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112 GREGORY BAY TOMB.
station three miles within the Second Narrow on the north
side, and in our way we found the geological structure of the
cliffs to be of a decomposed clay-slate, arranged in strata, much
distorted by the violent action of the water, and dispersed in
vertical and inclined directions in very thin laminm.
These cliffs are about one hundred feet high, the soil a sandy
alluvium, of a sterile character, scantily covered with a wiry,
stunted grass, and here and there a berberis hush, loaded with
ripe fruit, which, from the poverty of the soil, was tasteless
and dry ; the ground was also, in many parts, over-run to a
considerable extent with an insipid cranberry, scarcely worth
the trouble of gathering.
We struck across the country, with the view of examining
the place where the Indians were residing at our last visit, and
the tomb which had then been erected. Grass had grown up,
and effaced the traces of feet; but the tomb had suffered no
farther alteration than the weather might have effected. We
found that the place had been recently visited by the natives,
for within a few yards of the entrance were strewed the ashes
of a large fire, containing ve,stiges of the former decorations of
the tomb, and the end of one of the flag-staffs, with the unburnt
corner of one of the banners. Amongst the ashes, also, we
found calcined bones; but whether they were human or not,
we could not ascertain.
The discovery of the bones impressed us with the idea that
the body had been burnt, and determined me to examine the
tomb. The bushes that filled up the entrance appeared to be
placed exactly as when we first saw them, and indeed the whole
pile seemed to have remained quite undisturbed; but there was
no appearance of the brass ornaments, or of the effigies of the
horses.
Having effected an opening in the bushes, we found an
inner covering, made of horse-skins. Having cut two holes
opposite each other, for the admission of light, we saw nothing
but two parallel rows of stones, three in each row, probably
intended as a bier for the body or a covering for the grave;
but the ground around and between them bore no appearance
of having been disturbed for burial.* As we hourly expected
the Indians would arrive (the place being in the direct line of
their journey to the ships), and were unwilling to let them
know we had disturbed the sanctuaries of their dead, we restored
the former appearance of the tomb; and it was fortunate we
did so, for three women on horseback, carrying their children
in cradles, with a quantity of skins, provisions, and other
merchandise, evidently the harbingers of the tribe, made their
appearance, and immediately began to erect their tents.
When we next went on shore we found several Indians
arrived, and divided into three groups, with mantles, ostrich-
feathers, skins, and joints of guanaco meat displayed for sale.-
As the meat appeared fresh, it is probable that, on seeing
us, the women were despatched to place the toldos, while the
men set out to provide guanaco meat, for they knew our partiality
for this excellent food. When we landed, an active
barter began.
From the haste and avidity shown in offering their goods,
and closing the bargains, it seemed as if they were anxious
to monopolize our articles of barter before the rest of their
party, or Ulbe arrived. One old man attempted to cheat; but
my interdiction of all farther traffic with him brought him to
a sense of his error, and I then made him a present of some
tobacco and allowed him to trade, which he afterwards did,
with cheerfulness and honesty.
One of the party was the Fuegian chief, whom I previously
noticed, as a squalid, meagre-looking man; but he was now
enlarged to Patagonian dimensions, by his improved diet and
more cheerful mode of life. The appearance of bad weather
obliged us to suspend the barter and get on board. After we
had reached the ship, successive parties of the tribe arrived,
F a lk n e r says, in his account of the burial ceremonies of the southern
Patagonians—that, afte r a certain interval, the bodies are taken out of
the tomb, and skeletons are made of them by the w om e n -th e flesh and
entrails having been burnt. I t is possible tha t in this case the hody had
been so treated, and th a t the fire near it was for the purpose of b urning
the flesh, and perhaps with it all the flags and ornaments of the tomb.
VOL. I . J
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