SOUTH AMERICAN DOGS. 215 



ger ; with them the natives guard their habitations, 

 hunt otters, and catch sleeping or wounded birds. 

 -As they are never or seldom fed, they provide for 

 themselves at low water, by cunningly detaching 

 limpets from the rocks, or breaking muscle-shells 

 and eating the fish. 



" In the eastern portion of Tierra del Fuego, where 

 the natives have neither horses nor canoes, the dog 

 is invaluable; no temptation would induce some 

 Indians, seen near the Strait of Le Maire, to part 

 with a fine dog of the size of a large setter, which 

 had, except about the head, an appearance like that 

 of a lion ; behind the shoulders it was quite smooth 

 and short-haired, but from the shoulders forward it 

 had thick rough hair of a dark grey colour, lighter 

 beneath, and white on the belly and breast; the 

 ears were short but pointed, the tail smooth and 

 tapering, the fore quarters were very strong, but 

 the hinder appeared weaker. It had a wolfish 

 appearance about the head, and looked extremely 

 savage. 



" None of the dogs in the southern part of South 

 America are mute ; there are none in a wild state, 

 and there is a scarcity rather than an abundance of 

 those which live with the aboriginal natives. In 

 times of famine, so valuable are dogs to them, it is 

 well ascertained that the oldest women of the tribe 

 are sacrificed to the cannibal appetites of their coun- 

 trymen rather than destroy a single dog. ' Dogs,' 

 say they, c catch otters* old women are good for 

 nutlrnjj/ " 



