Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1846-09-03
NOTES IN NATURAL HISTORY.

l. 1t is a Wcl.-knOWn fact that none oil the
inferior animalScdn make Il fire. Even the
orang-outany, when he comes upon fire
left by Il man in the woods, though he may
warm himself by the cmbcrS, never thinks
of proIonging the blaze by dding fresh flu
ell this is a step beyond tie range OF his
capabililies Man alone is fire using an
imal.
The Guacho, or native of the pampaS,
uses peculiar method in procuring hre.
Taking an elastic stick, about eighteen in
chcs long he presses one end on his breast,
and the other, which pointed, in hole Ill
curved part, like carpenters cGn,fG-BfI, 'Pf
the wood ignileS. In the chill and humid
climate of the Falkland Islands, the same
obSeryant traveller again remarks" 1t was
very surprising to see the GuachoS, IN lhe
midst OF rain, and everything soaking wet,
with nothing more than Il linder-boX and Il
piece OF rag, immediately make fire. lhey
sought beneath the tufts of gras' and BUSH
cs for few dry twjgS, and these they rub
he'd into Gbles; then surrounding them with
coarycr tvigs something like a birds nest;
they put the rag, with its spark OF fire, in the
middle and covered il up. The hes, being
then held up 10 the wind, by degrees 1t Smo-
kcd more and more, and at last burst out NJ
| to flames. ! do otthink any Other method
would have had chance OF succeeding
with such damp mater ais
2 I, is singular to think that our ances'
tors, the ancient Briions, lived i'll state OF
almost complete nudity; and that i'll this
state they enjoyed robust health III Gu
mate that to Us their civilized descendar :
demands many folds of warm clothing, be-
sides comfortable houses and llcS. icl The
natives Of Patagonia, inhabiiIn5 country
still colder than Britain, go naked at The
present time. They are described as Il tai
and robust race, though living in the loves
grade Of savage simplicity. Such is the eff
feet of habit in the animal system. Per
haps. on the whole, a low temperature is
more conductive TO both mental aud bodily
vigor than a high one, for generally speak
ing nations Of the temperate and even tTi3it
zones ar found more energetic than those
Of the torrid. Yet it is only so far as the
severity of the climate enjoinS industry ant
the arts, that these favorable results occur
for Mr.. Darwin's description OF the naive
oil v OllaSton island, Terra del Fnego, is By
no means an engaging one. Nv lle 3oIh!
on shOre,' says he, we pullcu along side
canoe with six FutgianS. These were the
most abject and miserable creatures ! any
where behold. On the east coast the native
have Guanaco clOakS, and on the west the.
possess seal-skinS. Amongst these contra
: tribes the men generally have an otter skin
or some small scrap about as large as peck
ct handkerchief, which is barely suhcien
to cover their backs as low down DIS the
| :, he
Strings, and according a the wind blows, i
is sh ltcd from side 10 side. But these ia
eoians in the canoe were quite naked an
even one ful-grown woman was absolutely
so. 1t was raining heavily, and the ifcSi
water, together with the spray, trickled dow
her body. In another harbor not far dis
: tant d woman, tho was sucking recently
p. bonn child, came one day alongside the YES
! sci, and remained there whilst the sleel Eel
and thawed on her naked bosom, and on tn
skin other naked child. These pnor wretchc
were stunted in their growth, their hdcou
: faces bedauLeI with white paint, then SKIN
:, filthy and greasy, their hair entangle'i. Ihei
{. voices discordant, their gestures violent, an
= without dignity. Viewing such men, on
o can hardly make ones self believe they ar
e fclL,w creatures, and inhabitants of tn
r same world"
If 3. The inhabitants of mountainous cour
e tries remain much more fixed and rloied I
3 their native soil than the Inhabitants I
l. plains. The Welsh and Highland Scotc
re have stuck 10 their mountains, and ke
/ themselves apart from other races, for mar
1t centuries; while the inhabitants of Il
IN plains and more accessible parts Of Brita
Id have nnderOone interminable interim tuTe
al There is people inhabiiing the mountal
~ ouS parts of the northwest Of India, call