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142 A l ' l ' E K B l X .
ENGLISII.
PATAGONIAN.
The Arbutus
The Cranberry
Barberry, drink made with the
amacoro.
pHeco.
ncone.
ENGLISH. CHONOS.
Good Deity
Bad Spirit
White Men of tlie Moon
yerrl yupon.
yHCCy-ina.
cubba.
No. 16.
REMARKS QN THE STRUCTURE OF THE FUEGIANS.
THE general form of the Fuegians is peculiar ; the head and body
being particularly large, and the extremities unusually small: but the
feet are broad though short. This peculiarity, no doubt, is o ^ ^ g to
their mode of life : being a people who take Uttle exercise, but sit constantly
huddled together in their canoes or wigwams ; the blood, the
source of nourishment, can only circulate freely, and must m greater
quantity, in the head and t runk, from the obstruction to its passage into
the hmbs. owing to their bent position. From the same cause the
want of exercise, this is the form of the Esquimaux and Laplanders.
A man whom I examined was of the middle size, five feet seven
inches, and his muscular power about a medium; the circumference
of the—
Thorax
Abdomen
Pelvis ...
Thigh . •
Calf of the leg
Arm
Fove-arm
Length of the head from the
chin upwards
I.cngth of body, from the
symphisis pubis to the top
of tlie steviium
Length of thigh
F t .
3
2
2
1
1
1
0
Length of leg
of arm
of fore-arm and hand
from spine to ster.
num. externally ...
• same internally ...
F t . In.
0 17
0 9
0
17
Breadth of thorax
of hypochondriac regions
of pelvis between
superior and spinous processes
0
17
13
10
13
0 11
AI'PEKDIX.
I consider that this man was about the average stature of the
Fuegians : they are generally short and broad.
Tlie Fuegian, Hke a Cetaceous animal which circulates red blood
in a cold medium, has in his covering an admirable non-conductor of
h e a t ; the corpus adiposum envelopes the body to preserve that temperature
necessary to continue the vital functions and circulation of the
fluids. In this mdividual it was particularly thick over the abdomen
and dorsum; on the hips it formed a perfect cushion, and fiUed
u p the interstices between the muscles in general. Unlike the limbs
of porters, smiths, and other athletse in Europe, where the form and
size of each muscle may be traced while in action, the limbs of these
people are round and smooth, like the female sex, or the child
in infancy. The quantity of fat is to be imputed to their diet; their
food is sheU-fish and birds, but the greatest dainty is fat of all kinds,
that of the seal and penguin in pai'ticular ; as for vegetable aliment
they have none,* nor any taste for it. The muscles were soft, and
the viscera (in particular the heart. Uver. and lungs.) in good order,
—a circumstance which but rarely occurs: the bones were weUformed,
with their processes, foramina, and sutures complete.
The complexion of this man was dark; his skin of a copper colour,
the native hue of the Fuegian tribes; the eyes and hair black (this
is universal, as far as I have seen, and predominates throughout all
the aborigines of America, fi'om tlie Fuegians to the Esquimaux) ;
the epidermis is thicker than in white men; but in the rete mucosum
I saw no difference, the copper hue arising from the vessels of the
cutis, shining through a thickened scarf-skin, and from its incorporating
the particles of smoke and ochre with which their bodies are
continually covered.
The hair on this man's head was jet-black, straight, long, and
luxuriant, but scanty on other parts of the body. The Fuegians
have little beai'd and no whiskers.
The features of this individual were rounder than they generally
are among those of his nation; the form of whose countenance
resembles that of the Laplanders and Esquimaux ; they have broad
faces with projecting cheek-bones ; the eyes of an oval form, and
drawn towards the temples ; the tunica sclerotica of a yellow-white,
and the iris deep black; the cartilage of the nose broad and de-
• Mr. Wilson was not aware that they eat birch excrescences, and
berries.—R. F.
5
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