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176 HAIR— FEATURES— FORM.
As exceptions to the general appearance of these people, it
ought to be said that, among the Fuegians, I have seen several
individuals, both men and women, with curly or frizzled hair
(like that of some of the Polynesians or Malays), with rather
liigh foreheads, straight or aquiline noses; and in other features
allied to the natives of New Zealand rather than to their
countrymen of Tierra del Fuego. I was much struck by those
exceptions, and, at the time, conjectured that tiiey might he
descendants of the Spanish colonists at Port Famine: but since
then, having seen the Polynesians, I have been led to think
otherwise; as will be mentioned in a future page relating to
New Zealand.
Phrenological remarks on the forms of their heads are added
in the Appendix: some were made on the spot hy Mr. Wilson,
the former surgeon of the Beagle, and others by a person in
London. Mr. Wilson’s paper also contains anatomical remarks
and measurements. In this place it will be sufficient to remark
that their heads are remarkably low, but wide; and full from
the ears backward. The neck of a Fuegian is short and
strong. His shoulders are square, but high; his chest and
body are very large. The trunk is long, compared to the limbs
and head. His arms and legs are rounder, and less sinewy,
than those of Luropeans ; his joints are smaller, and his extremities
are likewise comparatively less. The hands are shaped
like those of Luropeans, but the feet, from always going barefooted,
are square at the toes, and would, by some persons, be
considered of the Papua form. Most of them are rather bow-
legged, and they turn their feet a little inwards in walking.
The knee is strained by the custom of sitting so long on their
heels, so that, when straightened, there are considerable folds
or wrinkles of loose skin above and below the joint. The muscles
of their thighs are large, but those of the legs, small. Little
children are nearly of the same hue as their parents’ skin is
when cleaned; but infants are, for a few days, rather lighter
coloured.
As I have already said, a small fillet is all that is worn
around the head. Usually this is a mere string, made of the
t r
SIGNS— PAINT— SHYNESS. 177
sinews of birds or animals ; but, to make a show, they sometimes
stick feathers, bits of cloth, or any trash given to them,
into these head-haiids. White feathers, or white down, on the
fillet, is a sign of hostility, or of being prepared for war. lied is
the favourite colour, denoting peace, or friendly intentions, and
much admired as ornamental. Red paint, made ivith ochre, is
profusely used. Their white* paint is added to the red when
preparing for war; but the marks made are mere daubs, of
the rudest, if of any design. Black is the mourning colour.
After the death of a friend, or near relation, they blacken
themselves with charcoal, and oil or grease. Any sort of clay
is used, if their paint is scarce, to preserve warmth rather than
as an improvement to their appearance.
When discovered by strangers, the instant impulse of a
Fuegian family is to run off into the wood with their children,
and such things as they can carry with them. After a short
time, if nothing hostile is attempted hy the intruders, and if
they are not too numerous, the men return cautiously, making
friendly signs, waving pieces of skins, rubbing and patting their
bellies, and shouting. If all goes on quietly, the women frequently
return, bringing with them the children; but they
always leave the most valuable skins hidden in the bushes. T his
hasty concealment of seal or otter skins is the result oi visits
from sealers, who frequently robbed Fuegian families of every
skin in their possession, before the natives understood the motives
of their expeditions in boats into the interior waters of
Tierra del Fuego. Sometimes nothing wiU induce a single individual
of the family to appear; men, women, and children
hide in the thick woods, where it would be almost impossible
to find them, and do not show themselves again until the
strangers are gone : but during the whole time of their concealment
a watchful look-out is kept by them upon the motions of
their unwelcome visitors.
Scarcity of food, and the facility with which they move from
one place to another in their canoes, are, no doubt, the reasons
• Aluminous e artli, in d u ra ted pipe clay, or decomposed fe ld sp ar.
VOL. I I . N
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