CHAPTER IX. 



Features — Form — Paint — Disposition — Food — Doctor — Religious ideas 

 Superstitions — Marriage — Death — Burial — Cannibalism — Weapons 

 — Women's occupation — Training — Obtaining food — Fire — Language 

 — Sagacity and local knowledge — Battles — Ceremony — Natives in 

 Trinidad Gulf — Obstruction Sound — Potatoes — Dogs. 



The most remarkable traits in the countenance of a Fue- 

 gian are his extremely small, low forehead; his prominent 

 brow ; small eyes (suffering from smoke) ; wide cheek-bones ; 

 wide and open nostrils ; large mouth, and thick lips. Their 

 eyes are small, sunken, black, and as restless as those of savages 

 in general. Their eyelids are made red and watery by the 

 wood smoke in their wigwams. The chin varies much ; that 

 of a Tekeenica is smaller and less prominent than that of an 

 Alikhoolip, in whom it is large and rather projecting, but there 

 is much variety. The nose is always narrow between the eyes, 

 and, except in a few curious instances, is hollow, in profile out- 

 line, or almost flat. The mouth is coarsely^ formed (I speak 

 of them in their savage state, and not of those who were in 

 England, whose features were much improved by altered habits, 

 and by education) ; their teeth are very peculiar : no canine, 

 or eye-teeth, project beyond the rest, or appear more pointed 

 than those ; the front teeth are sohd, and often flat-topped like 

 those of a horse eight years old, and enamelled only at the sides: 

 the interior substance of each tooth is then seen as plainly, in 

 proportion to its size, as in that of a horse. Their hair is black, 

 coarse, and lank, excepting the few instances mentioned in the 

 next page. It grows by single hairs, not by piles, or by little 

 bunches like very small camel-hair pencils. It does not fall 

 off', nor does it turn gray until they are very old. Little, if 

 any, hair is seen on the eye-brow. They would have a strag- 

 gling beard, but scrupulously pull out every hair with tweezers 

 made of muscle-shells. 



