Cn. VII.] MANNEES OP THE VILLAGEES. 109 



texture, looking into our pockets, and showing by signs 

 that they wished to see the interior of any box or bag we 

 happened to carry. Nor were they content with looking 

 once, but the same objects must be inspected again and 

 again. The women more particularly exhibited a great 

 anxiety to obtain as presents anything we could give them^ 

 particularly anything ornamental. The naval buttons were 

 a great temptation ; and over and over again they pointed 

 to them, and intimated their desire to be the fortunate pos- 

 sessors of them. When denied, they woiild point to a 

 young child and ask it for him, as though we could not then 

 refuse it. Darwin, I may observe, makes the same remark 

 when speaking of the Fuegians. If the button was given 

 under these circumstances, it was immediately fastened on 

 a string and tied round the child's forehead. But so im- 

 portunate were they, that I might have completely stripped 

 myself and found candidates for every article I possessed. 

 Notwithstanding this, however, and that they repeatedly 

 put their hands into our pockets, not a single article was 

 lost, and no attempt was made to steal ; but upon its being 

 re-demanded, they never offered to retain any object what- 

 ever. 



After our meal was over, the empty bottles were eagerly 

 sought after, and we soon learned that no more acceptable 

 present than a bottle could be made to them. This, which 

 they called brasco, and tobacco* were the only two things 

 whichthey specially applied for. Nearly every one, men 

 and women, smoked ; and almost their first greeting was a 

 demand for tobacco, a word which they appeared to have 

 previously learned. A small plantation of tobacco grew 

 and was in flower, within the walls of the village, and in 



* Both words, no doubt, from the Spanish or Portuguese, fraseo and taiaco. 



