Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

CHAPTER VII. SOUTHERN ABORIGINES OF SOUTH AMERICA. Of the tribes which scantily people Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, far less is yet known than might generally be expected. Although frequently seen by white men, and often holding intercourse with them, probably no person even mode- rately educated, excepting Falkner, has staid among them long enough to become acquainted with, and describe their peculiarities. His description of the aboriginal natives who, in his time (1740-80), roamed over the fertile ' Pampas' of Buenos Ayres, or the sterile plains of Patagonia ; of the western mountaineers and of those unconquerable tribes which repulsed the Peruvian Yncas, opposed Spanish conquerors, and are still independent, is so decidedly corroborated by Molina, by many Spanish authors, and by modern testimony, that in attempting to de- scribe the Patagonians, I shall try to unite his account (bear- ing in mind the time elapsed, and consequent changes) to the information which has been obtained during late years. Of the Fuegians, a few notices are to be found in narratives of various voyagers ; but the imperfect description here given is principally derived from the natives who went to England in the Beagle ; and from IMr. Low, who has seen more of them in their own country than any other person. About the middle of the last century, the aboriginal inhabi- tants of that portion of South America which lies between the parallels of thirty and forty, formed two principal divisions, more or less separated by the only real barrier existing in that extent of country, the Cordillera of the Andes, Those wlio lived eastward of the Andes were called ' Puel-che,' signifying VOL. II. K