THE RIVADAVIA COLONY.

5r

sold to Mr. Grognet, and another to Mr. Laprade, both gentlemen of Rosario. A quantity of the lands of El Rey has also been solicited by purchasers.»>

RIVADAVIA COLONY.

This colony is situate on the N.E. bank of the Rio Vermejo, about four leagues below Esquina Grande, in the Province of Salta, up to which point there are no impediments to navigation. It is bounded on the north by the grant belonging to the missionary fathers, on the south and east by the Arroyo Tenco, and on the west by the Rio Vermejo. It covers a superficies of 200 square leagues (1,300,000 acres), extending six leagues in breadth from N.W. to S.E., and forty in length. The soil is mostly alluvial, being periodically inundated by the Vermejo. The colony was established in December 1862, and in January 1864, it counted 54 families, with an aggregate of 550 souls. Since then, numerous «sucrtes» have been allotted. to new settlers, and the colony is now much larger. Each family receives for ever a donation of a «suerte» of estancia, 2,500 yards front, by the same depth (about 1,200 acres), between the rivers Vermejo and Tenco, or double that arca if the lauds have not frontage on the above rivers; also a building lot, 15 yards by 60, on the site of the proposed town; and a chacra of four acres for cultivation. The chief industry of the colony is in horned cattle, the stock amounting to 20,000 head. The soil is fertile, and large plautations have been made of cotton and tobacco; but at present the difficulty of transport seems insuperable. President Mitre's Government was authorized by Congress to expend all necessary sums for the construction of a road from Corrientes to Esquina Grande: the project has been allowed to fall into complete oblivion; but the road, when made, will pass through the colony and meet the high road of the northern provinces. somewhere on the frontier of Salta and Tucuman. Mr. Bliss speaks of his visit to the colony in July 1863, as follows:-

«The long delay of our expedition had given rise to serious fears for our safety, and our arrival at the colony of Rivadavia was hailed with the greatest demonstrations of joy. When the expedition left Buenos Ayres, its supposed destination was the port of Esquina Grande, four leagues above the colony of Rivadavia. The event proved that no one on board had any idea of the geographical and other changes which have taken place in that region within three or four years. Esquina Grande, so noted in all previous itineraries of voyages and explorations, does not now contain a single building of any description, and, in fact, does not now exist as a port. The river has, as in many other cases, changed its course, has dug a canal across

the peninsula, and has thus left the former Esquina Grande some distanee *inland! The port thus abandoned has, however, been more than replaced by the establishment, during the year 1862, of the new colony of Rivadavia. This colony is situated upon the northern bank of the Vermejo, four leagues below Esquina Grande, and has a grant from the Provincial Government of Salta of sixteen leagues of land upon the river and six leagues back. The colonists were mostly Bolivians of the poorer class, from the provinces of Tarija and Santa Cruz de la Sierra. This large grant of land was looked upon with a jealous eye by the estancieros of the frontier, who coveted that fine extent of territory for themselves. The Indians of the neighborhood were mostly employed as peons, either by the colonists or by the 'fronteristas,' and some of the latter stooped to the meanness and wickedness of prejudicing the Indians against the colonists, hoping thus to frighten them from their enterprise. With the arrival of our steamer the safety of the colony was thought to be secured, especially as three cannon from the old fort of San Fernando were brought to the colony at the same time.»>

Mr. Bliss was five weeks making the overland journey from the colony to Buenos Ayres, via Rosario.

The latest official report of the colony is only to January 1864. When the navigation of the Rio Vermejo becomes a fact, the colony will spring into great importance.

PATAGONIA, A FIELD FOR COLONISTS.

53

CHAP. VI.

COLONIZATION OF PATAGONIA.

PATAGONIA may be said to include all that vast territory lying between the Rio Negro (10 deg. S. Lat.) and the Straits of Magellan, and estimated to contain an area of 350,000 square miles. The climate is similar to that of England, and the soil fertile: hence the country is well suited for immigration, and various efforts have been made, within the last six years, for this purpose.

In June 1863 the Government of Buenos Ayres made the following grant to Mr. Louis Bamberger :—

1. M. Louis Bamberger engages to bring out a German Colony, whose total number shall be 10,000 families.

2. The Government of Buenos Ayres grants a free gift of public land in the following proportion: for every 100 families one square league, besides an equal quantity for the benefit of the concessionaire or joint stock company.

3. The Government will provide each family with farming implements, seeds, two milch cows, six heifers, a yoke of oxen, and twelve sheep.

4. The Government will support all the immigrants during six months after their arrival.

The concession never came to anything, Mr. Bamberger failing to get up a joint-stock company.

In the following month (July 1863) the Argentine Government signed a concession for the establishment of a Welsh Colony at the Chupat, which was carried out two years later.

In August 1863 a Frenchman, Dr. Brougnes, who had been connected with the French Colony in Corrientes, formed a project to convert the Indians into colonists, giving them land, seeds, &c., and the Cacique Baigorria promised him every co-operation. He also proposed introducing European settlers, to be scattered along the rivers Negro and Colorado, The scheme died in embryo.

In 1863, Messrs. Galvan, Aguirre, and Murga received a most advantageous concession from the Government of Buenos Ayres, viz. :-«Messrs. Galvan receive for each family a gift of 160 acres land, a bonus of $128., and the loan of $160 or £32 sterling, to pay the necessary expenses. Messrs. Aguirre and Murga receive 1,600 acres for each family, in fee, but without any subvention in money. The concessionaires propose to pay the passage of the immigrants, providing cach family, on arrival, with 300 sheep, six milch cows, oné bull, four horses, and a large piece of land.»> As an immigration scheme it has never been carried out, but numbers of Englishmen have since settled on the lands of Aguirre and Murga, some purchasing the land from them, others going into partnership with them in the care of sheep,

In June 1864 General Paunero submitted an excellent project for a fixed line of frontier on the Rio Colorado, which, but for the Paraguayan war, bade fair to be accepted by Government.

The Rio Colorado rises in that part of the Andes contiguous to Mendoza, almost in direct line from Buenos Ayres, in 35 S. Lat,, and 69 W, Long. pursuing a winding course S. E. until it debouches into the Atlantic, a few miles below our settlement of Bahia Blanca, about 40 S. Lat. Paunero estimated its length at 197 leagues, say 600 miles, and proposed to crect a line of forts with small military picquets at certain distances, along its north bank. He required only 5000 men for so splendid an undertaking, instead of 13,000 troops of the Line and National Guards at present occupied in the straggling frontier service of these provinces.

The advantages to be gained by this scheme were thus summed up:— 1st. An effective and uniform cordon of frontier posts. 2nd. The creation of an impassable barrier, which would prevent communication between the Indians of the Chaco and those of Patagonia. 3rd. The recovery of 20,000 square leagues (a territory three times as large as England) of the finest pasture lands. 4th. A saving of 60 per cent. in the expense of the present frontier forces. 5th. The total relief of civilians from military

COX'S EXPLORING EXPEDITION.

55

service. 6th. The development of a new commercial artery by the navigation of the Rio Colorado. 7th. A safeguard for our sheepfarmers against the perils of drought, these men being formerly afraid to move their flocks towards the Indian territory. Moreover the lands adjacent to the Colorado might be made to produce wheat for the whole Republic, the freight to Bahia Blanca being easy, and therefore cheap.

In September 1864 a German company with a proposed capital of three millions sterling sought a concession for the colonization of 30,000 square miles of territory between the rivers Colorado and Negro.

The Company proposed to Government to introduce 20,000 European agricultural families within five years, on condition of a cavalry force of 2,000 men, under Colonel Machado, being placed for that period to defend the territory from the Indians. Each family was to receive free passage, a rancho, food for the first year, seeds and implements, one horse, two oxen, two cows, and 100 sheep. The emigraut would be required, in return, to sign bills for £200, payable in 40 yearly instalments. Each family was to receive 12 cuadras (50 acres) of land for tillage, and have the pasture lands of the colony in common with the rest.

This enterprise shared the fate of those just mentioned.

The Republic of Chile having always claimed a great portion of Patagonia, that Government commissioned Mr. Cox to explore the whole course of the Rio Negro, as that gentleman held the conviction that fluvial communication existed between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

In 1859, making Port Montt (a German colony on the Pacific in S. Lat41.30) his starting point and base of operations, in company with a few determined companions, he passed the neck of the Cordillera at Mount Osorno, and reached the western shore of Lake Nahuel-huapi. But he had not calculated all the difficulties of the enterprise, and was obliged to desist and return to Valparaiso. The Government was pleased with his report, and the explorer only waited a favorable chance to carry out his design.

On the 16th of December 1862, a complete expedition fully equipped by Government, and consisting of 18 persons under his command, again started from Port Montt, and reaching Lake Nahuel-huapi on New-year's day 1863, undertook to cross the lake in a boat left there by Mr. Cox on his former journey. A steep hill on the eastern shore now barred their progress, but they resolutely cut their way through a virgin forest, climbed the perilous glaciers, and Mr. Cox was the first who arrived at the summit, and saw, to his infinite joy, the broad stream of the Rio Negro winding its course eastward, till lost in the brown-colored Pampas of Patagonia.