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Their bodies were smeared over with a mixture of eartli, charcoal,
or red-ocre, and seal-oil; which, combined with the filth
of their persons, produced a most offensive smell. Some were
partially painted with a Avhite argillaceous earth; others were
blackened with chai-coal; one of the men was daubed all over
with a white pigment. Their hair was bound by a fillet of
plaited tivine, made perhaps with strips of bark, and a few of
them had it turned u p ; but to none did it appear to be an
object of attention, except one of the young women, who
repeatedly combed and arranged her’s with the well-toothed
jaw of a porpoise.
During a remarkably calm night, we were frequently startled
by the loud blowing of whales, between us and the shore. We
liad noticed several of those monsters on the previous day, but
had never heard them blow in so still a place.
At dawn, a light air carried us toAvards some broken land
to the S.F. of Cape RoAvlett, between the eastern trend of
which, and the projecting point of an island, Ave found a secure
and land-locked harbour, with two entrances, one to the north
and the other to the south of High Islet. The south side of
the port, which I called Port Cooke,* is a naa-roAV strip of
land, forming the head of a deep inlet or sound, calktif Brook
Harbour. It seemed to extend to the base of the high mountainous
range, and to be sepai’ated only by a narrow isthmus
from Pitton Harbour.
We had scarcely been at anchor half an hour Avhen the same
party of Fuegians Avas seen arriving. The men hastened to us in
their canoes, as soon as the Avomen had landed, to cover or thatch
the AvigAvams, which they found standing, and to light fires.
We aftei’Avards went ashore, and, sitting down near them,
commenced a brisk trade for aiTOAVs, skins, necklaces, and
other commodities. The furs Avhich covered their backs they
])arted with, for a fcAV beads, and Avent quite naked the whole
evening.
Among them was a young man, who appeared to be treated
* After the lieutenant of the Adventure.
+ At jMr. T a rn 's request.
EUEGI .ANS.
Avith some deference by the others ; he Avas one of the best-looking
of the party ; and there was a good-natured smile on his
countenance during our communication, Avhile the rest frequently
manifested displeasure, even about trifles. He was, at
least, the master of one of the tAvo families ; his Avigwam contained
his wife, and two children, his, or his Avife’s father, and
mother, as aa’cI I as the idiot, and his Avife, Avho, from her appearance,
must have been a Patagonian, or else a Avoman of '
unusual size among these people. The old woman Avas very
inquisitive, and the man, in a long speech, described to her all
the Avonders I had shoAvn him, applying to me, from time to
time, to point out to her the articles he Avas trying to describe.
Their dexterity Avith the sling is extraordinary ; and, I
should think, Avhen used as a weapon of offence, it must be
very formidable. Upon asking the same man to shoAV us its
use, he picked up a pebble, about the size of a pigeon’s egg,
and placed it in the sling ; then intimating that he Avas going
to strike a canoe, he turned his back to the mark, and threAv
the stone in an opposite direction, against the trunk of a
tree, Avhence it rebounded over his head, and fell close to thé
canoe.
I have seen them strike a cap, placed upon the stump of a
tree, fifty or sixty yards off, A\ith a stone from a sling. In
using the boAV and aiTOAV, also, Avith Avhich they kill birds, they
are very dexterous. The spear is principally for striking porpoises
and seals, but is also used in AA’ar ; and from the nature
of the barb, must be an efficient weapon. For close quarters,
they use clubs, stones held in the hand, and short wooden
daggers, pointed Avith very sharp-edged quartz, pitch-stone, or
flint.
The next morning, seeing us underweigh, they came alongside
and tried to induce us to anchor again. The young man,
of Avhom I have spoken, Avas A-ery importunate, and at last
offered us his wife, as a bribe, Avho used all her fancied allurements
to second his proposal.
So h ig h ly d id they esteem be ad s and b u tto n s , th a t a few o f
each Avould liave p u rch a sed th e canoe, th e Avife, and cliildren,
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