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

176 HAIE — 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 high foreheads, straight or aquiline noses ; and in other fea- tures 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 they might be 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 by 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 Europeans ; his joints are smaller, and his extre- mities are likewise comparatively less. The hands are shaped like those of Europeans, but the feet, from always going bare- footed, 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 aU that is worn around the head. Usually this is a mere string, made of the