April 1828. 



FUEGIxVN 



CANOES. 



137 



mother, apparently about sixteen years of age, was always occu- 

 pied in the laborious employment of paddling the canoes. The 

 child was secured in the mother's lap, with its head on her bo- 

 som, by a mantle, which was drawn tightly round both mother 

 and child. Their canoes were similar to those of the eastern parts 

 of the Strait, about ten feet long, holding four or five grown 

 persons and two or three children, besides their dogs, imple- 

 ments, and weapons : they are formed of bark, and kept in 

 shape by wooden cross supports secured to the gunwale, which 

 is lined by a long, slender pole. They are divided into three 

 compartments, the foremost occupying about one-third of the 

 length, contains the spears, placed ready for immediate use ; 

 in the second are the grown persons, with the fire-place between 

 them, the men sitting between the fire-place and the spears, 

 to be ready to use them upon the approach of seals or por- 

 poises; on the opposite side of the fire-place are seated the 

 women who paddle the canoe, in which the men sometimes as- 

 sist, when great expedition is necessary. Behind the women, in 

 the third division, are the elder children and the dogs, the 

 younger children being generally stowed away in the women's 

 laps, for the sake of mutual warmth. The fire is made upon a 

 layer of clay, several inches thick, at the bottom of the canoe ; 

 and above the fire, across the gunwales, are laid several pieces 

 of half-burnt wood, for fuel. 



During our communications with these visitors they con- 

 ducted themselves peaceably, and made no attempt to pilfer, 

 although there was some little roguery displayed by them in 

 barter. One of the men having parted with all his disposable 

 property, tendered one of his daughters, a fine girl of fourteen 

 or fifteen years of age, for some mere trifle, and, being refused, 

 became very pressing and importunate to close the bargain for 

 the price that was jestingly offered ; nor was it without diffi- 

 culty that he was convinced we were not in earnest. They were 

 as poor as the rest of their countrymen, very badly clothed, 

 and possessing few skins to barter. Two of them exchanged 

 their otter skin mantles for cotton shirts, which they continued 

 to wear without complaining of cold. 



