1833.] INDIAN FAMILIES. 81 



the secretary to show my passport. He began to cross- 

 question me in the most dignified and mysterious manner. 

 By good luck I had a letter of recommendation from the 

 government of Buenos Ayres* to the commandant of 

 Patagones. This was taken to General Rosas, who sent 

 me a very obliging message ; and the secretary returned all 

 smiles and graciousness. We took up our residence in the 

 ranchoy or hovel, of a curious old Spaniard, who had served 

 with Napoleon in the expedition againgt Russia. 



We stayed two days at the Colorado ; I had little to do, 

 for the surrounding country was a swamp, which in summer 

 (December), when the snow melts on the Cordillera, is over- 

 flowed by the river. My chief amusement was watching 

 the Indian families as they came to buy little articles at the 

 rancho where we stayed. It was supposed that General 

 Rosas had about six hundred Indian allies. The men were 

 a tall, fine race ; yet it was afterwards easy to see in the 

 Fuegian savage the same countenance rendered hideous by 

 cold, want of food, and less civilization. Some authors, in 

 defining the primary races of mankind, have separated these 

 Indians into two classes ; but this is certainly incorrect. 

 Among the young women or chinas, some deserve to be 

 called even beautiful. Their hair was coarse, but bright 

 and black ; and they wore it in two plaits hanging down to 

 the waist. They had a high colour, and eyes that glistened 

 with brilliancy ; their legs, feet, and arms were small and 

 elegantly formed ; their ankles, and sometimes their waists, 

 were ornamented by broad bracelets of blue beads. Nothing 

 could be more interesting than some of the family groups. 

 A mother with one or two daughters would often come to 

 our rancho, mounted on the same horse. They ride like 

 men, but with their knees tucked up much higher. This 

 habit, perhaps, arises from their being accustomed, when 

 travelling, to ride the loaded horses. The duty of the 

 women is to load and unload the horses ; to make the tents 

 for the night , in short to be, like the wives of all savages, 

 useful slaves. The men fight, hunt, take care of the 

 horses, and make the riding gear. One of their chief indoor 

 occupations is to knock two stones together till they become 

 round, in order to make the bolas. With this important 

 weapon the Indian catches his game, and also his horse, 



* I am bound to express, in the strongest terms, my obligation to the 

 Government of Buenos Ayres for the obligingf manner m which passports 

 to aJl parts of the country wer« ipivcn me, as oaturallat of the BtagU. 



