SOUTH AMERICA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 11 April 1907, Page 4

SOUTH AMERICA.

GISBORXE BOY'S EXPERIENCES. Letters received by Mr W. I''. Somerville. of'folaga Bay, from his sou, Mr W. T. Somerville, who has been living in South America for tile past five years are full of interesting reading. Mr Somerville wrote from Sao Paulo, Brazil, in May last that lie was on his way to a river forming part of the headwaters of the Aina/.on, and would be out of reach of a Post Office for the following three months. The trip was said to lu rough but there was little or no fever in it, and the party would skirt The worst Indian country. From Santos to Sao Paulo they travelled by one of the best railways tile writer had ever Seen, it being run liy an English company. After leaving the railway a ride of JISO mil.s on mules had to be undertaken. The party was in t'atagonia for four months and during that time travelled 1200 miles. "The Ml miles." says the writer, "from Trelew to the 'Colonia IlideOetnbre,' along a prncliealy uninhabited road, in an open buggy was indeed a new-expe-rience for inc. One goes.on, day a fter day, w'frli the road winding awav in tile dis-taia-i' ahead, and out of sight behind, over Hat sand ami single country. The vegetation, if it can lie called such, consists of a low growth of grey-green (horn bush, something like (he 'wild Irishman' on the Canterbury plains, and underneath a xcry spiney ground ciciii.-." The journey took 10 days going up uilli four hor-.es, and nin.- days coming down with ten horses, llorses were expeeied to do between 40 nnd (iO miles a day, hut they were cheap and when one was knocked up he was left oil the spot and another took his (dace. It was a mystery how the stock lived, but they seemed to get a. great deal of nourishment from the thorn and other bushes. The Boers who went to the Argentine to take up land granted by the Government "fell in" badly. They bought .■ftoek and waggons, built their houses etc., on their holdings and were "nil 0.K."; but when they were fairly settled the Government said no title could hi- granted as the laud was "reserved/ The' Boers, as British subjects, appealer] to the British Minister, but he would not interfere. Such as had money were abandoning their possessions and "trekking" back to South Africa, and those who could not leave were asking to la sent back. The writer travelled with some of the Boers who said iliey were quite satisiied about the. English Government—it was a hundred times .letter than the Argentine article. Mr Somerville is of opinion that the gold and diamond mining industry has a great future before it. Writing after his return from his trip to the Amazon bead-waters (over country never previously traversed by an Englishman) Mr Somerville describes the party's journey to Goyaz, where, so rare was'the appearance of a stranger, the whole town turned out to see them. Leaving fioyaz the party proceeded further into the country and came to an old gold-mining town, built sonic 200 years previously by the Portuguese, and worked with slave miners. The town then had a population of between Lj.OOO find 20.000, and covered a squai-o iniln, but the present population consisted ol about 40 old nisei's, hi the country outride there were tribe* of savage. Indians and 'the black jagna, which vdl follow a man all Jay to attack him whev he lies down to nleep, abounded; bui ticks gave tho party more trouble thai either. After a month's travelling, dining which no fewer than four deaertei towns, which flourished in 'the old slave mining days, wore visited, the party re turned to* Goya/.. Mr Somerville hai no intention of staying in the Argen tine and is looking for an opportunity to set up under the Union Jack.