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According to my promise, I sent on boai-d for some tobacco,
and my servant brought a larger quantity tlian I thought
necessary for the occasion, which he injudiciously exposed to
view. Mai-ia, having seen the treasure, made up her mind to
have the whole, and upon my selecting three or four pounds of
it, and presenting them to her, looked very much disappointed,
and grumbled forth her discontent: I taxed her with greediness,
and spoke rather shai-ply, which had a good effect, for
she went away and returned with a guanaco mantle, which
she presented to me.
During this day’s barter we procured guanaco meat, sufficient
for two days’ supply of all hands, for a few pounds of
tobacco. It had been killed in the morning, and was brought
on horseback cut up into large pieces, for each of which we
had to bargain. Directly an animal is killed, it is skinned and
cut up, or torn asunder, for the convenience of carrying. The
operation is done in haste, and therefore the meat looks bad ;
but it is well tasted, excellent food, and although never fat,
yields abundance of gravy, which compensates for its leanness.
It improves very much by keeping, and proved to be valuable
:md wholesome meat.
Captain Stokes, and several of the officers, upon our first
reaching the beach, had obtained horses, and rode to their
‘ toldos,’ or principal encampment. On their return, I learned
that, at a short distance from the dwellings, they had seen the
tomb of the child who had lately died. As soon, therefore, as
Maria returned, I procured a horse from her, and, accompanied
by her husband and brother, the father of the deceased,
and herself, visited these toldos, situated in a valley extending
north and south between two ridges of hills, through wliich ran
a stream, falling into the Strait within the Second Narrow,
about a mile to the westward of Cape Gregory.
We found eight or ten huts arranged in a row; the sides
and backs were covered with skins, but the fronts, which faced
the east, were open ; even these, however, were very much
screened from wuid by the ridge of hills eastward of the
plain. ■ Near them the ground was rather bare, but a little
farther back there was a luxuriant growth of grass, affording
rich and plentiful pasture for the horses among which we
observed several mares in foal, and colts feeding and frisking
bv the side of their dams : the scene was lively and pleasing,
and, for the moment, reminded me of distant climes, and days
^°Tht^‘ toldos’ are all alike. In form they are rectangular,
about ten or twelve feet long, ten deep, seven feet high m
front, and six feet in the rear. The frame of the building is
formed by poles stuck in the ground, having forked tops to
hold cross pieces, on which are laid poles for rafters, to support
the covering, which is made of skins of animals sewn
together so as to be almost impervious to ram or wind. The
posts and rafters, which are not easily procured, are earned
L m place to place in all their travelling excursions Having
reached their bivouac, and marked out a place with due regard
to shelter from the wind, they dig holes with an iron bar or
piece of pointed hard wood, to receive the posts; and all the
frame and cover being ready, it takes but a short time to erect
a dwelling. Their goods and furmture ai-e placed o" horseback
under the charge of the females, who are mounted aloft
upon them. The men carry nothing but the lasso and bolas, to
be ready for the capture of animals, or for defence.
Maria’s toldo was nearly in the middle, and next to it was
her brother’s. All the huts seemed well stored with skins and
provisions, the former being roUed up and placed at the back,
and the latter suspended from the supporters of the roof; the
o-reater part was in that state well known m South AmCTica
by the name of charque (jerked beef) ; but this was principally
horse-flesh, which these people esteem superior to othei
food. The fresh meat was almost all guanaco. The oMy
vessels they use for carrying water are bladders, and sufficiently
disagreeable substitutes for drinking utensils _ they
make: the Fuegian basket, although sometimes dirty, is less
offensive. _
About two hundred yards from the village the tomb was
erected, to which, while Maria was arranging her skins and
y
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