The story of white colonization since 1880 shows us several distinct streams of population. The first, starting from the region of the Pampa, went from north to south along the Atlantic coast, and gradually extended its sphere toward the interior. The breeders used the sea-route, the ancient Indian track with recognized sources of water, to convey their first herds. In 1884, the only spot inhabited on the coast between the Rio Negro and the Deseado was the Welsh colony on the Chubut. In 1886 Fontana reports ranches in the Punta Delfin district, south of the Chubut.[62] About 1890 the whole district round the Gulf of San Jorge was occupied; and a little later the stream from the north met the stream from the south about San Julian and Santa Cruz. The expansion of colonization was less rapid in the interior. Ambrosetti tells us of the establishment of the first ranches round the Sierra de Lihuel Calel in 1893,[63] and at the same time Siemiradzki still found few traces of colonization on the Colorado.[64] [62] L. J. Fontana, "Exploracion en la Patagonia austral," _Bol. Instit. Geog. Argent._, vii, 1886, pp. 223-239. [63] J. B. Ambrosetti, "Viage a la Pampa central," _Bol. Instit. Geog. Argent._, xiv. 1893, pp. 292-368. [64] J. V. Siemiradzki, _Eine Farschungsreise in Patagonien_, Petermann's _Mitteilungen_, xxxix. 1893, pp. 49-62. The second stream of colonization came from the Magellan region. It started in Chilean territory, about Punta Arenas. It was about 1878 that sheep-breeding spread round Punta Arenas, and between 1885 and 1892 was the most rapid growth of the ranches of the Magellan district. North of the Straits they occupied the lowlands round Skyring Water and Otway Water, then the plateau south of Gallegos. They spread along the Atlantic as far as the Santa Cruz. In 1896 the limit of the sheep-region was on the Santa Cruz about forty miles from the coast.[65] To the west, Puerto Consuelo was founded in 1892, and in 1896 colonization came up against the mountain barrier which the Cerro Payen and the basalt tableland of the Cerro Vizcachas interpose between Lake Argentine and Ultima Esperanza fiord. [65] J. B. Hatcher, _Reports of the Princeton University expeditions to Patagonia_ 1896-9 (_Narrative of the Expeditions_ and _Geography of Southern Patagonia_, Princeton, 1903).