The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-14
FOSSILS FROM P~ATAGoSIA.
sroRf OF PRINCETON MANS EOH0
DEsEhT JOURNEr

W. W
~ioctiona or Desert Fiora ana r,,,,-A sac
cessfal Expedition In south Amer,cs.
On Feb. 20, 1895, as was told in THE SUN ut
tho time, Prof. j. b.. Hatcher o, prince,ou Uni.
vorsity, with o. A. Petersen, who wns for N long
time employed as q collector by m. American
Museum OF Natural History. sailed for south
America, intending 10 EXPLORE tho dcserta Of
Patagonia and make a collection OF sucb objects
of scientific interest Oh the region afforded.
Everything from the living Tehuclcbc, the pua-
naco, and tho bcrboris brush to the homes and
shells of the most ancient geological formation
to be seen on the desert was to be studicd and
collected.
The two collectors reached Buenos Ayres I'm
the usual course by steamer, and then. taking
one OF tho Argentine national Transports. went
down the coast as far nc the capital of Argentine
Patagonia. GalleRos, on the Gallcgos Riyor.
which Is but a days sail north OF the Strata of
Magellan. Hero they mot the Governor, Gen.
Edulmiro Mayer. who. as THE Sun told some
years ago, WHOM n correspondent visited the
region, was during the American civil war the
Colonel OF the Fourth United States Colored
Infantry, and an efficient fighter. Tho
Governor fully appreciated tho fact that
Prof. Hatcher was the first thoroughly
trained scientist to explore tho region
since Darwin had o glimpse of IL from the stern
sheets OF q cuttor that failed to reach tho head
OF tho Santa Cruz River. Accordingly, every
facility that the scanty resources OF u Patagonia
desert settl, ment could offer was placed at tho
disposal OF Prot. Hatcher. and aft or a short stay
with the officials OF the settlement the professor
and his assistant were carried across to tho
north sidoof the river tGellcgos is on the south
side) and landed at the headquarters Of a big
sheep ranch that stands there.
The actual work Of the expedition then began.
Tho outfit would have seemed very small to a
tenderfoot. for It consisted OF a single cart and
four horses, with tools for making excavations,
scientific instruments for observations, a few
books OF reference. with such provisions as an
abstemious prospector would carry when bound
on n long search for mineral. With this outfit
the two men started away alone on their journey.
their course lying to the northwest from tho
mouth OF the Gallegos. The Coy River having
been reached, a stop was made and considerable
time was spent In the work of examining the
bluffs where the various layers OF alluvial do
posits have been exposed by erosion.
From this stream the journey was continued
to the Andes at q point east Of the Pacific coast
bay OF Ponas. A number OF salt lakes were
passcd-lakos that seem to have been portions
Of the south Atlantic itself. which once rolled its
surges to the very feet Of the cordilleras. Here
a river. unmarked on the map, but in the Santa
Cruz watershed. was found and named Mayer
River in honor Of the Governor. 1t was traced to
its source in m Andean glacier. Here the most
remarkable discovery Of the whole journey was
made. This consisted of a number of mud creeks
and rivers-streams of mud so substantial that
the explorers on more than one occasion started
to walk over thcm, not noticing that the ground
was of q plastic nature. and 80 they sank in,
sometimes waist deep. and with difficulty and
not without great danger escaped. On examina-
ton these mud streams were found to have as
| -alllAAnnd ptnnoAl, -. 49, No. -
The largest was from fifty to sixty yards wide and
of unknown depth. the only soundings made
being the involuntary ones when the explorers
Inadvertently plunged In. Tho current was. of
course, very slow. To cross them it was neces-
sary to search along the channel until q place
was found where the current was sufficiently
obstructed to enable the sand and wind to dry
the surface into O crust and the low temperature
to freeze the mud.
While on the Coy River O lone Tehuelche
visited tho camp. and from that time on not a
single human being was seen for five months. at
the end OF which time the explorers returned to
the settlement; The journey to the mountains
f @Sieh . Mort M eoTia g Ss dome she S Splg R mEnt as during e
comfort. During all other months the weather
was like March in the northern part Of the
United stStesIeold, raw and in about every way
bluffs near the seacoest were explored. and with
excellent results.
" nlle III camp In the WIGS n morse Dy a sud-
den jerk OF its head struck Prof. Hatcher on the
head, inficting a wound with q bride buckle
from which, the professor almost bled to death.
Following this, erysipelas set in and compelled
q return to Gallegos. There the professor SUI.
fered from an attack q pneumonia, and on re-
Obliged to return to the United States after an
absence Of something more than a year.
Although he returned sooner than he wished,
Prot. HATCHER had the satisfaction of bringing
of all the genera Of the Santa Cruz beds and a
| lou OF Inc lnvefteDrAteA Of The MinpanN and
super. Patagonia beds. A new marine horizon
was discovered everything the Santa Cruz beds
q meter OF very great interest to scientists. In
addition. a geological section was mapped from
the Cordilleras TO the coast ne.
bones OF q diadiaphorous. a beast that is de-
scribed as having a frame of the size and some
toed beast. and was not a horse nor like one save
In size and general shape. Another was tho
TO nothing that walks the earth in these days.
II had q body four feet long and four feet broad
Through anG Ugh The RIBS body shaped like a barrel
applied by a Princeton man who examined the
skeleton, while Its head and snout wero like
full skeleton OF this animal was obtained.
An1,heE nncataiogued geological curiosity
the progenitor of the moderndeer. 1t is called
OF the other fossils it may be said that while
and make for princ,eton q most admirable and
e'htA - " u
that roam q Patagonia as they now roam Aus.
tralia; The huge armadillos, from six to eight
once sported In a tropical yerdurc where now
there is a climate ft only for such animals al
are called fur bearing; tho shells OF oysters no
large that n man who swallowed one whole
would have needed a gullet Of enormo size. for
the shells average nearly a foot in length.
In addition, the skins of 500 ditfere I NAM
mails nnd bird OF the present era and complete
collections OF the fora Of the region wer safely
delivered ut the collie g. When these have been
pr porly pr pared, p ssums Of the ize n mice
hanging, by their prehensilo tails to the branches
OF knee-high desert trees, while their young
cling 70 cir fur. will be one OF the sights of the
Princeton Museum; while the curious wntcr
beast that have their malnillary glanis along
the backbone instead OF on The breast will float
IN a make-believe tank with their young upon
their backs or 8 swimming close alongside.
turthermore, there is n complete collection OF
the relics OF tho great Tehuelche tribe of Indians
the bolas with which they kill their game. lho
huge spears With which they make war, tho
tobacco pipes with which they intoxicnte them.
selves. thc wooden spurs with which they prod
their ponies, the luxurious guapaco robes that
serve every purpose of bed and clothing.
IL was a most successful exploration, bnt one
| That WAN hv m nnnnG aAtiafnptnrV IN Prof