or igin in their improvements; it now becomes proper-'tb enter into a
®t i e s I_ more detailed defcription o f the particulars relative to their food
and population, and the various principles, manners, regulations-,,
habits;, and biafs o f mind peculiar to each o f the federal tribes;
with which we became-acquainted.
W e obferved in general, that the ch ie f occupation ■ o f all' tile
nations; which live towards the extremities' o f our globe, com-
fids in procuring their fubfiftence.- all their endeavours, contrii-
vances and ingenuity, center in this great and neceffary objeft':
cloathing; habitation, fecurity, liberty,, property, and-every other
concern muft give way to the firft.
I f we compare the. fituatson-' o f the inhabitants o f Tierra del
Fuego± and o f the EJkimaux,"o r Greenlanders, "every circumftance■
proves the latter fuperior to the Inhabitants o f the South extremity
o f America, though thefe . have, in many refpedts, the advantage of
them in regard to the gifts which nature has bellowed on. their,
country»
T h e Greenlanders and EJkimaux can procure a variety of food;,
chiefly o f the animal kind, from land and fea animals. They
hunt equally rein dears and whales; kill feals- and fea fowl, and.
likewife catch fiiK, efpecially falmon: but the wretched Pejftrai
is obliged to lubftft chiefly on mufcles and other- Ihell fi-lh; which.
he colledts by means of a bone hook fixedon along odlangular pole,
from the bottom o f the fea, and from the rocks under water.
i W e
W e 'faw the Peflerais eat rotten feal’s flelhy and they prefented it to o r ig in
OF -iSOCI—
us as a great rarity | but though we examined the whole’ extent o f e t i e s .-
Chrift'mas-Bay in more than one boat;- we never- faw any feals.
It is therefore probable; that they are either very- fear.Ce in this
part, or that they occafionally migrate to other places, and. return
to the found , at certain feafons. One-man among them had a
|>iece of a guanacoes-lkin for his- clothing; but- amongft thirty
or forty, whom we faw, -he was the only one; Cliriftmas-Harbour
feems to have none o f thefe animals-, as its lands conlill. of- fmall
barren ifles, without any woods or grafly places, which might
afford food and Ihelter for thefe animals, and the fummits . o f the
hills were at the end of December entirely covered, with immenfe
maflbs o f fnow-. It is therefore highly probable, that thofe
PeJJerciis whom we-faw there, remove to other, places,, where.the
guanacoes are found.. Farther to the- Bail;, on Tierra del Fuego
which confiils of a largermafs o f land, without being divided, into
lb many fmall illands',; we and other navigators obferved. large
woods o f fine timber; and' extenfive plains- covered with grafs,
and i f any guanacoes are to be met with on Tierra del: Fuego, it
muft be there; * b u t perhaps thofe animals 'are only to be. found
OQl
. ». T ie Hutch navigators in the-Naflto fleet,. found feme, animals on. Turns At
which they called a kind of deer; but they are -probably the guanacoes, common - on .the
neighbouring continent. See jRcm'Ww FyugesfailsfourVE<abtiJf,ment AlaCom}. As JbAs
Qr.icntales| v a L iv ,.