X 
INTERVIEW WITH THE NATIVES 
217 
charcoal. The party altogether closely resembled the devils 
which come on the stage in plays like Der Freischutz. 
Their very attitudes were abject, and the expression of their 
countenances distrustful, surprised, and startled. After we had 
presented them with some scarlet cloth, which they immediately 
tied round their necks, they became good friends. This was 
shown by the old man patting our breasts, and making a chuck¬ 
ling kind of noise, as people do when feeding chickens. I 
walked with the old man, and this demonstration of friendship 
was repeated several times ; it was concluded by three hard slaps, 
which were given me on the breast and back at the same time. 
He then bared his bosom for me to return the compliment, which 
being done, he seemed highly pleased. The language of these 
people, according to our notions, scarcely deserves to be called 
articulate. Captain Cook has compared it to a man clearing 
his throat, but certainly no European ever cleared his throat with 
so many hoarse, guttural, and clicking sounds. 
They are excellent mimics : as often as we coughed or 
yawned, or made any odd motion, they immediately imitated 
us. Some of our party began to squint and look awry ; but one of 
the young Fuegians (whose whole face was painted black, except¬ 
ing a white band across his eyes) succeeded in making far more 
hideous grimaces. They could repeat with perfect correctness 
each word in any sentence we addressed them, and they remem¬ 
bered such words for some time. Yet we Europeans all know 
how difficult it is to distinguish apart the sounds in a foreign 
language. Which of us, for instance, could follow an American 
Indian through a sentence of more than three words ? All 
savages appear to possess, to an uncommon degree, this power of 
mimicry. I was told, almost in the same words, of the same 
ludicrous habit among the Caffres : the Australians, likewise, 
have long been notorious for being able to imitate and describe 
the gait of any man, so that he may be recognised. How can 
this faculty be explained? is it a consequence of the more prac¬ 
tised habits of perception and keener senses, common to all men 
in a savage state, as compared with those long civilised ? 
When a song was struck up by our party, I thought the 
Fuegians would have fallen down with astonishment. With 
equal surprise they viewed our dancing ; but one of the young 
men, when asked, had no objection to a little waltzing. Little 
