YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1098, 10 April 1911, Page 8

YORKSHIRE LETTER.

LIFE OX A r.VI'AGONIAX SHEKI , .STATIOX.

(From Our Special Correspondent.) Bradford, February 'Jl, l!tll. Xo part of the sheep world has shown mare development than Patagonia, Iho extreme joulh of South America being now largely under cultivation. Tho pioneers of the industry, as is well known, are Scotchmen, mid for making things go there is no race on the face of Iho earth that can do this more effectively and successfully. Of course, sheep stations are not ;.o well equipped, nor are sheen so highly bred as in Australia, still the character of the wool that is being gnwn .shows conclusively that Die country is well situated for producing a very acif.pti-.ble. fleece. They are nearly all of Siie crossbred type, the sheep being somewhat mongrel in character, but rapid strides are being made in breeding a. better animal. This is not perhaps tho occasion for writing profusely on the cnarnntor cf Pahgonian wool, but there is nothing better in the whole world for hosiery purposes, the wool being, of a "blobby" nature, scours a first-class colour, and is largely used both by English and Continental spinners. This week 1 have in a most interesting letter from an Englishman who has been in New Zealand, and worked some years in Buenos Ayres, but he recently made a "flit," and engaged for some years with the largest sheep company in Tierra del Fuego. I heard one authority recently say that bsloiv the Argentine border" there was land capable of carrying between 30 to ■10 million sheep, but it was the difficulties of transport which would have to be overcome before tho country opened out Bslow I give an interesting letter showing now Christmas was spent among the squatters of Patagonia:— We finished shearing en the Friday baicre Christmas, about 2 p.m., until tho Wednesday following, and I did not intend going away from,here, but there were four men going to a dance about twentyjivo miles away, and they kept at nie tnrougli the we?k to go with them, though I repeatedly said "No." Saturday came; two were going on horseback and two in a coach, and they kept at me whilo thev were preparing, saying I should have a inferable time if I stopped here, so I said, "I have no horss up." One answered, i have one- up for you." Then I said, "I have no saddle," and another said, "Ta'se mine 1 am going by coach so shall not ivant it/' With that I was not long in changing into riding pants. My horse was a regular Buffalo Bill, long" inane, end a tail to touch the ground. I could nor make friends with him the first day ai:d ho would not let me go near his head. However, the second day we became friends, and he did. well "for me. We left Puerto Boreis on Saturday about II a.m. The first paddock to go through —about three miles—was for horses; then we went, through another, about four miles across, that has cattle on to break down the bush. After that wo entered a paddock containing 30,000 sheep, and about seven miles across. Then we entered a small piece of camp that carries about 300 sheep run by one man. The track here entered what is known as -Myers's camp, and it was just like two paths with grass growing in tho centre, the bullocks and cart wheels going on either side of the centre piece of grass. Wo had come a few miles by this, and tho only persons we had passed wero two on horseback and one in a coach. Tho track runs through this camp of .Myers's for about seven miles. AVo wsre now in the Argentine, the country having changed to hills and dales with very few trees. After going about live miles in this camp we could see a great canyon ahead, and at the fop end what is known as the settlement. This canyon in riding through it put me in mind of tho Boer War when our troops had been caught in going through such a place as this. We arrived at tho settlement, which contains foremen's house, shepherd's house, cook-house, and sleeping ouarters for about tec men, and the shearing shed. ' Those were the .first houses we had seen in our twenty m'iles' ride, and reminded me of Uncle Tom's Cabin, built of logs about nine inches in diameter, sawn down the middle, tho round sido outside, the flat side inside, and covered with zinc. Entering the foremen's quarters you see the guns and revolvers hung on nails, a bod, chairs, and table. The question is soon asked, "Will you have beer or whisky, both from Scotland?" In such houses you find plenty to drink. After having a "wee drap" we went over to tho shearing shed, a poor, broken-down place. The wool was pitched together anyway, the most up-to-date thing they had being a hydraulic press worked by hand. They had Mx hand-shearers on, no care was taken in shearing, and tho floor was not brushed from starting in the morning to finishing at night. . I saw the classsrs, and they make four in number, locks, britch, good wool, and rams' wool. Yon can imagine it looked a fine mixture of all sorts. They have about IS.OOD sheep on this farm, and tho wool goes lo Antwerp, being taken down to the steamers in bnllnck carts, takini two days to go down and come back. When once the bale is packed outside it poes, no cover is put on, and if it rains it does not niattc-r. Our next call was at Stag River Station, where a friend of mine is manager. Half a mile from Myers's settlement we entered Stag River Camp, crossed a stream, left the main track, and in forty minutes were at Slag River. This station is run by three partners, who lake it in turns to bo out here at shearing time, and do the classing.' AVe were well received, and here we found a nice, clean house, well furnished, and very comfortable. On entorin? the front door there wero three revolvers, two rifles, and two shot-guns imiiT on the lobby wall. AVo had a feed, and then spent the night conversing over different tilings. Morning brought forth Christmas Day. a beautifully fine and very warm morning. AVo had breakfast, and then went and had a look at the shearing shed. Here wo found more care had been taken with tbe wool than the one we saw the previous day. As I told you tho classinj is dona by the partners in turn-", but here again they .only make five claf.-es. The wools were well grown, clean'and of a very fine quality for Patagonian. In my idea they have about 18,000 sheep on this station, and they mark the bales T.P.C. over Stag Kivcr. The wool gees to London, bring taken down from the place of shearing to steamers by bullock carts, taking throe days. II: may bo of interest to you to know that some of the wool coming down lakes IS days by cart before reaching tho steamers. After Coing over the place, which comprises shearing-shed, men's quarters, housp for foreman, and manager's house, I asked the manager how many men he had in winter to look after the sheep, and he said three besides himself. Their lambing turned out 102 per cent, this season. Ours was fiS per cent., or about 10 per cent. le?s than last year, and I hear on the coast some of them have been so low as twenty per cent, through the drought taking the East Coast and Tierra del Fuogo. There has been a reduction all round from last year. After the inspection, being such a warm day, I took some papers, went up stream, lay down and made myself comfortable until I heard someone shout, "Come on. catch horses, and troop in." After each man bad raught his horse, we mado back for the house, and I wns surprised lo find dinner sot out under (he trees up stream for ten of us. all men. AVe bad Iwo turkeys, a !es» of Inmb. pork, and other dainties, including spice, cake, beer, whisky, and plenty of Chilian wine. After dinucv came lonsts. the first being sno<tjs to Sla; Itivcr Station, with good health and best wishes to the owner. In finishing up, I asked someone to prono?o absent friends, and they voted tint I should do it. On such a day friends at homo are not forgot. After dinner it was raddle horses, and alter about halt an hour's ride we camp to another sheep station. The manager was giving n dance, so we went and found th-it fnrtv-fivo men had arrived in lhi> saddle. One'had come. 120 miles, another SO miles, and other.-' with families came in coaches. The aitornerv.i was s-pent in horse-racing. Tin- dance at nifrllt wont oft' in one room, while in another a sing-song went on. On Monday morning 1 left Punla Alto for Stag River, whom J was to wait for another fix horsemen "'ho were coming on. In about an Knur after a Mr. Rcis? irrived by himself, saying the olhers were having n parlins qla;s and nnothrr Miarl dance, and he did not think they would romo for some lime. They wanted to keep us at Stag River until the following day", Tuesday, but I wanted a quiet day

m Puerto Boreis before starting work on the "Wednesday. After :i Iced, Ross nn<l I went ts mount our horses, when Mr. Fiiiko said In me, "Let's have a s-tirrup-:np as a paitijr; drink." I asked lo l>? excused, but lie shouted to JDavies, "t'olliir Jvos.-," and took mo up in his arms like a hub}- (lie being over sis feet), and carried me back into His lioum, got Ro-s in, and locked the back door. Tlien lio?s made a bolt for the front tloor, the two after him. J tried to push up a window, but while attempting, hands were laid on me, so there was nothing for it but lo take things easy. After a few minutes wo saw four horsemen coming over tile hill, and I. knew then that we were booked for some lime. In about an hour after wo all went outride, and while they wove behind n shed lloss and I went; lo our horses, mounted, and when they found we were masters, they wanted to draw near In toll us something particular, but it did not work, and if they advanced we went further back", l'our hours' ride brought me and Mr. Ross back into Puerto Boreis. ] was glad I went, for I saw new country, new wools, and made many friends.