May.] 



NATIVES OF MAGELLAN'S STRAIT. 



95 



boys on the spot, who seemed much rejoiced on the occasion, and 

 after receiving the farewell embraces of his parents, went on board 

 with the most cheerful alacrity. I immediately had him clothed, and 

 he expressed much satisfaction in being placed under my care and 

 protection. 



It being now calm, we could not get under way, and the consequence 

 was that we had a great number of visiters to see and take leave of 

 my young savage protege. This appeared to affect him, and he evinced 

 more sensibility on the occasion than I had anticipated, as the savage 

 character has never been distinguished for a vivid expression of feeling. 



May \6th. — At 7, A.M., a light breeze sprang up from the west- 

 south-west, when we immediately got under way, and commenced ply- 

 ing to the south-west, to get hold of the Fuegian shore. Before we 

 had proceeded far, the mother of young Cheleule came alongside to 

 take a final leave of her darling boy. This was too much for the poor 

 fellow : he burst into a paroxysm of tears as soon as his mother left 

 the vessel, and earnestly begged me to let him go on shore with her. 

 Perceiving this to be the wish of both, and that they were much af- 

 fected, I recalled the old woman, and restored her son to her, which 

 rendered both of them extremely happy. As a testimony of his grati- 

 tude the youth begged me to accept of his dog, which he set great 

 store by, it being a present from his father. This dog was remarkable 

 for his cunning and sagacity, resembling a fox both in form and dispo- 

 sition. The head, in particular, bespeaks its relationship to that animal. 

 It is a little larger than our terrier, and is the only canine breed that I 

 saw among these natives. 



The dress of this people, which is the same in both sexes, is formed of 

 the skins of the sea-otter, guanaco, fox, deer, or seal, sewed together with 

 the animal's sinews, entrails, or thongs cut from the skins, in the form 

 of a blanket. This is thrown over the shoulders, and tied under the chin ; 

 the lower part being wrapped round the body like a cloak. Both sexes 

 paint their faces in such a manner as to give them a hideous expres- 

 sion, and yet I scarcely saw two of them alike. Some were painted red, 

 with a large black circle round each eye ; others were distinguished by 

 horizontal streaks across the face of alternate black and white. How- 

 ever grotesque they appeared to us, they evidently prided themselves 

 on this display of fashion and taste. Every one of them with whom I 

 had any intercourse, was as ready to give as to receive trifling presents, 

 if I expressed a wish to that effect. From these mutual kindnesses, 

 however, they very soon caught the idea of quid pro quo, and became 

 adepts in the science of trade. But I never detected one of them in 

 the act of stealing to the value of a nail, either from the vessel or the 

 boats ; nor did I see or hear of a single quarrel or contention among 

 themselves. 



Their canoes display much ingenuity and mechanical contrivance. 

 They are constructed of bark peeled from the entire trunk of a large 

 tree resembling our white birch, which grows here in great abundance. 

 Three such pieces will form an entire canoe, from twelve to eighteen 

 feet in length, two feet in depth, and two feet six inches in breadth at 

 the centre, or widest part. One piece forms the bottom, and two the 



