Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

of the kind. But when the occasion arose Bolivar showed himself as fully alive as any one else to the value of mining scrip. First of all he rescinded the law which allowed the first comer to take possession of unworked mines-a decree which was subsequently revoked in turn; then he put up for sale the whole of the unappropriated mines of Upper Peru. The whole of the unappropriated mines of Upper Peru, gentlemen, in one lot! Going-going-!

"A million dollars!" bid a syndicate from Buenos Aires. "Twelve hundred thousand!" capped a rival. "A million and a half!" offered Captain Andrews, a London commissioner. Bolivar, having cast a wary eye over the local market, shook his head. He could do better than that in London, he believed. He named his own commissioners, who should make for the financial hub of the world. But they got no farther than La Plata. By that time the news had arrived that the London mining balloon had burst with a most painful and costly pop!

Thus in 1825 the South American market knew its first panic in London. After the crisis the mining values of Peru gradually found their right levels, and a number of properties which had been considered as sound were found almost worthless, while, on the other hand, many which had been held as of little account provided with a most gratifying surprise those people who happened to be financially interested in them at the time when they consented to reveal the value of their contents.

At this period a great amount of survey work was accomplished by British vessels on the South American coast. It is, of course, impossible to follow the details of their enterprise, and a few records of a single expedition may serve well enough to illustrate the rest.

In 1828 Captain Henry Foster sailed in H.M.S. sloop Chanticleer on a scientific mission to the Southern Atlantic-a voyage which has been graphically described by

the surgeon of the vessel, Mr. W. H. B. Webster. Arriving at Montevideo, they found the Portuguese garrison besieged by the Gauchos, and the surgeon on the occasion of a landing-party found himself unexpectedly looking down the muzzle of a carbine which a suspicious Gaucho was pointing directly at him. The man must have been a formidable person to meet, as, beyond his carbine, he was provided with a lasso, a cutlass, and a brace of pistols! After a conversation of signs, the mind of the Gaucho seems to have been relieved, for he made a polite bow, and vanished.

After this the Chanticleer sailed down to Cape Horn, and in the name of King George the Fourth annexed some territory, made friends with the Fuegian Indians, and met with H.M.S. Adventure, commanded by Captain King. At a later period of the cruise the Chanticleer found herself off the Brazilian convict island of Fernando Noronha, and the officers bore testimony to the civility and goodnature of the convicts who had the free run of the island.

The voyage ended in a tragedy. Having completed some valuable astronomical observations at Panamá, Captain Foster was returning in a canoe to his ship. Proceeding down the historical river Chagres, he leaned against an awning, which gave way, precipitating him into the water. A young officer and his coxswain instantly plunged together after him, but the swift current of the stream had sucked the Captain beneath, and the grim Chagres River had yet one more catastrophe to add to its long list.

At the time of the Chanticleer's voyage science had already begun to play some part in alleviating the fare of the sailor and in minimizing the risk of scurvy-a work in which Captain Cook had already shown such zeal. From the modern point of view progress was comparatively insignificant, as will be evident from a remark of the Chanticleer's surgeon: "It is not very long ago that I was shewn in Sir Ashton Lever's museum a piece of

dried salt-beef; the shreds of which it was composed exactly resembled ropeyarn, and, having been round the world, it was very properly treasured up as a curiosity."

One can picture the shudderings of the advertising manager of a present-day food extract on being confronted with an uncompromising description of this kind. But even at that period it was said to be possible to cook a joint of Donkin's preserved meat in London and to eat it fresh at Cape Horn. Sailors themselves alleged that it might be taken right round the world, and be as good as ever. This in itself does not seem to suggest a ropeyarn texture. No doubt they were easily satisfied in those days, and the explanation lies in the "as ever."

Before forsaking the subject of the sea, we may touch on a topic, which at first would seem to have no connection with it! The term "Gringo" is, of course, applied with impartial generosity alike to the European in general, or to the North American. But it was made to apply in the first place more especially to the Britisher. It corresponds more or less with the "rooinek" of South America, and has its softer and friendlier counterpart in the "new chum" of our own colonies.

When in Chile, on several occasions I heard the origin explained of this word of scanty compliment. According to my informants of the Pacific coast, it appears that the primary source of this was the musical propensities of a boat's-crew of a British ship anchored off a Chilean port. The men, it appears, when pulling ashore, across the blue waves, trolled out the ballad "Green grow the rushes, O!" in a lusty chorus that in part remained in the ears of some Chilean Guazus who happened to be listening ashore. Hence the contraction of the first words into "Gringo."

I can only give this story as it was told me by Chilean and Englishman alike. Unfortunately there was no date attached-which omission in itself need not necessarily make the tale improbable!

Señor Lucio V. Mansilla, however, in his work on "Rozas" maintains that "Gringo" is not an Americanism, for wanderers such as the gipsies were known by this name in Spain. Other foreigners were distinguished by similar nicknames. Thus the Spaniard was known as the Godo, and the Italian as the Carcamán, while the general term for a foreigner unused to the saddle was Matturrango.

CHAPTER XIII

EARLY TRAVELERS AND TRADERS IN THE REPUBLICS

Social conditions in the new South America-The influence of concessions -Occupations followed by the first British settlers-Wild scope of their energies-Some early hotels-Scottish milkmaids-Varied circumstances of the pioneers-South America as a Latin continent-Rôle played by the British-Some questions of shopkeeping-Past and present position-The road to Chile-Experiences of some Cornish miners— A combat with a condor-Travel in the Andes-Isolated minersMethod of conveyance in the Colombian mountains-The Sillero and his revenge Turbulent priests at Mendoza-One interpretation of the advantages derived from the Revolution-The exchange of commodities between Britain and South America-Some ill-fated shipments and incongruous objects-Origin of a quaint local custom-How a Scotsman vindicated his veracity-British pastoralists on South American soilThe Indian peril-Methods of attack employed by the aborigines of the Pampa-Measures of defense-Northern natives-Ravages committed by them during the War of Independence-Havoc wrought in the town of Santa Marta-A naval day ashore-Experiences of a shooting partyThe historical lake of Guatavita-Plans for the securing of its treasure-The story of the Spanish soldier and the golden images-A curious Northern custom-Rough sport-An early nineteenth-century Colombian dinner-Christmas festivities at Bogotá-Procedure substituted in 1823 for the medieval entertainment-Appearance of the Northern traveler-The sons of generals Miranda and Wilson-Captain B. J. Sullivan-The river voyage of Lieutenant W. Smyth and Mr. F. Lowe-Preparations for crossing the continent by streamDeparture at the last moment from the Samarang-Assistance received from the Peruvian Government and the British communityStart of the expedition-Colonel Althaus-Major Beltran and Lieutenant Azcarate-Difficulties in connection with the escort-An alteration of the route is found necessary-The Huallaga River-A launching ceremony-The native crews-Aboriginal humor-Prevalence of British goods-An advance agent of imagination-The Ucayali RiverSojourn at a mission establishment-Leave taken from the Peruvian officers-How the lack of funds was remedied-Incidents on the final voyage-Arrival at Pará.

« ZurückWeiter »