88 
SPENCER’S JOURNAL 
Ushuaia. Grandi brought large model of Yaghan canoe, 
bark, seven feet long, very fine one; history unknown, but 
belonged to Grandi’s father, and has been on Bertrand Island 
many years. 
On the hills behind the station and bordering the Rio 
Douglas valley, the damp ground for long stretches amongst 
the beech trees, for at least a quarter of an acre in one place, 
was covered with a thick growth of liverwort, Marchantia , 
‘fruiting’ freely. Patches brown with dead fertile upgrowths. 
In parts, also patches of large moss, Dawsonia(?), fruiting. 
All over the lower hills and flats moss very abundant and 
giving appearance of going to form peat under drier con¬ 
dition. Rushes, Juncus- like, covering large patches; these 
used by natives for making baskets. Great growth of small 
ferns everywhere, for the most part leaves lying flat, or 
mainly so, on the ground; when around base of little shrubs 
like ‘Kalifate’, they grow upwards. 
Grandi brought smooth, ground, long piece of whalebone, 
evidently a ‘harpoon’ in the making. 
Domingo’s present canoe is a dug-out. Piece of tin, used 
to be bark, in middle of canoe for fire. When burning, the 
fire is surrounded by a circle of shingle or sand for safety. 
Bark canoe precedes dug-out, which has now and for some 
years past entirely replaced bark, though Yaghans still make 
models of these for sale. When making a dug-out, a large 
beech tree is chosen. It is cut out with axe, so that gun¬ 
wales bend over. Then sand is spread over bottom, and all 
inside smeared over with seal-oil, and fires are lighted all 
along. Heat softens the wood, and stays are fixed across to 
open up the top. 
Domingo’s wife, very bleary-eyed, is regarded as a great 
witch or sorceress. It seems certain that she has been respon¬ 
sible for putting some of the aged people to death by 
throttling. At all events, she has the credit of having done 
