YAGHAN CUSTOM 87 
feathers when at rest. Karancha feeds on carrion on shore, 
but will attack young lambs, pecking eyes out. 
Kwan appeared in new trousers and white shirt, and had 
a bath, which made him more pleasant to be near to. 
When crossing one of the Sounds, like Ponsonby, or even 
a narrower channel like the Murray Narrows, a man will 
paint broad transverse bands of black across the woman’s 
face. This supposed to ensure a fairweather crossing. Fine 
smooth calm day chosen for crossing whenever possible. 
June I2 y Wednesday . Mild day. Evening rain. Dark 
clouds all day over Hoste Island and across Ponsonby Sound. 
Looked like a great black void, nothing to be seen but dense 
purple-black, shading above, and lying under the grey and 
white cloud masses. Repairing chart [for Grandi] 1 and 
‘fleshing’ fox head in morning ( Canis magellanicus , the skull 
of the fur specimen). Ken and David Asencio—fur hunter, 
once in police at Gallegos ( B )—repairing boat; 15 gallons 
of water in her during the night after bringing her up the 
river. Spanish in evening. Fresh water run out; has to be 
brought from other side of river. 
June 13 , Thursday . Mild night. Ground all thawed and 
tussocks of grass soft. Morning, Spanish and walking. 
Afternoon walking through lower beech forest on foothills, 
and then round to point and midden. Very dull and overcast 
and threatening across the Sound. Bone awl on midden. 
Chimango 2 birds like smaller Karancha , but white of wings 
and of tail of latter is replaced by light buff colour. Eight 
of them in scrub, evidently attracted by seals left in open for 
dogs to deal with. 
Two bullocks killed for Ushuaia. On way back in after¬ 
noon from the middens saw Grandi’s cutter away down the 
Sound coming from Bertrand Island, bringing sheep from 
1 Miss Hamilton’s diary. 
2 Cf. Darwin, Journal of Voyage of the 1 Beagle', ed. xii, pp. 72-4? cap. iii. 
