130 
TERRA DEL FUEGO. 
natural, and did not vary his voice more than a semitone. The pitch 
of the voice of the female is an octave higher. Although they have 
been heard to shout quite loud, yet they cannot endure a noise. 
When the drum beat they invariably stopped, their ears, until it 
ceased. On hearing a pistol or gun fired, they immediately did the 
same. They always speak to each other in a whisper. Their 
cautious manner and movements prove them to be a timid race. 
The men are exceedingly jealous of their women, and will not allow 
any one, if they can help it, to enter their huts, particularly boys. 
The women were never suffered to come on board. They appeared 
modest in the presence of strangers. They never move from a sitting 
posture, or rather a squat, with their knees close together, reaching 
to their chin, their feet in contact and touching the lower part of the 
body. They are extremely ugly. Their hands and feet were small 
and well-shaped, and from appearance they are not accustomed to do 
any hard work. They appear very fond and seem careful of their 
young children, though on several occasions they offered them for 
sale for a trifle. They have their faces smutted all over, and it was 
thought from the hideous appearance of the females, produced in part 
by their being painted and smutted, that they had been disfigured by 
the men previous to coming alongside. It was remarked that when 
one of them saw herself in a looking-glass, she burst into tears, as- 
Jack thought from pure mortification. 
The men are employed in building the huts, obtaining food, and 
providing for their other wants. The women were generally seen 
paddling their canoes. 
When this party of natives left the ship and reached the shore, the 
women remained in their canoes, and the men began building their 
temporary huts ; the little children were seen capering quite naked 
on the beach, although the thermometer was at 40°. On the hut 
being finished, which occupied about an hour, the women went on 
shore to take possession of it. They all seemed quite happy and 
contented. 
Before they left the ship the greater part of them were dressed in 
old clothes, that had been given to them by the officers and men, who 
all showed themselves extremely anxious "to make them comfortable." 
This gave rise to much merriment, as Jack was not disposed to allow 
any difficulties to interfere in the fitting. If the jackets proved too 
tight across the shoulders, which they invariably were, a slit down 
the back effectually remedied the defect. If a pair of trousers was 
