188 



SOUTHERN ABORIGINES. 



canoes, injures the shape and size of their legs, and causes 

 them to move about in a stooping manner, with the knees 

 much bent ; yet they are very nimble, and rather strong. 



They suffer very little hair to grow, excepting on their 

 heads. Even their eyebrows are almost eradicated —two muscle- 

 shells serving for pincers. This aversion to the smaller tufts of 

 hair does not extend to the thatch-like covering of their ugly 

 heads, which is lank, covered with dirt, hanging about their ears, 

 and almost over their faces. Just above their eyes it is jagged 

 away by a broken shell, if they have not a piece of iron hoop 

 for a knife, the pieces cut off being scrupulously burned. In 

 height varying from four feet ten to five feet six, yet in the 

 size of their bodies equalling men of six feet, of course they 

 look clumsy and ill- proportioned ; but their hands and feet are 

 rather small with respect to the size of their bodies, though not 

 so in proportion to their limbs and joints, which, excepting the 

 knees, are small. Their knees are all strained, and their legs 

 injured in shape, by the habit of squatting upon their heels. 

 Awkward and difficult as such a posture appears to us, it is to 

 them a position of easy rest. 



Sometimes these satires upon mankind wear a part of the 

 skin of a guanaco or a seal-skin upon their backs, and perhaps 

 the skin of a penguin or a bit of hide hangs in front ; but often 

 there is nothing, either to hide their nakedness or to preserve 

 warmth, excepting a scrap of hide, which is tied to the side 

 or back of the body, by a string round the waist. Even this 

 is only for a pocket, in which they may carry stones for their 

 slings, and hide what they pick up or pilfer. A man always 

 carries his sling around his neck or waist, wherever he goes. 



Women wear rather more clothing, that is, they have nearly 

 a whole skin of a guanaco, or seal, wrapped about them, and 

 usually a diminutive apron. The upper part of the wrapper, 

 above a string which is tied around the waist, serves to carry 

 an infant. Neither men nor women have any substitute for shoes. 



No ornaments are worn in the nose, ears, or lips, nor on the 

 fingers ; but of necklaces, and bracelets, such as they are, the 

 women are very fond. With small shells, or pieces of the bones 



