FUEGO. 
geese, resembling bustards, smaller than the tame geese 
of England, but well tasted; and ducks of several 
kinds, the most remarkable of which, called by the 
sailors race-horses, are unable to fly on account of the 
shortness of their wings, but run upon the water with 
amazing swiftness. most the only quadrupeds ob- 
served by navigators were dogs in a domestic state, 
which differed from others i gn “<s —. = 
America, in possessing the faculty ing. 
traces of larger une were indeed naticnd te some 
places : but their species could not be ascertained. 
The natives of Tierra del Fuego are the most deplo- 
rable in appearanee, and the -most destitute in resour- 
ces, of-the human race,—inhabiting the most inhospi- 
table climate in the world, and possessing no sagacity 
to provide themselves with those few conveniences, 
which even their dreary land might supply. They are 
a little, ugly, meagre, and ess race, * with long 
black hair, and the colour of their skin like the rust of 
iron mixed with oil. Their whole apparel consists of 
the stinking skin of a seal, sometimes of a guanicoe, 
thrown over their shoulders, exactly in the state in which 
it was taken from the back of the animal. A piece of 
the same skin is sometimes drawn over their feet, and 
thered about the ancles like a purse ; and a small 
‘is worn by the women as a fig-leaf. They appear- 
ed very fond, however, of ornament, and. paint their 
faces in various forms, generally with horizontal streaks 
of black and red, with a white ring round the eyes. 
They wear upon their wrists and ancles bracelets of 
beads formed of small shells or bones, and delight par- 
ticularly in every thing that is of a red colour. Their 
food consists chiefly of cranberries and shell-fish, and 
sometimes the flesh of whales or seals, which they de- 
vour with the test relish in a raw and rotten state, 
Some of Captain Wallis’s people gave to one of them a 
fish, as it was taken alive out of the water: the Indian 
snatched it hastily as a dog would take a bone ; and, 
instantly killing it, by giving it a bite near the gills, 
ed to eat it, beginning with the head, and go- 
ing on to the tail, without rejecting either the bones, 
fins, scales, or entrails. They ate readily whatever 
food was given to them by European voyagers, but 
could not be persuaded to take any other drink than 
water. They ap to have no fixed residence, but to 
move from one place to.another, after having exhaust- 
ed the supplies of shell-fish around their habitations. 
Their huts are constructed in the most rude and inarti- 
ficial manner imaginable, and are merely a few poles set 
up inclining towards one another, and forming a cone at 
the top like a bee-hive. They are covered on the wea- 
ther-side with a few boughs and a little , yet not 
so as to exclude the snow or rain; and, on the lee, 
nearly an eighth part of the circumference is left open,, 
both as a door and. a chimney. Within these wretched 
hovels no kind of furniture is seen; and a little grass 
laid round the inside of the stakes, serves the purposes 
of chairs and beds. The only utensils observed among 
them were a satchel to hang on the back, a basket to 
carry in the hand, and a bladder to hold water. Where- 
ever they halt, though only for a short time, in the 
open air, they always kindle a fire; and are generally 
ected with sore eyes, from sitting so much over the 
smoke of their fires. Even in their canoes, they havea 
fire placed on a of sand in the midst of the vessel, 
around which they huddle themselves as close as possi- 
ble; and which they seem thus to carry about with them, 
‘a point of glass or flint, barbed, and fit 
25 
not only for the sake of immediate warrath, but in or- 
der also to have fire ready kindled wherever they may 
land. Their canoes are extremely slight made, some- 
times of planks, but generally of pieces of bark sewed 
ether either with the sinews of some wild beast, or 
with thongs cut from a hide. A kind of rush is laid 
into the seams; and the outside is smeared with a resin 
or gum, to prevent the water from soaking through the 
bark, About fifteen slender branches, each bent into 
an arch, are sewed transversely to the bottom and sides ; 
and some straight pieces are placed across the top from 
gne gunwale to the other, and fastened securely at each 
end. ‘These vessels are about fifteen feet long, three 
broad, and three deep, are steered with paddles, and 
have only a seal-skin as a sail. The only appearance 
of mawnity among them was in their late sek which 
consisted of bows, arrows, and javelins, Some of the 
bows were neatly made, with strings of gut; and the 
arrows were formed of wood, yery highly polished, with 
to the shaft 
with wonderful skill. In the use of these weapons they 
discovered great dexterity, and seldom failed to hit a 
mark at a considerable distance. They, have also a 
kind of harpoon, which they use in fishing, formed of a 
fish bone about a foot in length, sharpened at the end, 
toothed on one side, and fixed to a long pole. No 
appara of subordination or government has been 
observed among them, and no one is respected more 
than another; yet they seemed to live together in the 
utmost harmony. Neither do they discover any notions 
of religion, unless a vehement vociferation addressed to 
every new object, may. be considered as, a species of ex- 
orcism, and: as implying a belief in evil spirits. Both 
those who were te Bougainville and by Cook, 
though on different parts of the coast, gave themselves 
the name of Pecheray; and they do not seem to be a 
numerous people. Their language in general is guttu- 
ral, and some of their words are expressed. by a sound 
xesembling that which is made by clearing the throat ; 
but other expressions are sufficiently soft, such as hal- 
lécd, beads, and ooddé, water. They are harmless, and 
friendly towards strangers ; and, either from a content- 
ed disposition, or from stupidity of mind, discover no 
desire for additional possessions and_gratifications. 
When carried on board of E ships, they testi- 
fied no emotions of surprise, satisfaction, or curiosity ; 
regarded every object, except looking-glasses, anc the 
clothes of the people, with utter indifference; and ex- 
pressed no wish for any thing whatever but, beads. 
One of their women even offered her sucking child to 
an officer of Byron’s ship; and their whole aspect and 
manners declared them to be among the lowest and 
most wretched of human beings. See Byron’s, Wallis’s, 
Bougainville’s Voyages, and Cook’s First and Second 
Voya es Round the World. (q) 
JEGO, or Foco. See Cape de Vern Islands. 
FUENTE D’Honorzs, Battle of. See Brirary, 
p- 731. i 
FULCRUM. See Mecuanics. 
FULDA, atown of Germany, in the circle of the Up- 
per Rhine, and capital of the bishopric of the same name, 
but lately transferred to the Grand Duchy of Frankfort, 
is situated nearly in the centre of the bistiopric, on the 
banks of the river Fulda. The principal objects of in- 
terest at Fulda, are the pit, with its pleasure gar- 
dens, where the bishop formerly resided, containing an 
apartment of optical glasses; the cathedral and its 
* A few of the men on the coast of the Straits of Le Maire were larger, and more tlumsily made, 
VOL, X. PART I. 
D 
Fuego 
