The Phoenix herald., 1879-07-26

a bush and lined with a few wisps o grass
 Other objects of the chase are the an animal which has $ the head o1 camel, the body of q deer, the wool of a sheep and the neigh oi horse" The wool Is reddish yellow, intermixed with white on some portions of the body. It roams over the pampas in great numbers, generally in herds, and Is very useful animal to the hunter. Its flesh forms his chief article of diet, and in certain seasons of the year, when fat, Is excellent eating, resembling beef. With its hide he makes his lasso, reins, bolas and shoes, and with the skins, taken from the young animals before the fur has be- come coarse and woolly, makes the capa," long. broad mantle, that is a necessary protection from the keen. fierce winds that continually sweep over the plains.
 The puma is large animal, of great strength, capable of killing full-sized guanaco with one blow of the paw. It has yellowish gray fur and preys upon the ostriches and guanacos. If taken when young and tanned 1t resembles a cat and will purr when petted. It is very cowardly and is easily attacked and killed.
 The hunters do not rely wholly upon the trophies of the chase for food, but carry with them rice, biscuit, sugar, gin and mate. The latter is dried herb that makes an aromatic tea, which possesses marvellous restorative powers.
 Mir. Beerbohm eloquently describes the charm of this life upon the pampas- the exhilarating gallops after ostriches, or across the plains, where the pure, dry, invigerating air made mere exis- tence seem a delight and create an ap- petite that relished the coarsest food i; camping at night within the shelter of some thick bush and listening to wild tales of adventure told by the hunters around the campfire; sleeping soundIy under the stars with no danger from malaria, wild beasts. snakes, mosd uitoes or hostile savages.
 A little further in their journeyings they came upon an Indian camp. The author gives much interesting informs l. ton concerning these native inhabi- tants, the result of his observations Referring to the sparseness of the popu latlOn, he says =
 S It may be estimated that the human population of that vast territory which lies between the Rio Negro and the Straits of Magellan barely numbers three thousand souls, and, if the nor tality among them continues on the same scale as hitherto, 1t Is to be feared that in comparatively short period they will have disappeared altogether from off the face of the earth, and sur
 
 ton of the remorseless law of the non- survival of the unftted.''
 The general impression of the gigan- tic size of the Patagonians is incorrect.
 Notwithstanding that the exaggera- ted accounts of early travellers as to the stature of the Patagonians have frequent ly been contradicted and -disproved, great many people seem still to be firm ly impressed with the idea that the race of giants is not yet extinct and that it has for its abode that favored portion of South America which the Spaniards christened Patagonia. The truth is, that as regards height all that can be said of tue Tehnelches Is that they are on the average a tall race, varying in stature from, say five feet ten inches to six feet. Their muscular development and consequent strength, however, are decidedly abnormal, and in that sense, at all events, they cannot be denied to possess one of the most important at tributes of giants"
 The Tehnelche Indians are described as rather good-looking. having low, but receding foreheads, aq uiline noses, large mouths, with white, regular teeth. and a bright. friendly expression. Whis- kers and eyebrows are not considered ornamental.
 "They have little hair on the face or body, and even that they eradicate as much as possible. including the eye brows, an operation which must cause no little pain. Why they do this do not know, except 1t may be that they consider 1t improves their ap pearance, in which case 1t seems that in its application to the poor Indian the saying, N fl,et attri1- pour etre 6eau,' loses none of its truth or point. In ad dition to this establishment some tattoo their arms or chest, but it does not seem to be the general custom"
 Of other characteristics of appear ance and bearing we read =
 Their eyes are small and deeply set; the prominence of the cheek-bones gives great breadth to their faces. The color or Jnelr Sk1n seems LO vary accord ing to the individuals cleanliness, but, as far as 1 could ascertain, 1t IS of reddish brown, running in some cases more into a yellOwish tinge. Their general carriage is extremely graceful and dignifed, and their manners toward strangers and one another are polite and deferential, without a trace of seryility; in fact, they have certain we'll bred air of restraint, which is quite impressive, and one never feels inclined to treat them with that familiarity which is bred of contempt or that convenient assump- tion of superiority which tbe white man is so apt to display toward mig gers.' I do not wish to incur the charge of attempting to revive the exploded legend of the noble savage in favor of the Tehnelche race, but I must say that in general intelligence, gentleness of temper, chastity of conduct and con- scientious behavior in their social and domestic relations they are immeasura-