WOMEN GRATITUDE. 



173 



piece of meat being put upon a wooden skewer, which is stuck 

 into the ground near their fire. 



The conduct of the women does not correspond to their cha- 

 racter drawn by Falkner ; but their ideas of propriety may 

 have been altered by the visits of licentious strangers. Both at 

 Gregory Bay (on the north shore of Magalhaens Strait), and 

 at the River Negro, the Patagonian women are now thought to 

 be unfaithful to their husbands, and to care little about chas- 

 tity. The men appear to give themselves no anxiety on the 

 subject. Spirits, provisions, and (to them) valuable articles of 

 hardware, or clothing which they receive, occupy much more 

 of their attention. 



These Indians do not appear very sensible of heat or cold, 

 if one may judge from their habits of life, and from their cloth- 

 ing ; in the latter, the only difference made during the coldest 

 part of winter is wearing horse-hide boots more constantly. In 

 summer, their feet and legs are generally naked. Both men 

 and women wash themselves occasionally, neither regularly 

 nor often ; but the women are rather less uncleanly than the 

 men. I have elsewhere mentioned that they comb their hair 

 with the jawbone of a porpoise (obtained from the zapallos). 

 They have also a small brush, made of coarse grass, twigs, 

 or rushes, with which their toilet is assisted. 



When Mr. Low was returning from Monte Video, with the 

 boy on board who has been spoken of as recognizing Capitan 

 Chups, some natives were seen s>n Elizabeth Island (Strait 

 of Magalhaens). A boat was sent, with the boy in her, to trade 

 with them for skins. When near enough to distinguish per- 

 sons, he seemed extremely frightened — clung to the thwarts 

 of the boat — and begged not to be landed. These were canoe 

 Indians, but of what tribe was not ascertained : he said they 

 would certainly kill him. Some time after this boy had 

 rejoined his family, Mr. Low was informed, by the Gregory 

 Bay people, that he had collected seal-skins for ' Capitan Low,' 

 which he would not part with to any other person, as he knew 

 they were the object of his friend's trading voyages. This 

 instance of gratitude for kind treatment speaks well for both 



