S54 LAKE VIEDMA OR CAPAR FLOODS. May 



In Viedma's Diary T find that he heard from the Indians at 

 Port San JuHan (in 1782) that the river Santa Cruz flowed 

 from a large lake near the Cordillera of the Andes, and that 

 there was abundance of wood on its banks. In consequence 

 of this information, he went, in November, with a party of 

 Spaniards and Indians on horseback, to explore this lake. In 

 his way, Viedma crossed the river Chico, which flows into the 

 estuary of the Santa Cruz, just above Weddell Bluff. The 

 Chico, though small at times and then fordable, was subject, 

 the Indians said, to great floods in the spring, when the melt- 

 ing snows of the Cordillera over-filled a lake, far in the north- 

 west, whence this river ran. Afterwards, Viedma crossed the 

 river Chalia, which they told him rose in another lake near the 

 Cordillera, was likewise subject to floods, and emptied itself 

 into the Santa Cruz : when he passed, it was only up to the 

 horses'* knees (after searching many leagues, however, for a 

 ford), but at his return it was deeper. This Chalia can be no 

 other than the stream which flows through Basalt Glen, a mere 

 brook when we saw it in the dryest season of the year. Viedma 

 reached the lake,* and found every thing correspond to the 

 description ; for it was deep and large, surrounded by snow- 

 covered mountains, on which were many forests. 



Some persons have doubted whether there is ever much 

 drainage to be carried off* from the eastern side of the Andes, 

 between the parallels of forty and fifty ; but if they will take 

 the trouble to read Viedma's Diary, and some other notices 

 to be found in the work of Don Pedro de Angelis, I think 

 they will be convinced that there is always a considerable drain- 

 age, and that at times there are heavy floods to be carried ofl^f 



* Called Capar, or Viedma. MS. Chart. 



t As one proof of this assertion, I may quote a passage from Viedma : 

 — " Reconocido pues todo" (all that there was to see in the neighbour- 

 hood of the lake whence the Santa Cruz flowed), " nos expuso el Indio 

 Patricio nos debiamos apartar luego de aqui, porque con los vientos fuer- 

 tes, y el sol, solia derretirse tanta nieve que era imposible vadear los arro- 

 yos para regresar, y tendriamos que pasar el verano en aquel pasage hasta 

 que las heladas empezasen." — (Diario de Viedma, p 57') 



