SOUTHERN ABORIGINES. 131 



Rather than occupy time in attempting to give an account 

 of the past state of these ever-varying tribes,— whose numbers 

 have been so much altered, and v.'hose locations may be now 

 changed, — I will endeavour to give some idea of the present 

 condition, distribution, and probable numbers of the people 

 called. Patagonians ; of the natives of Tierra del Fuego, or 

 Fuegians, and of the western tribe called Chonos. By those 

 who have frequented the Strait of Magalhaens or its vicinity, 

 the latter are often called ' Canoe Indians;' and. the Patago- 

 nians, ' Horse Indians.' 



The Patagonians (Tehuel-het) travel on horseback over the 

 country between the River Negro and the Strait of Magalhaens; 

 from the Atlantic to the Cordillera of the Andes. They have no 

 boats or canoes of any kind ; and their disposition, habits, and 

 language are very different from those of the Fuegians (Ya- 

 cana-kunny, Key-uhue, and Poy-yus). Those who live in the 

 north-eastern part of Tierra del Fuego have neither canoes nor 

 horses. The natives of the southern and western islands, and 

 of the shores of Otway and Skyring waters, also the people 

 who live upon the western islands and coast of Patagonia, have 

 canoes, but no horses. 



The Patagonians are now divided into four parties, each of 

 which has a separate though ill-defined territory. Each of these 

 parties has a leader, or cacique ; but they speak one language, 

 and are evidently subdivisions of one tribe. When mutually 

 convenient, they all assemble in one place : but if food be- 

 comes scarce, or quarrels happen, each party withdi-aws to its 

 own territory. At such times one body will encroach upon the 

 hunting grounds of another, and a battle is the consequence. 

 About four hundred adults, and a rather large proportion of 

 children, are in each of these parties : the number of women 

 being to that of the men as three to one. Near the Strait of Ma- 

 galhaens about fourteen hundred Patagonians have been lately 

 seen encamped together for a short time ; but usually there is 

 only one horde, of about four hundred grown people, in that 

 neighbourhood. 



Less is known of the Yacana-kunny than of any other tribe, 



k2 



