Río Negro Squadron: The third attempt to reach Lake Nahuel Huapi

It took the Navy three expeditions to reach Lake Nahuel Huapi

El Cordillerano

It took the Navy three expeditions to reach Lake Nahuel Huapi

Before the original "Modesta Victoria" expedition, there were other attempts by sailors that failed due to the limited knowledge of the region's rivers.

It took the Argentine Navy three expeditions to reach Nahuel Huapi by river, requiring considerable effort and significant resources. The objective was finally achieved on December 13, 1883, after several failed attempts. The honor fell to then-Lieutenant Eduardo O'Connor, commanding a vessel that would later become emblematic: the "Modesta Victoria."

History also witnessed some setbacks. First, “by decree of December 27, 1880, it was ordered that Commander Erasmo Obligado should lead an expedition to explore the Limay River and Lake Nahuel Huapi, in conjunction with the campaign that General Villegas would conduct as far as the aforementioned lake,” as reported by Alfredo Serres Güiraldes in his book “The Strategy of General Roca” (1979).

The author explained that “the embarked commission was named ‘Exploradora’ (Explorer) and consisted of Commander Erasmo Obligado, Lieutenant Eduardo O’Connor, who commanded the ‘Río Neuquén,’ Second Lieutenant Santiago Albarracín, and pilot Eduardo Moyzes. In total, the personnel numbered 18 men, with the addition of Infantry Lieutenant Jorge Rhode, who had requested to accompany the explorers.”

As can be seen, some of the protagonists lend their surnames to streets in Bariloche, though most people are unaware of why. “On February 25, 1881, they set sail, beginning their journey up the Río Negro. The voyage was arduous due to the difficulties they encountered along the way. They finally arrived at Fort Roca on May 17. From there, they departed on the 26th of the same month for the confluence of the Neuquén and Limay rivers.”

The account indicates that “initially, the expedition members attempted to navigate the Neuquén River, but the shallow waters prevented them from doing so. Therefore, they headed towards the Limay, but after a short distance, they found it difficult to continue navigating, also due to the low water levels.” At that time, the dams had not yet altered the river flows.

According to Serres Güiraldes, “in view of these setbacks, Obligado ordered Lieutenant O’Connor to continue navigating upstream with a boat and its crew. After covering 18 miles, he returned on April 1st. The ‘Río Neuquén’ remained at the Neuquén Pass awaiting the return of Villegas’s expedition. On May 25th, Villegas agreed with Commander Obligado to conclude the exploration of the Limay River, and the ship returned to Carmen de Patagones.”

Persistence

There was no room for discouragement. “Commander Obligado quickly prepared and launched a new expedition to the Limay River. This time, he chose the ship ‘Río Negro,’ which, due to its greater speed, would be better suited to overcome the force of the current. At the time the voyage began, the river was high, which facilitated the ship’s movement.” Things had started better. “Thus, on October 14, 1881, they met in Choele Choel. Colonel Vintter, temporarily in charge of the division, ordered, as a safety measure, that 50 men under the command of Captain Juan Gómez escort the steamship overland. Luck continued to favor the crew, as the Limay River was also carrying more water, reaching its confluence at the Collón Curá.”

But their good fortune only lasted up to that point. “From that point on, they were unable to continue their voyage, as the current kept throwing the ship against a rocky outcrop they named Río Negro (Black River). Faced with this impossibility, Obligado decided to continue the journey in a rowboat with sails, but for most of the voyage they had to tow the boat, and on some occasions, they had to haul the vessel out of the water and carry it by hand.”

Serres Güiraldes' account, based on that of González Lonzieme, published in the Naval Center Bulletin (1964), states that “thus, through a superhuman effort, they reached, on November 18, the place where Villarino had begun his return journey in 1783. But, from that point, a new obstacle was added to the many they had faced. On November 23, the Sayhueque Indians blocked their passage, forcing them to turn back.”

The reconstruction indicates that “faced with this insurmountable setback, with the few men they had, they had to return to where the ‘Río Negro’ was moored and, once aboard, continue their journey to Carmen de Patagones.

This second voyage demonstrated that navigation by ship to Nahuel Huapi was impossible. But it allowed them to carry out a series of
of geographical surveys of the banks of the Negro and Limay rivers.”

The “third” expedition is underway.

Obviously, “Obligado did not cease in his efforts to reach Nahuel Huapi by river. On October 31, 1882, the preparations were complete, and they set sail again on the ‘Río Negro.’ The voyage was faster thanks to the lessons learned on previous trips. This increased speed allowed them to reach the confluence of the Neuquén and Limay rivers on December 19, turning the bow of the ‘Río Negro’ once more upstream to the Río Negro rock, where they moored the boat.”

This time, it seemed that everything was in their favor. “As before, Obligado continued the journey in a launch, but with better luck since the indigenous people did not bother them. They only had to contend with the current, the rapids, the whirlpools, and the large logs carried by the current.” All these obstacles contributed to once again thwarting the aspiration to reach the lake.

Ironically, fate did not grant Obligado the joy of reaching Lake Nahuel Huapi, as he was appointed by the government to a mission in Europe. Lieutenant O’Connor was left in charge of the expedition. The Río Negro was under the command of Lieutenant Wilson, with O’Connor as the expedition leader. After a difficult voyage, including an eight-day grounding near Villa Roca, the Río Negro reached the confluence of the Collon Curá and Limay rivers. After several attempts to overcome the current and continue the journey, they had to moor the ship to the rocky outcrop.

The mission was on the verge of success. From there, O’Connor continued the journey in a specially built launch. As on previous occasions, much of the journey was made while towing. On the 30th, after immense effort, they reached the Traful River, and on December 13th, they entered Lake Nahuel Huapi. The logbook reads: “At 2:40 p.m., the boat, then called Modesta Victoria, triumphantly entered Lake Nahuel Huapi with its long rig and the National Flag flying high.” The epic journey had concluded.