cooi-ER] BIBLIOGRAPHY OF TRIBES OF TIERRA DEL FUEGO 39 



The Galen and Taijatai nations speak the same language, which is quite guttural 

 and not at all like Araucanian; the two nations can understand each the other's 

 language, though it appears that each has its own dialect, of which the Araucanians 

 or Cliilians understand nothing. 



Beyond the Calens and Taijatafes towards Chile are the Caucabues [evidently "a 

 misprint for Caucahues] and Chonos. Each of these nations has its own language, 

 and , although I know that the languages of these two nations are not dialects of the 

 Araucanian, I can not, on the otlier hand, say whether they are modified sister dia- 

 lects of a common mother tongue or peradventure two distinct tongues. [Ilervas, 

 6, vol. i, 125-126.] 



Father Garcia implies in his letter, although he does not say so in 

 so many words, that the Calens and Taijatafes who hved south of 

 the Gulf of Penas spoke a language different from that of the Chonos 

 and Caucahues. And in support of his implicit assertion it may be 

 urged that he had been in actual contact with members of both 

 groups — with the Caucahues for a couple of years at Cailin Mission, 

 with the Calens for a shorter time at Cailin (3, 25) and the 

 Guaianecos Islands. He would have had an opportunity during this 

 time to pick up a few phrases at least of their language (s). 



But, on the other hand, the emphatic manner m which he main- 

 tains the non-Araucanian character of the languages of all these 

 southern nomads contrasts with the hesitation and guardedness with 

 which he defines the linguistic relations even between the Chonos 

 and Caucahues, the people best known to him— a contrast which 

 gives us the impression that his hnguistic distinctions among the 

 canoe-using nomads of the south were based on inferences which he 

 felt to be somewhat insecure. 



It is true, as he tells us in his Diario (30-31), he made a consider- 

 able address to the Guaianecos natives, explaining the purpose of his 

 expedition and summarizing the principal mysteries of the Christian 

 faith, but it seems more Ukely that this was done through the medium 

 of some native interpreter who understood Chilotan or Spanish. 

 There may easily have been some such interpreter available, for the 

 Chonos were wont to come at times to Chiloe to barter (Beranger, 13; 

 Del Techo, 159), and some of his Caucahues or Calens during their 

 previous stay at Caihn Mission could have acquired a little knowledge 

 of Spanish or Chilotan. 



Again, Father Garcia's Diario shows that there was considerable 

 friendly comminghng and intercourse between the Caucahues and their 

 more southern neighbors the Calens and Taijatafes. The Caucahues 

 met the others amicably on the expedition itself (28-29,31);^ they 

 related incidents of former meetings, peaceful at first at least, to 

 share their treasure-trove in the shape of stranded whale (25) ; and a 



' Frezier, too, implies that the Chonos and tall Caucahues were on friendly terms (i, 147-148). 

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