Beginning to sunset and Roberts decided that this would be the camping site. They put the few wagons forming a barrier to fend off a hypothetical Indian attack at night. The Welsh had had bad experiences in this regard. They began to set up the tents, women walked to the river to fetch water and children, oblivious to everything, played with their dogs and sticks. One of the men sought a high place to, with his rifle, scan the horizon. While the fire lit Roberts thought that the next two weeks would be equal, traveling and taking care of families. Would cross the continent almost entirely along the river to where a huge stone where I would point margin had to cross and turn south. Shortly after the other settlers find.
The reader might imagine that this story takes place in mid-nineteenth century in the United States of America, but would only be partially correct. It is true that may have occurred at that time but this story is inspired by the crossing of the Patagonian steppe were done by the Welsh settlers to settle at the foot of the Andes.
A dozen years after the first Welsh landing at the mouth of the Chubut River and past the first hardships and misfortunes, Welsh kept coming to Patagonia. While the valley and could not accommodate more families, there was no room for more fields. They must find new lands. The Argentine Government's incentivized to settle at the foot of the Cordillera on the condition that they swear loyalty to Argentina. It was part of its strategy in response to the Chilean claims on the same territories.
They headed west early explorers along the course of Welsh Chubut River. They knew that in the desert steppe the only way to find a green valley, suitable for agriculture, was on the banks of the river.
With our van also sailed up the road along the Chubut. At every turn this gives spots and green waters erode the steppe carving strange shapes here and there. We stopped a hundred times to take pictures of those little oasis in the middle of the Patagonian steppe.
Welsh thousand vicissitudes passed but finally settled in a valley that was eventually named "October 16" in honor of the date on which the Argentine Congress gave them the land tax. The deal was that in return the Welsh populate recognizing Argentina's sovereignty. The wagons crossed the country bringing new settlers from Trelew, "Their" city at the mouth of Chubut on the Atlantic. The journey which required two to three weeks.
We stopped to admire the impressive stone of more than 200 meters high in the middle of a plain crossed by the crystalline waters that the river brings from the thaw
We made the same journey, but less than two days. On the way we passed one of the few steps from the river, called The Paso del Sapo. Locals told me the story of the name, I found it very funny. It turns out that several years after the Welsh adventure, were established in this strategic river crossing a man so, but ugly, who say that their house looked like a toad. This happened to posterity, poor man, for his ugliness. But the Welsh did not cross the river over there ...
A few miles later we arrived at that magical place that warned the nearby valley 16 of October. It was an impressive stone over two hundred feet high in the middle of a plain crossed by the clear waters that the river brings the thaw. We stopped to admire this wonder of nature. Picture of my characters, Roberts, ordering camp there, on a bend of Chubut, knowing that there was a ford to cross and only detracted from a couple of days at sea. Maybe the boys ran to investigate the mysterious Canyon of the Buitrera. Thither we went. Capricious formations, reminiscent of Gothic church towers, consecrate this place seemed strange to some unknown deity. Some old paintings also confirmed that the Indians there was something special. In from the canyon, high vertical walls are closed, making it more and more narrow. Through the center runs a thread of water that promises greater flow when they reach the few rains that fall in the area.
We returned to our van and crossed the river at the same point as did those old carts, only now instead of a ford is a modern bridge. The road ahead is made of asphalt and joins a major road to the valley 16 October where they now sit two populations of Welsh: Esquel and Trevelin.
The Argentine government's plan to oppose the goals of Chile was good but was based only on the commitment of those foreign adventurers. When the time, ¿They fulfill their commitment? Unfortunately the devil put his tail and some lawmakers voted cheats relocate settlers from those fertile lands to other desert and split the valley between families ... A Welsh ancestry did not like much. It was hard and people were approaching the turning point with Chile. On top was a river that ran in the opposite direction to what Argentina needed ... How would you act settlers?
But ... let that story to the next entry in this blog.
Continued ...
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Gerardo Bartolomé traveler and writer is. To learn more about him and his work go to www.GerardoBartolome.com
