TERRA DEL FUEGO. 35 



They also repeated the word when we showed them a string 

 of beads, or a looking-glass. In short, although the word was 

 kept up during the whole intercourse, it was impossible to 

 learn its meaning. They were admirable mimics, and would 

 repeat our own words with great accuracy, and even appeared 

 to understand some of them. They seemed to attach great 

 value to iron and steel, and would readily exchange their bows 

 and arrows for a piece of an iron hoop or a few rusty nails. 



The party consisted of fourteen men, and, with the excep- 

 tion of the headman, or chief, were all 3 r oung, well-formed, and 

 good-looking. The two sons of the chief were particularly so ; 

 they were full six feet in height, and had very pleasing coun- 

 tenances. They all had their hair cut short on the crown of 

 the head, leaving a narrow border of hair hanging down ; 

 over this they wear a kind of a cap, or a band, made from the 

 skin of an albatross. The front teeth of all of them were very 

 much worn, more apparent, however, in the old than in the 

 young. Their faces were painted, or, more properly speaking, 

 smeared with red and white clay. Their dress consisted of a 

 single guanaco skin, which covered the body from the shoul- 

 ders down to the knees. All had sore eyes, which we attri- 

 buted to their long winters. None of their women or children 

 were seen, but we thought they had them concealed in a piece 

 of wood not far distant, as they objected to any of us going 

 toward it, and showed much alarm when fire-arms were 

 pointed in that direction. They appeared to have very little 

 curiosity, and nothing seemed to excite their surprise ; their 

 principal characteristic seemed to be jealousy. It would 

 seem that they have had intercourse with Europeans before. 

 The report of our guns did not frighten them in the slightest 

 degree. We also observed on one of them a string of glass 

 beads. 



