THE VARIOUS INDIAN TRIBES.

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In February 1863, the Argentine Government commissioned Mr. P. C. Bliss to make a journey through the Chaco, and this gentleman reported five Indian nations, distinct in language, but alike in habits and physical appearance: the Mocovis and Abipones frequent the frontiers of Santiago del Estero and Santa Fé, while the Tobas, Ocoles, and Matacos, inhabit the valleys of the Vermejo and Pilcomayo. The three last tribes are said to number 20,000 souls. The Matacos are very industrious, being the best peons on the frontier estancias of Salta, and in the sugar-fields of Salta and Jujuy. During much of the year the Indians live on the fruit of the algarroba and the «yuchan» or palo-boracho; fish also supplies them with food. They have no agriculture or farming implements. Formerly most of the tribes had cattle and sheep, but the animals seem to have been carried off by a pestilence. The Indians suffer great mortality from want of clothing and proper habitations: they are very superstitious, have a great fear of the Gualiche (or evil spirit), and some confused idea of a future life. Their barter trade is very limited: they sometimes bring to the frontier-settlements a few skins of pumas, jaguars, foxes, otters, &c., but they collect wild honey in considerable quantities, as also ostrich feathers and the resin of «palo-santo.» The Matacos and Ocoles could easily be domesticated, if they were furnished with farming implements, seeds, and a few head of cattle.

In May 1864 an expedition was got up by Government, to open up a highway through the Chaco, from Corrientes to Santiago del Estero, the distance being set down at 120 to 140 leagues. Sr. Arce, the Vermejo navigator, took a lively interest in the enterprise, and General Ferré marked out the road on a map. Passing through the «obrages» or woodcutting establishments in the Chaco, opposite Corrientes city, the route plunged into Indian territory, broken by numerous woods and marshes. Here the want of water and provisions might constitute a greater difficulty than any to be feared from the Indians. Some caciques signed a treaty with the National commissioner, agreeing to provide these necessaries at various points along the route. The chief profit to be derived from this new highway was that a great export trade of mules and horses would be opened for Corrientes with the Northern provinces. The report of the officer commanding the expedition was as follows:

«Dear Sir,

<«< Bracho Viejo, May 22, 1864.

«By the date of this letter you will perceive that notwithstanding all the sufferings we have experienced in this painful journey across the Chaco, I, as well as my companion, Don Adolfo Reyes, am arrived safely at

D2

our destination: the ways and means would form a very long subject for a letter, and I consequently reserve the details until my return.

<<The few provisions that we carried were of an inferior description, and had an unfavourable influence on our health, but like true Germans we have already forgotten our past sufferings and laugh at them in the houses of the engineers, Messrs. William H. Cock and Auguste Lemelle, who have received us as if we had been old friends. We are now lodging in the house of the Salado Navigation Company. Major Martinez is rather ill in the Bracho encampment, with the Indians who accompanied us, whose behaviour has been very bad.

«On the 1st of May an Indian ran away, back to Corrientes, with one of the horses. On the 17th another Indian and a boy ran away, stealing our beef and two of the best horses.

«On the 14th the Cacique Dachilique, with his brother, ran away, stealing some of our horses and the only hatchet we had with us. We lost our way during the night and passed 35 hours without water. The Cacique was familiar with the locality and could have found water, but seeing that the majority of our horses were tired, he separated from us, to take the horses to his «tolderia.» He is the same who, three years back, murdered the Franciscan friar at Matará, and he communicated this fact to the Cacique Leoncito, adding that he accompanied us, merely to learn the state of the roads and cattle, so that he might be better enabled to carry on his depredations against the Province of Santiago. Such are the <«<trustworthy agents» given to us by General Ferré.

«On the 14th of May, at last, we came to the River Salado, and established ourselves in the canton Tostada,' now abandoned. Here we found the fine and well constructed «azotea» houses, erected by orders of our friend Dr. Archer, of which we have taken a plan and sketch to present to you on our return.

«The road that we have travelled over is 175 leagues, and we are now awaiting instructions and horses from the Governor of Santiago. The road can be made transitable for cargo with very little expense.

«I believe that we will start for Santiago on the 26th, passing by Salavina, and from thence I will write further. I do not know yet when and how we shall return to Corrientes, for this depends upon the measures taken by the Government of Santiago.

«FRANCIS PANKONI,

«Lieutenant Commanding.»

JOURNEY ACROSS THE CHACO.

37

An intelligent Indian interpréter and traveller, named Felipe Saravia, who had previously crossed the Chaco, made a journey in January 1865, with complete success, and his diary from Esquina Grande to Corrientes is as follows:

«January 21st. Left Colony Rivadavia, crossed to the right bank of the Vermejo, following the stream (three leagues) as far as Selicano: good water, course S.E and E.

«<22nd. Started at sunrise, and reached Santa Rosa by noon (four leagues): course E. Pushed on (three leagues) to Cañada Angosta, course S.E., roads good.

«<23rd. Dined at Poso Escondido (five leagues): good water, road middling, course E. At one part we had to hew a passage of half a league. Advancing three leagues before nightfall we encamped near a large lake which I called Selicano Muerto: road very bad, course S.E.

«<24th. Made four leagues to the lake of Paso Yuchan: the route is almost impassable, and we had frequently to cut our way through woods. About midway is Palo Santo, where a port is projected on the Rio Vermejo. Leaving Paso Yuchan we cleared a road through three leagues of thicket, and one and a-half leagues over level ground brought us to Campo Alegre : here there is a good well, course E.

«25th. Reached Poso Verde (five and a-half leagues) by noon. At first the road is good, S.E.; but we had two and a-half leagues E. through dense woods, and then turning again S. E. came on a fine lake. Before night we pushed on (three leagues) to Rancheria, S. E., the route being impassable even to our sixty Indians on foot, until cleared by four men with axes.

«<26th. Starting at six a.m. the path was still impenetrable, and with great difficulty we made two leagues to Pescado Flaco, where the steamer Vermejo grounded last year, and sent her cargo on mule-back to Salta. I employed the Chinipis Indians to make a wood-opening here, giving them both money and axes. Course E. there are two large lakes.

«<27th. Using our axes again we made three leagues to Bobadal, E. Two leagues more through the woods to Yuchanes, E., where there is a fine lake.

«28th. At noon to Codillar, which is three and a-half leagues; at first no road, afterwards levei camp, and a lake; route E. Two leagues further to Paso Quebrahacho, over level ground, with water, E.

«<29th. To Punta Monte two leagues, level camp, S. E.: here there is a well. To Cañada Larga one league, S., with water. To the well called Pelaco three-quarters of a league, E. After this, half a league of thick

woods E., and two and three-quarters of level camp to Tunal, S. In the evening we made three leagues: good road to Laguna Larga, S.E.

«<30th. Two leagues E. and S.E. to Paso Tobas, open ground. Three leagues more, same road, to Laguna Verde, S.E.

<«<31st. To Tres Positos, four leagues, S. E., first half of the way through thickets, afterwards open camp. At three p.m. started for Represa, two and a-half leagues, good road, S.E.

«February 1st. After one and a-half leagues of good road, we had to use our axes for two leagues, before reaching Binalar, S.E. Following this route we reached Totoral, the road being for one and a-half leagues good, and the rest very difficult, S.E.

«<2nd. Six leagues of good road, E., to Agua Hedionda, where there is a fine lake, and we passed the night.

<«<3rd. Five leagues good road, S., and then N.E. to Gateado lake: thence to Paso Zancudo, four and a-half leagues, E., and then S., over level ground: much water.

<<4th. Taking S.E. four leagues good road to the lake of Algarrobal. Same route, three leagues and a-half to Palma Acheada and the lagoons.

«5th. To Acheral, four and a-half leagues, clear way, at first S.E. and then E. We passed the night at Potrero, five leagues further, S.E., good road, and water.

«6th. Started at six a.m. and took siesta at Tres Palmitas, six leagues S.E., varying to E. Here there is no water. water. By sundown reached Perdido, two leagues S.E.

«7th. Reached Montes Grandes by noon: five leagues, good road, S.E., much water, pushed on to Siete Arboles, three and a-half leagues same route. <«<8th. Made five and a-half leagues to Arroyo Cortaderas, E., good road, with water. Five leagues more to Bajo Grande.

«9th. Started at seven a.m. and reached the bank of the Paraná, in front of Corrientes, at noon. After siesta crossed the river to the city, which is four leagues from Bajo Grande.>>

The journey occupied twenty days, averaging seven leagues per day; of the total hundred and forty leagues, twenty-seven are impassable even to. the Indians on foot, who have to cut a passage, as we have seen, with axes. The longest interval without water is six leagues, but it is not clear that the lagoons bearing the names of «Stinking Water» and «Green Well»> are fit for drinking purposes.

At the same time the ill-fated brothers Barron (formerly of Waterford, Ireland) got up an expedition to traverse the Chaco from Goya to Santiago, enlisting for the purpose some Indian auxiliaries, but owing to the outbreak

of the Paraguayan war the enterprise was abandoned (The Barrons undertook a second expedition from Mendoza to Chile, in which they were carried off by a savage tribe of Indians, but shortly afterwards effected their escape. Finally they were murdered in San Juan on a third mule expedition, in 1866.) Since 1865 no similar expedition has been made, but the road in question is one of vital necessity, and will probably be the first care of Government on the conclusion of the war. The above named Sr. Arce, at the request of President Derqui, made an attempt to cross the Chaco in 1860: his men (sixty peons) were not prepared for the hardships of the journey, and after three days' floundering through morasses they mutinied; just then a band of Indians fell on them, robbing the convoy, and murdering a friar and six others. Sor. Arce miraculously escaped by floating down the Vermejo on the branch of a tree.

HELVETIA COLONY.

This colony was founded in October, 1864, by Dr. Romang (formerly physician to the Esperanza Colony), who obtained from the Santa Fé Government a grant of four square leagues, on condition of establishing 125 families thereon. It is situate N.N.E. from the Calchines, on the River Cayesta, about a league beyond the Indian village of Cayesta. The first settlers were twenty-four families from Esperanza, and others from Villa Urquiza, who preferred this place on account of its excellent soil and situation, the farming lots being sold very cheap. The average price is 100 Bolivian dollars (£16 sterling) per lot of 85 acres. Dr. Romang's house is in the centre of the spot marked out for the future town and port of the colony: the port is good, and protected by a picturesque and wooded island from the south wind. The river San Javier is about 300 yards wide, and schooners from Buenos Ayres come up to the colony. The road hence to Calchines is mostly through swamps and thickets, with open camps at intervals: the pasture is very poor, unless near the colony, where there is a fine black vegetable earth. Mr. Perkins writes of the locality as follows:

«A little over a year ago I travelled all over that section of the country, and found it, without exaggeration, the finest place for farming and cattlerearing purposes I have seen in this country. The ground or soil is black and sandy, and the grass hard; but not near so hard as south of the river Salado. I think for sheep it would not do so well in the beginning; but I fancy that 'gramilla' would make its appearance sooner than near Esperanza, San Jeronimo, San Carlos, &c.