l6o PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS : NARRATIVE. 



At Gallegos we purchased a second pair of work horses and lead-harness, 

 and thereafter drove four horses to our wagon. 



From Gallegos we visited some Indian villages on the upper course of 

 the south fork of Coy River and distant about seventy-five miles. Our 

 purpose in visiting these Indians was to secure a series of photographs 

 and procure material illustrating their arts and industries sufficient for re- 

 constructing a family group for the United States National Museum, that 

 institution having given us a commission to do this work. The first 

 village visited consisted of some eight or ten toldas and perhaps forty or 

 fifty people, of which number not more than one half were of pure 

 Tehuelche stock. Of the women only three were living with Tehuelche 

 men. The remainder claimed as husbands either men of impure Indian 

 extraction or nondescript Europeans. Among the latter I noticed that 

 here, as elsewhere, those of French, Spanish, and Portuguese blood pre- 

 dominated. In families where both the parents were of pure Tehuelche 

 stock, there were few children. In no instance do I remember having 

 seen a family of pure Tehuelches in which there were more than three chil- 

 dren, while one or two was the more usual number, and frequently there 

 were none. On the other hand, in families of mixed blood the number 

 of offspring appeared to be about normal. 



The site of the village at which we encamped was directly on the bank 

 of the stream in the midst of a wide open valley, offering no protection 

 from the winds and where fuel was extremely scarce. 



During the first day or two of our visit we were treated rather coolly 

 and were unable to make much progress with our work. However, after 

 a couple of days, by a judicious distribution of tobacco among the men, 

 and raisins, sweet chocolate, ginger snaps and other similar articles with 

 which we had supplied ourselves, among the women and children, we 

 were able to overcome their disinclination toward us and to establish our- 

 selves on terms of friendly intimacy with them. We soon experienced 

 little trouble in securing most of the more ordinary articles such as rugs, 

 bridles, saddles, bolas, etc. Such articles as were the property of adults 

 could be acquired with little difficulty, while in most instances no amount 

 of money would tempt them to part with the fur mantle, rattle, or other 

 childish toy belonging to one of the children. For a time, through their 

 timidity, we were unable to secure any satisfactory photographs. After a 

 few days, however, I succeeded in getting one of the young women to 



