94 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS : NARRATIVE. 



end, so that when the streets are muddy, as is generally the case, one 

 must needs be an experienced tight-rope walker to get about in safety. 

 None of the streets are paved, and as for a sewerage system, not even 

 an attempt is made at surface drainage, although the topography is such 

 as would greatly facilitate either surface or underground drains. There 

 is of course a public plaza — no Spanish-American town could be without 

 one. A part of that of Sandy Point is shown in the photograph repro- 

 duced in Fig. 5, which also shows very well the ordinary and daily 

 condition of the streets in even the better portions of the town. Al- 

 though located in 53° south latitude, within five miles of a twelve-foot 

 vein of good lignite and surrounded with dense forests, fire as a means 

 of comfort is unknown. At the Cosmos Hotel, considered as the best in 

 the town and where, for six dollars per day, I was permitted to occupy a 

 small room with a single chair, bed and bare floor, and served with two 

 very indifferent meals during the course of each twenty-four hours, there 

 was no fire save in the kitchen. Upon my asking if any arrangements 

 could be made whereby I might enjoy the comforts of a fire, I was told 

 that, if cold, I could drink whiskey to keep warm. Acting upon this sug- 

 gestion, I was thunderstruck to find that the charge for one whiskey and 

 soda was eighty cents. It did not take long to convince me that, with 

 the temperature as low as that of Sandy Point, I could not afford to burn 

 such high-priced fuel. For my greater comfort, therefore, I took to my 

 bed, which, considering my condition, was much the best thing I could 

 do. After some two weeks passed with little of comfort, if not actual 

 misery, I was sufficiently recovered to start on my return journey to rejoin 

 Mr. Peterson. I reached the estancia of Mr. Halliday at North Gallegos 

 late in November, where I found my companion, he having meantime 

 finished the work near Coy Inlet. We immediately commenced making 

 preparations for a protracted trip into the interior, selecting as our objec- 

 tive point the region of lakes Viedma, San Martin and Argentino. Mr. 

 Peterson during my prolonged absence had been very successful, having 

 secured nearly a ton of fossils. In our two previous shipments we had in- 

 cluded nothing but fossils. We now decided to pack up all our remaining 

 material, both fossil and recent, and leave it with Mr. Halliday for shipment 

 to Sandy Point by the first vessel that should come in bound for that port. 

 When all was made ready we had about six tons, which we left to be con- 

 signed to Braun & Blanchard, and forwarded by them to New York. 



