INDUSTRIES AND RESOURCES OF PATAGONIA. 277 



of another banking house with headquarters at Buenos Aires. There are 

 a number of mercantile houses, for the most part branches of others in 

 Sandy Point. Santa Cruz, the place of next importance on the coast, is 

 the oldest permanent settlement in the Argentine Territory of Santa Cruz. 

 It was long used by the Argentine government as a penal colony. It 

 still remains of very limited importance. A line of bi-monthly steamers 

 from Sandy Point plies between that place and the various ports of this 

 coast as far north as San Julian, carrying mails, passengers and freight, 

 while a monthly line of Argentine transport boats from Buenos Aires calls 

 also, while en route from that city to Tierra del Fuego. In addition to 

 these somewhat regular steamer services, there are a number of small 

 sailing vessels and steamers running irregularly to Buenos Aires, Sandy 

 Point and the Falkland Islands, as well as to English and European 

 ports. These latter come out loaded with camp supplies and return with 

 cargoes of wool and hides. To the southward of the Coy River the 

 country is practically all taken for sheep-farming purposes. To the north- 

 ward of the same stream the settled region is practically limited at present 

 to a tract some thirty miles wide and running parallel with the coast to 

 Port Desire. 



In Tierra del Fuego the most important settlement is at Ushuaia, the 

 seat of government of the Argentine portion of that island. Other settle- 

 ments are Lapataia, San Sebastian, Bridges Station and Useless Bay, while 

 there are still other settlements on Dawson Island, Lennox Island and 

 a light-house, life saving station and penal colony at St. John's on Staaten 

 Island, belonging to the Argentine government. 



On the west coast of the mainland there are a few unimportant settle- 

 ments at Otway and Skyring Waters and on Smith's Channels. 



Industries and Resources of Patagonia. 

 The development of the resources of Patagonia is as yet in its infancy. 

 The first industries to attract attention to this region were the seal and 

 whale fisheries. For many years during the middle and latter part 

 of the last century the Falkland Islands and the islands about Cape 

 Horn were resorted to by American whalers and sealers. While both 

 occupations are still pursued, though to a much more limited extent than 

 formerly, they are at present among the least important of the industries 

 of this region. 



