cooi'Eu] BIBLIOGRAPHY OP TRIBES OF TIERRA DEL EUEGO 195 



(65; de Brosses, ii, 32), Vargas Ponce (a, 339) and the author of the 

 Voyage round the world, in H. M. S. Dolphin (56; Span, tr,, 55). 



Hand covering. — No hand covering is worn by either the Chonos or 

 Fuegians. The Yahgans, however, occasionally use a rude fingerless 

 working glove of hide (Hyades, g-, 301) and the Onas and Alacaluf 

 protect their hands with a piece of guanaco skin or other material 

 when making arrow heads (Cojazzi, 45; C. Gallardo, 259; Cop- 

 pinger, 119). 



Shin dressing. — Detailed accounts of the Yahgan and Alacalufan 

 methods of skin dressing are not given by writers on Fuegian culture. 

 In the National Museum at Washington there is an otter skin stretched 

 on a rectangular frame — probably of Yahgan or Alacalufan prove- 

 nance. It was evidently such a drying frame that M'Cormick 

 saw on Hermite Island (i, 301). The Yahgans stretch seal skins 

 upon the ground in the wigwam and cover them with grass and 

 moss; after a while the hairs become completely detached (Hyades, 

 q, 347). The Yahgans make thongs flexible by drawing them 

 through their teeth or chewing them (Hyades, g, 141, 143, 302) — a 

 method in vogue among the Onas also (C. Gallardo, 264) and prob- 

 ably among the Alacaluf (Skottsberg, h, 252). 



The Onas, after scraping off the flesh and fat from a skin, take it 

 in both hands and rub it together briskly, then anoint it with grease 

 (Cojazzi, 63; C. GaUardo, 265, 286). If the skin is to be worn as a 

 mantle they trust largely to actual wear to soften it (C. Gallardo, 

 265). To dry a skin they stake it to the ground if weather and 

 ground conditions are favorable, else they stretch it taut with flexible 

 cross-sticks and lean it against the wigwam or windshield to wind- 

 ward (C. Gallardo, 244-245). To make hide they remove the hair 

 with a hafted scraper of stone or glass, and spread on red earth and 

 grease (Cojazzi, 63). 



Coloring the inner side of mantles with red earth is common among 

 the Alacaluf and Onas at least (Skottsberg, d, 603; C. Gallardo, 152). 



Navigation 



The modern Onas have no kind of water craft, nor is there any 

 positive evidence to show that they formerly possessed any of their 

 own making. Moreover, no indication of a former art of navigation 

 is found in any of their myths or traditions. 



It is true that Father Falkner's Yacana-cumiees are supposed to 

 have used ''light floats, like those of Chiloe," to cross the Strait (111; 

 cf. also 92-93), but there are good reasons for reserving judgment on 

 the accuracy of his narrative (cf. Author Bibliography, under 

 Falkner). 



That, however, the Onas occasionally ventured and venture on the 

 water is weU enough attested. Prof. Furlong's Ona guides had just 



