y * ‘
I I
!< i >ii.’l■ riiÍ
354 LAKE VIEDMA OR CAPAR FLOODS. May
In Viedma’s Diary I find that he heard from the Indians at
Port San Julian (in 1782) that the river Santa Cruz flowed
from a lai'ge 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 Blulf. The
Chico, though small at times and then fordable, was subject,
the Indians said, to great floods in the spring, when the melting
snows of the Cordillera over-filled a lake, far in the northwest,
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 drainage,
and that at times there are heavy floods to be carried off.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 neighbourhood
of the lake whence the Santa Cruz flowed), “ nos expusó el Indio
Patricio nos debíamos apartar luego de aquí, porque con los vientos fuertes,
y el sol, solía derretirse tanta nieve que era imposible vadearlos arroyos
para regresar, y tendríamos que pasar el verano en aquel pasage hasta
que las heladas empezasen.”—(Diario de Viedma, p 57.)
1834. LEVEL OF RIVER— BONES. 355
Reference to the accompanying plan will shew our position
when we halted, and I decided to return, not having explored,
I should think, more than one-third of its course. At that place
the level of the river was found to be four hundred feet higher
than that of the sea at the entrance; and as the distance is
about two hundred miles,* the average descent or fall of the
water must be near two feet in a mile, which, I apprehend, is
unusually great. I could not, indeed, believe that the computation
and data were correct, until after repeated examination.-(-
Two barometers were used at the river-side, and a very good
one was carefully watched on board the Beagle.] Certainly,
the rapid descent of the river, in many places, was such, that
even to the eye it appeared to be running down-hill; and this
remark was often made in the course of our journey.
Two days before we reached our westernmost point, many
traces of an old Indian encampment were seen ; but excepting
at that place and at the spot which we passed on the 22d, no
signs of inhabitants were any where found. Scarcity of pasture,
and the badness of the ground for their horses’ feet,
must deter Indians from remaining in this neighbourhood;
but that they frequently cross the river, when travelling,
is well known.
The quantities of bones heaped together, or scattered near
the river, in so many places which we passed, excited conjectures
as to what had collected them. Do guanacoes approach the
river to drink when they are dying ? or are the bones remains
of animals eaten by lions or by Indians ? or are they washed
together by floods.? Certain it is they are remarkably numerous
near the banks of the river ; but not so elsewhere.
I cjin hardly think that the guanaco is often allowed to die
a natural death; for pumas are always on the alert to seize
invalid stragglers from the herd. At night the guanacoes choose
the clearest places for sleeping, lying down together like sheep ;
and in the day they avoid thickets, and all such places as might
• Following the course of the river,
t -The data will be found in the Appendix.
2 a 2
{ At the level of the sea.
1 I
1.1
I t