cooi-Eu] BIBLIOGRAPHY OF TRIBES OF TIERRA DEL FUEGO 153 



C. Yahgans. — Dr. Spegazziiii states (a, 12) that at the death of a 

 Yahgan the relatives stay around the grave all day; when dark comes, 

 ''diciendole que son sus aniigos, y que su espnitu no les haga nmgun 

 dano." The Rev. Mr. Bridges also describes what may be prayer: 

 The medicine-men "font de frequentes incantations, dans lesquelles 

 ils paraissent s'addresser a un etre mysterieux, nomme Aiapakal; ils 

 disent tenir, d'un esprit appele Hoakils, un pouvoir surnaturel de vie 

 et de mort" (i, in Hyades, q, 256; cf. also Bridges, fc, 238). 



D. Onas. — Wlien ordinary means of influencing the weather fail, the 



Onas, especially the witch-doctors, invoke the aid of Muyee or Moice 



and Caucoshl or Kan-Kosl, two deceased doctors who had and who 



still have great power over some of the elements (C. Gallardo, 340-341 : 



Cojazzi, 71). 



Sacrifice 



That the Canoe Indians, the Yahgan in particular, have a kind of 

 sacrifice is attested by at least three independent authorities. Wlien 

 the natives are in great danger at sea they are said to throw an. offer- 

 ing overboard, a dog or child, according to the Rev. Mr, Bridges in 

 his earhest paper {a, Fr. tr., 181), an infant, accorduig to Dr. Fenton, 

 a long resident of Punta Arenas (BaU, 261),^ or a piece of fish, etc., ac- 

 cording to the Lawrence brothers (Furlong, verbal communication), 

 in order to appease the anger of Lucooma, the spirit of the tides and 

 whirlwinds (Bridges) or the spirit of the tempest (Furlong). Wliile 

 this rite has not been actually witnessed by any of the above authori- 

 ties, it is said to be well attested. 



The Yahgans fear whirlpools (Th. Bridges, loc. cit., caused by Lu- 

 cooma; Lovisato, h, 149-150), and, according to Dr. Spegazzini {a, 16), 

 beheve them to be caused by evil spirits, to appease whom they throw 

 into the water coals and pieces of wood. 



Oaths and ordeals 



Capt. Martial relates an episode showing that the Yahgans may 

 have some kind of oath (207-208), but our sources give no indication 

 of the existence of anything like the ordeal. 



Sacred objects 



The Ona and Yahgan stone amulets and the Alacalufan pouch con- 

 taining the hair of the dead person have already been mentioned (cf . 

 supra, under Fetishism). 



Capt. Steele (Skottsbcrg, &, 271) claimed to have fomid in the Baker 

 Inlet district a circle of large stones. The circle was 8 meters in 

 diameter and was paved with stones. Dr. Bastian (i, IS) was told 

 by some colonists that they had found in Ona ( ?) territory an artificial 



1 Doctor Fenton had knowledge chiefly of the Alacaluf, and perhaps he should be understood to have 

 had in mind this tribe rather than the Yahgan. 



