelve feet wide and
hfteen feet deep, all the way from the
mountains to the Rio Negro and gave the
dlggers particular orders to scatter the
earth from the excavation in such manner
as to leave no evidence of their work
When the ditch was completed, he flanked
the Indians with his cavalry and drove
them southwark on the double-quick Ig-
norant Of the trap that had been set for
them, the Pategonians galloped pell-mell
into the waiting grave-where presently
thousands of men, women and children
cattle and horses, were piled one above an
other,
A WRITING, SCREAMING, STRUGGLING MASS.
most Of them killed outright by the fall, or
were crushed by those who tumbled on TOD
and the few who managed TO crawl out
were dispatched by the seores of the caval-
rymen. Those who were not driven into the
ditch he'd eastward along the river hunting
Tor crossing, which the soldiers allowed
them no time to make. The Patagonians
mad no tools Tor bridge building-picks,
spades ana shovels were unknown to them
aud as they were not the wards of any
nation, muskets and ammunition had never
been furnished them. 1t was about such a
chase as that willy rascal, Chief joseph of
the Nez Perces, gave our General Howard
few years ago, and finally ended in Roca's
driving the Indians into a 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 distributed among the
several regiments of the Argentine army.
IN which they afterwards proved excellent
soldiers; and the women and children were
sent to the Argentine cities, where they
have since been held in a state of semi
slavery by the more influential men, The
dead were never counted, but were buried
III the ditch which caused their obstruction;
and so Patagonia was wiped out of exist
ence and the great Indian nation which the
early explorers romanced SO much about
was nearly extermiuated. Both history
and tradition have falsely reported them as
race OF giants and attributed to them
traits OF ferceness aud courage which thew
never possessed. Probably that arch rn-
mancer, Pigufetta, who accompanied Ma
Ralhoons-anglicized Magellan-the great
navigator who discovered the passage or
strait that bears his name-was responsible
for most OF these absurd tales. The two
were the hrst white men TO interview these
Indians in $3.50, as well as the first TO enter
the Pacific ocean. Pigufetta spun marvel
Gus yarns for the worlds edification, which
had about as nIuch foundation in fact as
those OF African pigmios. the warrior
women that gave their names to the great
est river on earth, and other sixteenth
century fables. For instance, he gravely
asserted that the Patagouians were of
that bigness that our .lenne of meane
stature could reach up to their waysts, and
they had dig voyces, so that their talke
seemed lyke unto the roar of a beaste- ),
Later navigators felt in duty bound TO see
and describe as