greater power of improvement. The chief spokesman was old, and
appeared to be the head of the family; the three others were powerful
young men, about six feet high. The women and children had been sent
away. These Fuegians are a very different race from the stunted,
miserable wretches farther westward; and they seem closely allied to
the famous Patagonians of the Strait of Magellan. Their only garment
consists of a mantle made of guanaco skin, with the wool outside: this
they wear just thrown over their shoulders, leaving their persons as
often exposed as covered. Their skin is of a dirty coppery-red colour.
The old man had a fillet of white feathers tied round his head, which
partly confined his black, coarse, and entangled hair. His face was
crossed by two broad transverse bars; one, painted bright red, reached
from ear to ear and included the upper lip; the other, white like
chalk, extended above and parallel to the first, so that even his
eyelids were thus coloured. The other two men were ornamented by
streaks of black powder, made of charcoal. The party altogether
closely resembled the devils which come on the stage in plays like Der
Freischutz.
Their very attitudes were abject, and the expression of their
countenances distrustful, surprised, and startled. After we had
presented them with some scarlet cloth, which they immediately tied
round their necks, they became good friends. This was shown by the old
man patting our breasts, and making a chuckling kind of noise, as
people do when feeding chickens. I walked with the old man, and this
demonstration of friendship was repeated several times; it was
concluded by three hard slaps, which were given me on the breast and
back at the same time. He then bared his bosom for me to return the
compliment, which being done, he seemed highly pleased. The language
of these people, according to our notions, scarcely deserves to be
called articulate. Captain Cook has compared it to a man clearing his
throat, but certainly no European ever cleared his throat with so many
hoarse, guttural, and clicking sounds.
They are excellent mimics: as often as we coughed or yawned, or made
any odd motion, they immediately imitated us. Some of our party began
to squint and look awry; but one of the young Fuegians (whose whole
face was painted black, excepting a white band across his eyes)
succeeded in making far more hideous grimaces. They could repeat with
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