Feb. 18^7. 



FUEGIANS. 



55 



with some deference by the others ; he was one of the best-look- 

 ing of the party ; and there was a good-natured smile on his 

 countenance during our communication, while the rest fre- 

 quently manifested displeasure, even about trifles. He was, at 

 least, the master of one of the two families ; his wigwam con- 

 tained his wife, and two children, his, or his wife's father, and 

 mother, as well as the idiot, and his wife, who, from her ap- 

 pearance, must have been a Patagonian, or else a woman of 

 unusual size among these people. The old woman was very 

 inquisitive, and the man, in a long speech, described to her all 

 the wonders I had shown him, applying to me, from time to 

 time, to point out to her the articles he was trying to describe. 



Their dexterity with the sling is extraordinary ; and, I 

 should think, when used as a weapon of offence, it must be 

 very formidable. Upon asking the same man to show us its 

 use, he picked up a pebble, about the size of a pigeon's egg, 

 and placed it in the sling ; then intimating that he was going 

 to strike a canoe, he turned his back to the mark, and threw 

 the stone in an opposite direction, against the trunk of a 

 tree, whence it rebounded over his head, and fell close to the 

 canoe. 



I have seen them strike a cap, placed upon the stump of a 

 tree, fifty or sixty yards off, with a stone from a sling. In 

 using the bow and arrow, also, with which they kill birds, they 

 are very dexterous. The spear is principally for striking por- 

 poises and seals, but is also used in war ; and from the nature 

 of the barb, must be an efficient weapon. For close quarters, 

 they use clubs, stones held in the hand, and short wooden 

 daggers, pointed with very sharp-edged quartz, pitch-stone, or 

 flint. 



The next morning, seeing us underweigh, they came along- 

 side and tried to induce us to anchor again. The young man, 

 of whom I have spoken, was very importunate, and at last 

 offered us his wife, as a bribe, who used all her fancied allure- 

 ments to second his proposal. 



So highly did they esteem beads and buttons, that a few of 

 each would have purchased the canoe, the wife, and children, 



