The daily gazette., 1883-11-13
pArAanN1AN rlorunEs.
Naked Indians Found Enjoying Them
eeEvas 10 y Froezing Climate.

Naked Indians Found Eu5Oytns Ihem-
eeEvas 10 Frcczing Climate.
tCorreapondencc san Francisco chroniele.l
The wild scenery 10 something wonderful,
and when the sun shines on the snow-eoy-
cred mountains 1t Is, indeed, pretty sight.
In some OF the ravincS You see large drifts
Of snow that have been carried there BY the
wind, and into which, should imagine, u
would not be at all pleasant to fall. The
air here, of course, is very cold, but II Is
q dry, healthy breeze and very brnciug. AT
l O'Clock, midday, we reached our anchor
ing place for the night, A. We could not
make the next harbor by daylight, and In
the darkness IL would heimposslble to enter.
About o'clock We received visit from
some of the PatAgonian Indians. They
came off from the shore in queer-iookiug
canoe made out OF three pset es OF board,
one at the bottom and one on each side.
These were sewn together with tibrcs and
admitted considerable water. with
the exception OF some skins they
had tied losely around their bodies
they were devoid of clothing, and
before they had been alongside
many minutes they had not even the skins
70 cover themselves with They had sold
them all for biscuits, tobacco and boxes "
matches. After remaining oB board about
an hour they returned To the shore, all but
one being entirely naked. The exceptional
one who did not return to the shore ~
nuds state owed II to the fact that the second
steward had found on board an old bottle
green dress that had been left by some
female passenger on the way out from
Europe. With this the Indian WAS duly at
tired, It being tied on aud aroCnd him by
the sailors with settings. Later on we had
visit from some more of them, this time
accompanied by female. The skins they
brought OF were thoee Of the otter. One
| Indian had over his shoulder what at one
time had been very valuable sealahin, but
| then too old and dirty ioi use.
| IL Is strange how these creatures manage
| to exist In this severely inclemeLt climate
| where IL freezes nearly all the year round
| They use no more clothing than that afforded
them by nature, aud their huts are nothing
but a few sticks tied together, with ieV
skins and some leaves thrown over the TOT
of them, and their canoes are always hal
full OF water. The weapons used are bows
arrows aud spears. They cat the hesh OF tn
animals they kill In the chase aud some
times they catch fish, but their principal ar
ticle Of food Is mussels, of which there ar
millions around there. They have nothing
in the shape OF corn, wheat or cereals OF an
kind, as none grow anywhere nearer her
than 200 miles away. The climate is TO
cold for any but hardy shrube. The
will not toucn liquor of any kind. They or
In appearance something like the Indian
one meets in the alto in Guatemala, but ar
a smaller and shorter race and very muc
more degenerated. l should imagine theI
to be the very lowest specimen of humanit
existing and only one link short in the chat
to connect them with the monkey trib'
One of them, apparently better-humore
. fellow than his companions, sat upon ii
rail and sang song. They sit, or rath'
squat, as a monkey does, and this fellow
short intervals would yell out: "Anaa, am
) / ana" crying out quickly and much ait
the monkey style. AS night drew on thu
: all went off 20 the shore and we saw the
q no more.