90 Cordova's Voyage of Discovery 



horse, taken off whole, without cutting them open, and sewed, 

 up at one end. 



There were, however, few Patagonians who enjoyed all these 

 conveniences. The far greater number were almost naked, 

 having only their skin- cloak, with a sort of leather purse hang- 

 ing by a thong fixed round the waist, and fastened between the 

 legs with one or two thongs, to the former round the waist. 



With a piece of skin or leather fastened round the foot, the}' 

 make a kind of shoe, and fix to it, behind, two little bits of tim- 

 ber, forming a sort of fork, which serve them for a spur ; but 

 they leave off this part of their dress when they have no in- 

 tention to go on horseback, which, however, happens very 

 seldom. 



It is a very general practice among them to paint the face 

 Avith white, black, and red, akind of ornament contributing very 

 little indeed to the agreeableness of their appearance. 



Their equipage, or horse-furniture, consists of a kind of 

 covering formed of several skins of lamas, one over the other, 

 and rolled up a little both before and behind, so that at first 

 sight they have some resemblance to a saddle ; the whole 

 fastened on with strong leather thongs or straps, instead of 

 girths. The stirrup is formed with a piece of wood four inches 

 long, supported at each end by a small thong, connected with 

 another which is fastened above to the girth. The other parts 

 of their furniture resemble entirely those used by the Indians of 

 Buenos Ayres, with this difference alone, that the bit is made 

 of very hard solid wood. 



As the Patagonians have neither iron nor cordage, they sup- 

 ply their place with solid timber, and straps and thongs of skin 

 or leather. 



We saw one amon^ them having a complete European saddle 

 and bridle, but could not learn by what means he had acquired 

 them. 



Although we saw these people in troops of 300 or 400 toge- 

 ther, yet we can give no inlormation concerning their women, 

 who never came near enough to permit our examination : only 

 an officer, who was on shore in the Bay of St. Gregorio, assured 

 us that their stature was somewhat shorter than that of the men, 

 and that they differed very little from the men in their dress. 



The children, even in their tender years, show that they 

 are descended from parents of extraordinary size; and, by 

 the largeness of their features, indicate to what they will arrive, 

 ■when nature shall have attained its full vigour, and their mem- 

 bers shall be properly developed. 



As the Patagonians draw no part whatever of their nourish- 

 ment from the sea, they have established their dwellings in the 



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