TO THROUGH THE HEART OF PATAGONIA 



of the Royal Navy, spent several months with the nomad Indians, 

 traversing- a great distance in their company, and becoming 

 acquainted with many interesting facts concerning their habits 

 and customs. Since the publication of his book in 1871 practically 

 nothing exhaustive has been written about Southern Patagonia. 

 One or two travellers have given short accounts of visits there, but 

 the serious opening up of the country is due to the initiative and 

 energy of Dr. Francisco P. Moreno, whose first excursion to Pata- 

 gonia was made in 1873. In the following year he carried his 

 investigations as far south as the River Santa Cruz. In 1875 he 

 crossed from Buenos Aires to Lake Nahuel-Huapi and the Andean 

 Cordillera, between parallels 39'' 30' and 42°. In 1876 he visited 

 Chubut, and ascended the river Santa Cruz to its parent lake, which 

 he proved was not that discovered by Viedma in 1782, but another 

 lying farther south. To him is due the earliest suggestion of the 

 great system of lakes which are situated in the longitudinal 

 depression that runs parallel with the Cordillera. 



Again, in 1879, Dr. Moreno crossed the country to the Cordil- 

 lera on parallel 44''. Up to that time surveying in those regions 

 was by no means exempt from danger, on account of the hostile 

 attitude of the tribes. The amount of valuable work done by Dr. 

 Moreno did not end with his personal expeditions. Each summer 

 of late years the Argentine and Chilian Boundary Commissions 

 have been surveying and opening up the country. First and last 

 Dr. Moreno must always be regarded as the great geographer of 

 Patagonia. 



Among the gentlemen engaged on the boundary work I should 

 like to mention the Norwegian Herr Hans P. Waag, who, on 

 behalf of the Argentine Commission, penetrated from the Pacific 

 coast up the river De las Heras to lake Buenos Aires, and from 

 thence overland to Trelew. It would be difficult to overpraise the 

 work of this traveller. 



Others, who as pioneers, travellers, scientific men, or surveyors, 

 have taken a part in the good work of making the interior of 

 Patagonia known to the world are Baron Nordenskjold, Mr. 

 Hatcher, and the members of the Chilian and Argentine Boundary 

 Commissions. I think that in any such list as the above mention 



