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

SOUTHEEN ABORIGINES. 139 of birds, strung upon lines made of sinews, these necklaces and bracelets are made, when nothing preferable is to be found but beads, buttons, pieces of broken glass, or bits of fractured crockery- ware are most highly esteemed. The hair of the women is longer, less coarse, and certainly cleaner than that of the men. It is combed with the jaw of a porpoise, but neither platted nor tied ; and none is cut away, excepting from over their eyes. They are short, with bodies largely out of proportion to their height ; their features, especially those of the old, are scarcely less disagreeable than the repulsive ones of the men. About four feet and some inches is the stature of these she-Fuegians — by courtesy called women. They never walk upright : a stooping posture, and awkivard movement, is their natural gait. They may be fit mates for such uncouth men ; but to civilized people their ap- pearance is disgusting. Ver};^ few exceptions were noticed. The colour of the women is similar to that of the men. As they are just as much exposed, and do harder work, this is a natural consequence : besides, while children, they run about quite naked, picking up shell-fish, carrying wood, or bringing water. In the colour of the older people there is a tinge of yellow, which is not noticed in the middle-aged or young. Both sexes oil themselves, or rub their bodies with grease and daub tiieir faces and bodies with red, black, or white. A fillet is often worn round the head, which upon ordinary occasions is simply a string, made of sinews ; but if going to war, or dressed for show, the fillet is ornamented with white down, white feathers, or pieces of cloth, if they have obtained any from shipping. Small lances, headed with wood ; others, pointed with bone ; bows, and arrows headed with obsidian, agate, or jasper ; clubs ; and slings ; are the weapons used by the Tekeenica. The smoke of wood fires, confined in small wigwams, liurts their eyes so much, that they are red and watery ; the effects of their oiling, or greasing themselves, and then rub- bing ochre, clay, or charcoal, over their bodies ; of their often feeding upon the most ofiensive substances, sometinies in a