WORK AND CLIMATE IN PATAGONIA

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 152, 23 December 1911, Page 9 (Supplement)

WORK AND CLIMATE IN PATAGONIA

A correspondent writing to Chambers' Journal from San Julian, South America., says:—"Ail ordinary British workman can hardly lave his home comforts and come out here and work as ail ordinary workman with his hands. The Italians. Spaniards and colored laborers do tlu> work at a. less rale of wages, and are content with (heir surroundings, no matter what these may be. Not so a native of Oreat Britain, who expects more comfort. Carpenters' and blacksmiths' wages amount to about ten pounds of English .money a. month. With regard to the remark on Southern Patagonia that, the climate is cold and inclement all the year round, so far as this part where I am at present is concerned, T have never come across a finer climate in all my travels. The curse of the place is strong winds and want of rainfall. The winter season seems to be the best, and the depth of winter is June and July. Tn my room where I write it has been as high as seventy degrees; with one or two exceptional days it is beautiful and mild. San Julian is on the coastline, but T do not think there is much difference a hundred miles inland. There is little or no verdure here, owing io the winds and lack of rain. The fanners consider one thousand sheep to the ■lea-me as the limit. On some farms ill ere are one hundred'thousand sheep."