Originally from Llanfechain, Montgomeryshire, Richard Ellis and his wife Frances were members of the first contingency of emigrants who sailed to Patagonia in 1865. After settling in the Welsh Settlement they migrated to Patagones and Uruguay before eventually settling in Rosario, Santa Fe province.

Richard Ellis kept this diary for 51 years, from 1865 to 1916.
Though the diary contains very few details, Ellis's entries offer a glimpse of the daily life of the Welsh settlers. Some important events in the history of the Settlement are mentioned, such as the landing of the 'Mimosa' on 28 July 1865, the first visit by the indigenous people in April 1866, and the constant struggle to raise crops.