Through the Heart of Patagonia

s-Bolas-No history-Keen bargainers but not progressive-Features-Good teeth-Women-Morality-Young and old women-Half-bloods-Paisanos-Reserved in character-Habits-Infants' heads bandaged-Dance-Wives boug

lche-Primitive peoples and their habits-Food-Tobacco-Pipes-Language-Tribal government-Phys

which had driven the snowstorm of the morning away to the east, swept drearily down out of an evening sky where neither sun nor suns

chiripa and a capa in which brown was the predominating colour. He was mounted on a heavy-necked powerful cebruno horse, his stirrups were of silver,

maiden, whose aspect was forlorn and pathetic to the last degree. She rode absolutely naked in the teeth of the bitter cold, her breast, face and limbs blotche

peed. The whole scene might have been mistaken for some ancient barbaric and revolting form of punishment; whereas,

se in an extremely acute form, and Indian bel

er and ferocity, who set up such a trouble inside her body

unlucky patient without a shred to protect her from the strong west wind snow-fed with bitt

s, it must be admitted ther

re for t

gravure, Ly

Cattle, an accurate observer, whose knowledge

hore. The Tehuelches are not, as it happens, a large-footed though they are a tall race, but, considering the curious persistency of habit, which is one of their chief characteristics, the idea taken up by the Spanish is easily explained. The Tehuelches wear boots of potro (colt-skin) or guanaco-skin, which project in a narrow point some inches beyond the toes. There can be little doubt, judging by all else we know of them, that their ancestors of Magellan's day wore the same shape of foot-gear. The impressions left by such boots would very naturally, on being observed by voyagers, take their place as indications of a race of giants. In connection

e habit of eating raw flesh; whereas they cook the meat for food, but on occasion they will eat raw fat a

he men are splendid fellows, who look yet more nobly formed and proportioned because of the ample folds of the skin capas and ponchos in which they wrap themselves. Their way of life tends to muscular excellence, but even takin

ls. Agriculture or tillage is absolutely unknown among them. The hunting-ground is farm enough for them, and they pitch their tents of skin where they will, or change their quarters at the dictates of necessity or whim. They alway

ge Chaworth Musters made his abode in the tribal toldos and followed with them in their wanderings. He speaks of two tribes of Tehuelches, the northern and the southern, only distinguishable by a slight differ

heir numbers." Things have undoubtedly gone from bad to worse in this unhappy direction, and I am inclined to think that the number of Tehuelche Indians surviving at this period can be little over a few hundreds in number. Rum is undoubtedly th

AR COLOHUAPI, CHUBUT. (NOW IN

uction of horses into their land. Otherwise they seem to have altered little in their way of life. Magellan says they came down to the ship clad and shod in guanaco-skins;

weapon of the Tehuelche. With it he kills his game, and with it also he catches wild colts, and finds it useful in his simple process of training. The bolas is made up of three thongs of raw hide fastened together at one end, the other free ends having attached to them

are sober; yet they seem to be entirely lacking in that quality which would enable them to forget the past with its traditional usages and methods, and to follow even remotely the sweeping onward rush that, like a tornado, carries with it the lagging races of mankind. Although the men possess unusual strength, they do not in the least know how to apply it. Their faces are somewhat flat, although the features are more or less cast in the aquiline mould, and fairly regular. The ha

ELCHE

They are, however, strong, and much of the camp work falls to their share. The older women can boast of a brand of ugliness all their own. Age to thes

be so highly commended. They are rather apt to wander from the stricter paths of decorum. When the husband of one of these elderly houris dies, as soon as the due period of mourning is past, the bereaved one will take up with any male in her tribe for either a longer or a shorter period. For ugli

d." Yet the abundant coarse black hair hanging round the heavily quiet faces, in which the features, though flattened, are still slightly aquiline, the wide-op

real beauty, the alien strain giving them th

arrival of a stranger in the camp makes the women retire shyly within themselves, and it is only by chance-as it is in the case of wild animals-that the new-comer ever sees the unaffected and natural character shine out. When

he result in a country where scab is common may be left to the imagination. But, apart from the crawling things which inhabit his toldos, the Indian is fairly cleanly, bathing each day and swimming

ight be worth the while of physiologists to go deeper into the matter, with a view to discovering how far this alteration in the brain-s

th a view to exorcising any evil spirit who may be lingering about the camp.[9] The ceremony is followed by a feast, and the evening winds up with a dance. The men alone take part in this, and it consists in circling round the fire, pacing

like, there is trouble for the bridegroom, and conjugal obedience is only enforced after struggles, of

nds upon the number of her brethren, who must receive two horses apiece. To buy a bride with means or rather animals of her

this ceremonial method of approach would be an outrage on etiquette. I conclude, though I do not know it for a fact as

of his intended and hands over his appointed gifts, receiving those of the parents in return. He then carries back his bride amid the cheers and cries of his friends, and in the ev

gree a marriage settlement, for in case of divorce her parents' gifts accru

unaccountable than the action of

joined the peo

arts Mussulman

mong the Ga

helter and a w

gined, a certain proportion of such men fall to this condition at the end of the career variegated. Others prefer ruling in Cathay to s

ho object successfully are rare. But there is one estanciero in Patagonia who is the father of two buxom daughters by a Tehuelche wife. These girls are now grown up, and their tribe was encamped during the winter of 1900 not two hours' ride from the dwelling-place of their father. Yet I am assured the fath

almost without exception, makes for evil. I have already spoken of the offspring of the mixed unions. The Tehuelche blood gives to t

ATRON, SHOW

does the cooking, but little else that can be called hard work, except the taking down and pitching of the toldos when the tribe break camp. They carry on a slack industry in the form of weaving ponchos from guanaco wool. Some species of earth is used for dyeing the wool, but the resulting colours are dull. In this particu

striches into rugs, using sinews for thread. Rugs of this kind and bunches of ostric

e chiefly the pelts of the young guanaco, some of the rugs being even made from the skin of the unborn, which is cut out of the mother a few days previous to

o chicos, or little ones, is carried on includes th

it. One could never guess whether a man were rich or poor by his dress; he carries no sign of improved circumstances in his person or bearing. The owner of two thousand beasts will come into camp and sit by your fire, putting in a plea with the humblest for a cupful of maté. Occasionally an

rrounds the events of birth, sickness, and death are the old cruel forms that have been perpetuated

Upon the remainder of the animal the tribe feast, and when they feast they carry out the notion thoroughly. After eating their fill, they lie about gorged and

all and any weapon they can find, and bury them in some hidden spot about the camp.[12] This custom, which is in its own way pathetic, speaks for itself. Under

d the neck, and a couple round the body. The tribe distribute themselves at the various ends of these lassos and take hold. The animal being thus supported cannot fall. The father of the child now advances and cuts the mare or colt open from the nec

w to enabling the departed to start in another life with an adequate outfit. Horses and dogs are slaughtered, so that he may have the means to pursue and kill the guanaco in the land of ghosts. Food and dea

roperly appreciated; therefore this particular precaution for the welfare of the dead shows a very practical solicitude on the part of the survivors. To-day the Tehuelches still bury these possessions in the grave, but the custom is only continued with a reservation. Instead of leaving the valuable gear under the earth

vil, as feared by the Tehuelches, is called the Gualicho. And he abides as an ever-present terror behind their strange, free, and superstitious lives. They spend no small portion of their time in either fleeing from his wrath or in propitiating it. You may wake in the dawn to see a band of Indians suddenly

uent intervals (for the mass of the glacier overhung the cliff), and these plunged with strange, loud explosions, I might almost call them, into the water. Such are the noises that terrify the Indian; he cannot explain them, and it is small wonder they excite his fears in the highest degree. For it must be remem

ise occupied, and shown himself little interested with earthly matters. Like Baal, he is perchance upon a journey, or perchance he is sleeping. The result is the same; his worshippers must take care of themselves as well as they can, and the best method which offers is to ward o

N OF TH

ting an evil spirit, or endeavouring to avert the action of any punishing power, than in seeking the favour of the Good Spirit or returnin

s going to after death is a land flowing, not with milk and honey, but with grease. On the pampas of life here below the guanaco is lean and seldom yields an ounce of fat, and as I have myself experienced the craving for fat, or fat-hunger,

as, armed with a large single ball of stone. That period may be one hundred, or possibly a hundred and fifty, years ago

king capabilities of other men.[15] He lives upon horseback, and there earns his living, so to speak. With his dogs he rides down his game, but he has no skill in tracking any more tha

ts of water. Both races are eminently sluggish and peaceable. Both fear evil spirits, which they fancy live in particular localities. It is indeed a far cry from Greenland to Patagonia, but if you substitute the horse for the kayak a

s upon a long day's hunting, with the thermometer marking many degrees below zero, upon nothing save a drink of water! A luxury such as coffee is said to enervate him.[16] The Patagonian Indian rides out of a morn

more palatable, and is, consequently, preferred when it can be procured. They drink maté in large quantities, which, as has been shown, is the universal habit on the pampas, where it is, in

tried their mixture, and in truth there are many worse smokes upon the English and American markets. The califate is certainly a little acrid, but

LCHE

or drinking maté through. Musters mentions frequently seeing the men become insensible after smoking, which would lead to the supposition that they use some drug corresponding in its effects to

ent things, which proves its elementary and simple character. In most of their camps Spanish is u

the head of each camp, his authority seems limited to ordering the plan of the hunt. If any individual objects he can leave the community, an alternative extremely distasteful to so gregarious a people. Quarrels and fights are of very rare occurrence,

ng the Indian trail. Now, in the whole of my long travel through Patagonia, I came upon only three encampments of them, and I have reason to believe I visited nearly every one that exists at the presen

the punishment be not severe and too prolonged, but as sure as the whisky bottle-the raw, cheap, rot-gut country spirit-is intr

at them as you desire they should treat you, and not in the odious "poor-devil-of-a-heathen, beast-of-a-savage" sort of style, which obtains with some

ther upon the waste and open spaces of his native land. He is far too single-minded and too dignified to stoop to a cheap imitation. He does not shout aloud that he is the equal of the white man, as more vulgar races do. It has often struck me that the primitive races of the world might be put under two heads-the men of silence and the men of uproar. Among the men of silence

only accept a hint when it is backed by a command. The Tehuelche will not remain at a camp-fire where he is not wante

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us in the twilight. The Indian did not talk Spanish, nor could we speak Tehuelchian. In silence he joined u

ing them up. As soon as he saw me, and I had recognised our guest of the preceding evening, he sent forward the horses at a gallop in my direction, and, wheeling round, was off and out of sight in a moment. He did not wait

ndly, picturesque, and gifted with fine qualities of body and mind-such as the Tehuelches, absolutely at hand-grips with ex