310 » PATAGONIA 



doros (bolas) they are able to capture guanacos and ostriches 

 more than sufficient to supply them witli food. From the skins 

 of these, togetlier with those of other animals, they construct the 

 coverings for their toldos, make their clothing and bedding, and 

 have sufficient left with which to manufacture the beautiful fur 

 ''capos" or mantles so highly prized by the Europeans. For 

 the latter they consequently find a ready sale, fi'om the proceeds 

 of which they derive a revenue ample for the purchase of con- 

 siderable quantities of " wachaki," which those better qualified 

 than myself to judge consider as very bad Avhisky. Perhaps to 

 some there will be a satisfaction in the reflection that " bad 

 whisky, sooner or later, makes good Indians." 



The surface of Patagonia is naturally divided by physiographic 

 features into two regions — an eastern comparatively level plains 

 region and an extremely mountainous western region. The 

 latter extends in a narrow strip throughout the entire length of 

 Patagonia and exhibits everywhere intensely rugged mountains, 

 clad at their bases with luxuriant forests, while their summits 

 are forever covered with great fields of snow and ice, which form 

 glaciers often descending far below timber-line and constituting 

 the sources of many of the numerous mountain torrents empty- 

 ing into the Pacific, as well as most of the larger rivers of the 

 eastern region, which after emerging from the mountains follow 

 deeply eroded valleys in the plains and discharge their waters 

 into the Atlantic. 



Politically Patagonia is divided into essentially the same dis- 

 tricts as physiographically. The western or mountainous region 

 belongs to Chile and is mostly included in the territory of Ma- 

 gellan, with the seat of government at Punta Arenas. The east- 

 ern or plains region belongs to Argentina and consists of the terri- 

 tories of Santa Cruz, Chubut, Rio Negro, and a part of Neuquen. 



To the absence of exact knowledge regarding the real physical 

 features of this region is due the vexatious boundary dispute at 

 present existing between Argentina and Chile. Formerly the 

 loftier ranges of the Cordilleras were supposed to form the nat- 

 ural watershed of this entire region, and in the earlier boundary 

 treaties negotiated between the two countries it Avas stated that 

 a line connecting the highest peaks which divide the waters of 

 the Pacific from those of the Atlantic should constitute the na- 

 tional boundary line. It has since been ascertained that in 

 many instances, at least, streams flowing into the Pacific cut en- 

 tirely through the Cordilleras, and in some cases have their 



