92 THROUGH THE HEART OF PATAGONIA 



that the new-comer ever sees the unaffected and natural character 

 shine out. When in contact with whites the Tehuelche man also 

 becomes reserved, the whole expression of his countenance 

 changes, and he is very suspicious of being laughed at, a point 

 on which he is very susceptible, and which he deeply resents. 



I cannot but think that the constant accusations of unclean- 

 liness that have been brought against the Tehuelche Indians 

 are due to the sino-le fact that their do«-s are allowed to live 

 in the toldos. The result in a countrv where scab is common 

 may be left to the imagination. But, apart from the crawling 

 things which inhabit his toldos, the Indian is fairly cleanly, 

 bathing each day and swimming in the lakes and lagoons. The 

 women make excellent mothers, and the father is inordinately 

 proud of his offspring, especially of his sons. Of how many 

 races can so many good things be truthfully said } 



They have a singular custom of bandaging the heads of 

 infants in such a manner as to produce a flattening of the back 

 of the skull. It might be worth the while of physiologists to 

 go deeper into the matter, with a view to discovering how far this 

 alteration in the brain-space determines the character of the indi- 

 vidual operated upon. Interesting results might thus be obtained 

 and some vexed problems solved. 



A certain stage in the life of each girl is celebrated by a 

 festivity in the camp. An ornamented toldo is put up temporarily 

 for the girl's occupation, and the young men of the tribe march 

 round it singing while the women howl, probably with a view 

 to exorcising any evil spirit who may be lingering about the 

 camp.* The ceremony is followed by a feast, and the evening 

 winds up with a dance. The men alone take part in this, and 

 it consists in circling round the fire, pacing sometimes slowly 

 and sometimes quickly. A few dance at a time, accompanying 

 their movements with a constant bowino- or noddino- of the 

 head, which is adorned with tufts of ostrich feathers. When 

 one party is tired out another takes its place. 



Wives, of course, are bought and sold, but when a lady is 

 purchased by a suitor whom she happens to dislike, there is 



■-■'• The evil spirit is supposed to take up its quarters behind the toldos. 



