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

DOGS. 201 Indians (excepting some facts i-elated by Capt. King in vol. i.), I will add a few words about their constant and faithful com- panion, the dog : and then continue the narrative. The dog of a Fuegian or Chonos Indian is small, active, and wiry, like a terrier with a cross of fox. His hair is usually rough, and dusky, or dark-coloured ; but there are many dogs among the Fuegians almost white, or prettily spotted, some of which have fine smooth hair. All that wei-e examined had the roof of their mouth black, the ears erect, large, and pointed the nose sharp, like that of a fox ; the tail drooping, and rather inclined to be bushy. They are exceedingly vigilant and faithful. Their sagacity is shown in many ways, some of which I have already noticed ; and not least, in their providing for themselves, each low-water, by cunningly detaching limpets from the rocks, or by breaking muscle and other shells, and then eating the fish. These dogs bark at strangers with much fury : and they give tongue eagerly when hunting the otter.* • Byron says they do so likewise when driving fish into corners. Note to page 185. — The Fuegian necklaces show some ingenuity in those who make thera, being composed of small shells, perforated very neatly, and fastened together on strings of sinews or gut, so finely divided and platted, that one is, at first, inclined to doubt their being the manu- facture of such uncouth savages.