No. 43.
Mr. Root to Mr. Fish.
Santiago de Chili, January 7, 1873. (Received Feb. 20.)
Sir: I have the honor to advise that I have accepted an invitation kindly given me by Mr. Ibañez, minister of foreign relations, to accompany him on a visit to Punta Arenas, (Sandy Point,) in the Straits of Magellan. As you are aware, at this place there is a Chilian colony; therefore during my absence I expect to be constantly within the jurisdiction of this legation, being never beyond territory claimed by the government of Chili. I trust I may be able to gather items of sufficient interest to reward the efforts made to obtain them, a notice of which I will give on my return.
We expect to leave Valparaiso on the 14th instant, and to be absent about a month, perhaps a little more, returning part of the way by land for the purpose of visiting some frontier ports in the neighborhood of the “Arauco” Indians, a tribe never yet subdued either by the Incas of Peru, the early Spaniards, or the more modern Chilians. We expect, also, during our absence, to see more or less of the Patagonian Indians, as well as those of Tierra del Fuego. Having seen much of the North American Indians during years past, and been deeply interested in all that pertains to them, as well as thoroughly convinced of the propriety of President Grant’s humane ideas in their treatment, I desire to make myself personally as familiar with the same class of human beings in South America as is consistent with my duties, trusting that no harm, at least to humanity, may result therefrom.
I have, &c.,