Since its early exploration Patagonia has been associated with conditions of extreme hardship and suffering. Men and ships were lost in the dangerous waters of the Straits of Tierra del Fuego, giving rise to tales of mysterious cities populated by the shipwrecked sailors of the many failed expeditions. Early Spanish attempts to colonize Patagonia also ended in failure and the region remained largely uninhabited until the arrival of the Welsh in 1865. Their peaceful coexistence with the natives ended abruptly when the Argentine Army entered Patagonia and took over the Indian lands, which were promptly distributed to new settlers. As a new and anarchic society, Patagonia could not fail to attract its share of desperados and adventurers, the most notorious of which are described in the book, including gold prospectors, hunters and bandits such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.