Welsh Journals

building dugouts and later simple dwelling places on the Chubut River, some four miles from its mouth. They christened it Tre Rawson," in honour of Dr. Rawson, the Argen- tine Minister of the Interior. The Argentine Government helped them by sending some sheep, cattle, and horses, but owing to lack of enclosures many of the cattle and sheep were lost. Having settled down, the colonists began to till the soil and sow it with the wheat they had carried with them, but owing to the dryness of the climate it failed to thrive. For three years the harvests failed them, and they found themselves in sore straits, having to maintain themselves on the dwarf cactus and such wild game as they could capture. Fortunately, they had in the meantime made friends with the native Indians, who helped them. These Patagonian giants," whom they at first dreaded, taught them how to hunt the guanaco and the ostrich, and how to cut and plait thongs from raw hides, as well as how to make their own horse gear. And with them the Welsh were able to barter for such things as they needed. Towards the end of the third year their fortune turned, for by accident one of the colonists found the key to fertility. Aaron Jenkins was this fortunate colonist. He had sown wheat on land close to the River Chubut, and was facing a poor prospect of harvest, when he noticed that the water in the river had risen high on its banks. It occurred to him that if he could get a little of that water on his wheat patch it would be greatly to his advantage. So he dug a narrow ditch from the bank of the river, the water following him in the ditch as he cut it. By the time he reached the wheat patch the water had flooded his land. The wheat grew rapidly, and he had a splendid harvest. He flooded the land a second time, with the same result. Then all the colonists followed his example, and the valley was covered over with corn. The ditch of Aaron Jenkins has developed into a vast irrigation system, consisting of two main channels 60 miles long, one on each side of the river, which carries enough water to flood all the cultivated land of the valley. So the agricultural problem of Chubut is solved, although it has taken fifty years of strenuous labour to bring the irrigation system to its present state of efficiency. It is an achieve- ment, however, of which the Welsh colonists can be justly proud. The Welsh settlers were at first allowed to establish local government without any interfer- ence from the Argentine officials. They set up We regret that Sir H. Walford Davies's usual article does not appear in this issue; the series will be resumed in our December number. a Council called Y Cynghor," which consisted of twelve members besides the President, Secre- tary, and Treasurer, all of whom were elected annually. This Council enacted laws which they thought necessary for the welfare of the com- munity. Its proceedings were carried out in Welsh. Law was administered by two Courts, one being a Conciliation Court, presided over by three arbitrators, and the other the ordinary Court of Justice presided over by a Justice of Peace aided by twelve jurymen. To be Presi- dent of the Colony was an honour greatly coveted by the leading colonists. A school was set up for the education of the children, which, true to the purpose of the colony, was carried on in Welsh. As success attended the efforts of these early pioneers, more settlers emigrated there. Then after twelve years the Argentine Government took over the local administration. That step marked the beginning of a new epoch, for the colony was opened for other nationalities, and since then there has been a steady influx of people from other races. At the present time the Welsh folk find themselves in the minority, but they do not harbour a bitter spirit, the younger generation being ardent Argentines; neither do they forget the ideals of the first settlers. The Welsh people there cling tena- ciously to their language and customs. There is a Welsh chapel in all the fourteen settlements and an Eisteddfod is held annually. Mr. Hunt, speaking of the achievements of the Welsh colonists in Patagonia, referred with pride to the irrigation system, which is in its entirety the product of Welsh perseverance, labour, and intelligence. By it the arid desert of the Chubut Valley has been changed into a most fertile district. They had, he said, also ex- plored and settled a prosperous colony in the Andes, named Colonia 16 de Octubre," four hundred miles to the west of Chubut Colony. And another one two hundred miles to the south of Chubut known as the Colony of Sarmiento. At the request of the Governor of Rio Negro, a party of Welsh colonists settled and constructed an irrigation canal in the island of Choelechoel, some 200 miles north of Chubut. This means that they have brought about half a million acres of arid land under production. A fine achievement! As we think of this effort we bow in admiration before the romance of daring, and offer our full meed of praise to those first 153 Welshmen who feared not to become such pioneers. THE MUSICAL OUTLOOK.