LOS PATAGONES A TRAVÉS DE LA HISTORIA

En la prehistoria  y hasta avanzado el siglo XI diversas tribus de la nación Tehuelche sobrevivían cazando ñandúes,  guanacos y huemules en la pampa y la montaña sin pretender bienes ni propiedades,  mientras los onas,  selknam,  alacalufes y kaweskar se mantenían recolectando o buceando algas y moluscos,  pescando  o cazando lobos, nutrias y aves marinas.
 
Entre el 1500 y hasta entrado el siglo 18,  osados exploradores y aventureros europeos llegaron buscando los pavimentos de plata,  los edificios de oro y las almenas diamantinas de la Ciudad de los Césares,  perdiendo incluso la vida sin entender que los tesoros patagónicos son la paz, la belleza y el silencio de sus bosques y hasta el lamento horroroso del ventisquero al derrumbarse.

En forma muy especial,  el cañadón del Simpson fue y aún es,  un eje importante en el desarrollo de Aysén.  En la prehistoria sirvió de sendero a Los Tehuelches en sus circuitos de migración entre la pampa y el Pacífico.   En 1553, Francisco de Ulloa, llega a la Península de Taitao, aunque sin entrar al fiordo de Aysén.   En 1766/67 el padre José García se interna por el río, tras la Ciudad de los Césares denominándolo  “De Los desamparados”.   En 1792 el piloto José de Moraleda explora el  fiordo,  y recién entre 1870 -1873,  Enrique Simpson  - entonces Capitán de Fragata de la Armada - remontó tres veces el río en busca de una conexión con el Atlántico,  por ese entonces mar Chileno.   Lo encontró,  y con su informe reveló el inmenso potencial de estas tierras.

PATAGONIAN PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY

From Archeologists and scientist searches we know that First indigenous people settled in Patagonia some 10,000 years ago. While Tehuelche nation survived hunting rheas, guanacos and deer in valleys and. Mountains, onas, selknam, alacalufes and kaweskar - expert canoeists - wandered along the Patagonian coast and fiords, fishing, diving for algae mollusks or crustaceous for food or hunting wolves, otters and sea birds, for keeping themselves warm or for tents. None of those tribes had a sense of ownership neither of greediness. Things changed from XVI century ahead when white men arrived, took their domains and scarce goods and infected them with vices and epidemic diseases.

During XI and 18th century, intrepid Europeans adventurers and explorers came in search of the silver paths and golden made buildings with diamond crowns of the mythical Caesars City, losing even their lives in exchange of nothing. Patagonian treasures are in fact the peace, beauties and solitude of the cold jungle and even the horrid blare of glaciers plunging in great chunks of ice into hidden lakes.

Simpson Canyon and its river, home for Canto de Lluvia Lodge, has been and still is the main access to the ocean for all the inland territories of Aysén and vice versa.

First foreign visitor: In 1766-67 a Catholic priest discovered the fiord and the river when looking for the Caesars City and named it RIO DE LOS DESAMPARADOS (Helpless People River)

A hundred years later a Chilean Navy captain with a 14 sailors crew came up the river just up in front of Canto de Lluvia. Same as Lewis & Clark expedition in the US they were after a fluvial connection with the Atlantic Ocean - for those years a Chilean sea. His report to the Admiral Quarters disclosed also for the government the huge potential of the whole new territory

In the earliest 1900 a couple of large companies leased enormous territories for cattle and sheep raising while some courageous small Chilean farmers and former peons migrated from Argentina seeking for properties and better life contending with the companies for the best lands. Both fractions confronted and at the same time started together the first settlements and villages that later on become the cities of today. Their breeding gave birth to a new and proud race of strong and brave settlers that today proudly shows as farmer, huasos (cowboy) or lawyers, doctor and all kind of professionals.