April 1828. FUEGIAN CANOES. 137 
mother, apparently about sixteen years of age, was always occu- 
pied in the laborious employment of paddling the canoes. The 
child was secured in the mother’s lap, with its head on her bo- 
som, by a mantle, which was drawn tightly round both mother 
and child. Their canoes were similar to those of the eastern parts 
of the Strait, about ten feet long, holding four or five grown 
persons and two or three children, besides their dogs, imple- 
ments, and weapons: they are formed of bark, and kept in 
shape by wooden cross supports secured to the gunwale, which 
is lmed by along, slender pole. They are divided into three 
compartments, the foremost occupying about one-third of the 
length, ‘contains the spears, placed ready for immediate use ; 
in the second are the grown persons, with the fire-place between 
them, the men sitting between the fire-place and the spears, 
to be ready to use them upon the approach of seals or por- 
poises; on the opposite side of the fire-place are seated the 
women who paddle the canoe, in which the men sometimes as- 
sist, when great expedition is necessary. Behind the women, in 
the third division, are the elder children and the dogs, the 
younger children being generally stowed away in the women’s 
Japs, for the sake of mutual warmth. The fire is made upon a 
layer of clay, several inches thick, at the bottom of the canoe ; 
and above the fire, across the gunwales, are laid several pieces 
of nalf-burnt wood, for fuel. 
During our communications with these visitors they con- 
ducted themselves peaceably, and made no attempt to pilfer, 
although there was some little roguery displayed by them in 
barter. One of the men having parted with all his disposable 
property, tendered-one of his daughters, a fine girl of fourteen 
or fifteen years of age, for some mere trifle, and, being refused, 
became very pressing and importunate to close the bargain for 
the price that was jestingly offered ; nor was it without diffi- 
culty that he was convinced we were not in earnest. They were 
as poor as the rest of their countrymen, very badly clothed, 
and possessing few skins to barter. Two of them exchanged 
their otter skin mantles. for cotton shirts, which they continued 
to wear without complaining of cold. 
