OCCIDENTAL STOCK. 321 



the limbs of any animal to which they give chase, and thus bring it to 

 the ground. As a weapon of combat, a single ball, of about a pound 

 weight, is used, attached to a thong of about a yard in length ; whirling 

 this ball with the utmost swiftness about their heads, they hurl it against 

 their adversary, almost with the force of a shot : they use, also, a lance of 

 great length, bows and arrows, and clubs ; they have no boats or canoes 

 of any kind, but always travel on horseback, and are of wandering 

 habits. In language, disposition, and habits, the Patagonians (or, as they 

 term themselves, Tehuel-het) differ from the natives of Tierra del Fuego, 

 and its subordinate islets. 



The Fuegians, or natives of Tierra del Fuego and the adjacent islets, 

 are divided into several tribes, speaking distinct languages, or dialects ; 

 but none of them, as it is believed, radically differing from the original 

 Chilian. Of these tribes, one termed the Yacana-kunny, inhabiting the 

 north-eastern part of Tierra del Fuego, resembles the Patagonians in 

 colour, stature, and general clothing ; they use the same weapons, but have 

 no horses. The Tekeenica, a tribe on the south-eastern portion, are low 

 in stature, ill-looking, badly proportioned, and of a dark mahogany colour : 

 the trunk of the body, however, is large ; but the limbs are disproportionate 

 and ill-formed. The Alikhoolip are a superior tribe to the latter, which 

 they otherwise closely resemble. Besides these, may be enumerated the 

 Pecheray, Huemul, and Chonos tribes : all live in low, miserable wigwams, 

 and have small canoes, in which they traverse the narrow straits that di- 

 vide the numerous islets near the shores of Tierra del Fuego. The general 

 characteristics of the physiognomy of these tribes indicate an alliance to 

 the Patagonians, than whom, however, they are in a far more degraded 

 condition ; they are always at war among themselves : two adjoining tribes, 

 it is said, seldom meet without engaging in a conflict, and those who are 

 vanquished and taken prisoners are killed and eaten by the conquerors. 

 The arms and breast are eaten, as Capt. Fitzroy learned, by the women ; 

 the legs by the men ; the trunk is thrown into the sea. When hard frost 

 and deep snow prevent their obtaining their usual food, they then, also, 

 resort to cannibalism; and, strangling the oldest woman of the party, they 

 devour every portion of the body. The Fuegians have the forehead 

 extremely small and low, and the superciliary ridge, or brow, very 

 prominent ; the eyes are oblique, small, sunken, and black ; and the eyelids 

 are usually in a state of continued inflammation, from the smoke of their 

 low wigwams ; the cheek-bones are largely developed ; the nostrils are 

 wide and open ; the mouth is large, and coarsely formed, with thick lips ; 

 the hair of the head is lank, coarse, and black ; it does not fall off, nor 

 does it become grey, until extreme age is attained : few, if any, hairs are 

 seen on the eyebrow ; and the hairs of the chin, which would form a scanty, 

 straggling beard, are pulled out by tweezers, made of mussel-shells* 



VOL. I. 2 T 



