148 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



red cloth, ornamented with brass studs, and surmounted by two poles 

 bearing red flags and a string of bells, which, waved by the wind, kept 

 up a continual tinkling. A ditch about two feet wide and one foot 

 deep, was dug round the tomb, except at the entrance, which had been 

 filled up with bushes. In front of this entrance stood the stuffed skins 

 of two horses, recently killed, each placed upon four poles for legs. 

 The horses' heads were ornamented with brass studs, similar to those 

 on the top of the tomb ; and on the outer margin of the ditch were six 

 poles, each carrying two flags, one over the other." 



As I have already stated, the Patagonians seen by us on 

 our first meeting with them were generally of a large stature, 

 and such was the case with those we encountered on several 

 occasions subsequently, the men being rarely less than five 

 feet eleven inches in height, and often exceeding six feet by 

 a few inches. Their height, however, appears much greater 

 by reason of their long flowing robes, the comparatively 

 small size of their horses, and the clearness of the atmo- 

 sphere of the country, which causes comparatively small 

 objects seen at a distance to appear much larger than they 

 really are. It is probably to these circumstances, combined 

 with a love of the marvellous, that we owe the accounts given 

 by the older navigators of the gigantic stature of these people. 

 Their weapons at the present time — for they appear to have 

 discarded the use of bows and arrows — are limited to chuzos 

 or long spears, hunting-knives, and the bolas. The last con- 

 sist of three rounded stones covered with leather, or of three 

 brass or iron balls, one of which is attached to each end of a 

 plaited leather thong, from six to eight feet long, while the 

 third is fastened equidistant from the other two. When in 

 use this third ball is held in the hand, while the other two 

 are made to revolve rapidly in the air above the head, the 

 missile being then discharged with great force, and generally 

 with unerring dexterity, at the object desired to be taken. 



