148 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 63 



tlie same as Capt. Low's Yaccy-ma, and probably identical witli 

 Taquatii. Fatlier W. Schmidt more guardedly and })r()bably more cor- 

 rectly calls the black giant ''a superior being who watches over moral 

 conduct" (a, 103, tr., 145). 



iVlacalufan dualism, therefore, appears to include an inactive benev- 

 olent Deity, who is not invoked except in extremes, ''in distress and 

 danger," and an active and alert malevolent deity, who to some 

 extent at least is the guardian of the moral law. 



It is likely enough that the Alacaluf believe in other spirits and in 

 ghosts (cf. Fitz-Roy, a, 194; Skottsberg, d, 595); but we have no 

 very definite information on this point. 



B. Chonosr — From some of the rites and customs to be mentioned 

 later we may probably infer that the Chonos had a belief in spirits 

 and ghosts, but explicit data are wanting, 



C. Yaligans. — The Rev. Mr. Bridges repeatedly slated that the 

 Yahgans have no Supreme Deity, 'God, or Creator, nor any word in 

 their language for such (a, Fr. tr., 181; h, 206; i, in Hyades, q, 253; 

 Z:, 236-237). A negative is notoriously risky where there is question 

 of a savage's higher religious beUefs, but on the other hand the 

 testimony of one who studied the Yahgans so long and so well can 

 not be waived lightl}^. The Rev. Mr. Bridges, however, does not 

 seem to have had intimate personal knowledge of the Yahgan initia- 

 tion rites, and it is just possible that back of them was, as in other 

 parts of the world, a higher esoteric theology. Moreover, he appar- 

 ently was loath to have his neophytes speak of their cpiondam 

 religious beliefs (Payro, 184-185). 



The Rev. Mr. Despard, too, stated explicitly that the Yahgans 

 had no God (b, 698, 746), but added the interesting remark that the 

 Yahgan ''supposes the sun and moon, male and female, to be very 

 old indeed, and that some old man, who knew their maker, had died, 

 without leaving mformation upon this subject. Hence the ignorance 

 of the present generation" (b, 698). 



Capt. Bove mentions (a, 800; h, 142; c, 135; d, Arch., 297; e, 159) 

 both a good and an evil deity among the Yahgans, but no details are 

 given about the "Dio benevolo" except that he, like the qyH spirit, 

 is neither respected nor feared. Whether these two spirits or gods 

 are dominant ones correspondmg to Yerri Yuppon and Yaccy-ma 

 among the Alacaluf, or are only two of the many lower gcwd and evil 

 spirits that are spoken of by Admiral Fitz-Roy (a, 179), is hard to say. 

 The "dio maligno" Curspic sends wind, rain, and snow, and tows 

 behind him the condemned souls (Bove, a, 800-801; h, 142-143; 

 c, 135; d, Arch., 297-298; Lovisato, h, 149). The term curspic, 

 cashpik, etc., is used in a generic sense by Mr. Th. Bridges (a, Fr. tr., 

 181; e, 332; i, in Ilyades, q, 255; I', 237) and Dr. Hyades (q, 255) for 

 malevolent spirits who dwell in forest caves and send sickness or 



