The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-10-23
A DISTANT PEOPLE.
s(kasie Characteristic, Of the Terre d,
q so lndian-Tllc Womsn's Love for
~4ssG TOb,cco.

lgItest mOrtals that ever breathed, arc
always on the lookout for passing yes
sells, and come out in canoes to beg
and to trade skins for tobacco, writes
correspondent to Tile New N.-k Sun.
rh0 Fueg ans, or "Canoe Indians" as
they are commonly called. to distin.
guish them from the Patagonians, who
dislike the water and prefer to navi.
gate on horseback. have no settled
habitation. They are u simple people,
with adirty and bloated appearance
and faces that would scare mule.
They have broad features, low fore.
heads / over which the HAIR hangs in
'anglSd Jumps. high cheek -boncs. fiat
noses. enormous cilins and jaws, and
mouths Ike a crocodile, with tccth
that add TO- herr repuls veness. Their
skin is said to he of a copper colur.
They arc short in stature, round sl,oul.
'iered, squatty. and bloated, a physical
'ieformity said to be due to tho fact
that most of their lives are spent in
canoes. The women are even more re.
pulsive IN their appearance than the
men, and the children, which are us
commonly numerous, Look like young
balloons. Their intelligence seems to
he confined to a knowledge of boating
and fishing, snd they exercise great
skill in both pursuits. Scientists who
have investigated them say that they
are the very lowest order of human
KIND, many degrees below the Digger
Indians.
Although these people live IN per-
petu3' winter. where 1t freezes every
night and always SHOWS when the
clouds shed moisture, they go almost
stark naked! Tho skin of the otter
and guanaco are used for blankets,
which are worn about tho shoulders
and afford some projections; but under
these neither women nor men wear
anything whatever, except shoes and
leggings made of the same material.
which protect the feet from the rocks.
There is some little attempt ut adorn-
mcnt made by both sexes in the way OF
necklaces. bracelets, and earrings
made Of fish bones and sea shells,
wh'cl' are often ingeniously joined to.
getller. The women will sell the skin
blankets that cover their back TOR to.
bacco. standing, meantime, as nude as
statue of Venus!
Their food cons. sits of mussels. Gsh.
sea ANIMALS. and flesh Of similar sorts,
which they catch with the rudcst sort
OF implements. Their fl hing lines are
mado Of grass and their hooks of fish
bones. For weapons they have bows
and spears. tho former having strings
ma dc of the entrails of animals, and
the latter being long, slender poles.
with tips of sharpened bone. They
also use slings with great dcxtcrity,
which are made of woven grass, and
are said to bring down ANIMALS at long
range.
During the day they are ALWAYS on
tho water. in canoes or dusouts made
OF the trunks of trees, the whole fam.
lily going together, and usually con.
slstlng OF q man, two or three wives,
and as many urchins as can be crowd.
Cd into the boat. When night falls
they go ASHORE and build a fire upon
the rocks to temper the frigid atmos-
Phere. Around this they cuddle in a
most atfectionate way. Tho name Of
the islands upon which they live came
from these fires: The early aaviea.
tors when passing through the straits,
were amazed to sec these fires spring
up as if by magic all over the islands
every night at sundown. and SO they
called them Terra del Fuego. or tile
land OF fire. The English shorten the
aPpellation. and thus the place il
known as Fireland.
No ono has over been able to ascer.
tain whether they possess any sort OF
religious belief or have religious cerc.
monies. Across the straits the Pata.
gonians, or horse Indians, are Of q
higher order of creation and perform
sacred rites 70 propitiate the evil and
good spirits, in which, like the North
American savages, they believe, but
the Fuegians arc too degraded to con
template anything but the necessity
of ministering to their passions and
appetites. They eat fish and flesh un-
cooked, and appreciate as dainties the
least attractive morsols. Their Ian.
suage is an Irregular and meaningless
jargon. apparently derived from the
Patagonians, with whom they were.
some time in the distant past. con-
nected. Bishop Sterling. of tho
Church Of England, u devoted and
energetic man, who has charge of
miss onary work in South America,
with headquarters on the Falkland
islands, has made some attempt to
benefit these creatures, but with no
great success. He has little
schooner in which he sails around,
and has succeeded in in.ratiating
himself among the Fuegians by giving
them presents OF beads and twinc,
blankets and clothing. They use the
first for ornaments, the second for
fishing gear, but trade or the
other things for ysm and to.
bacco the first chance they get.
As long as bis gifts hold out he will bc
kindly received. no doubt. AND his do.
yot'oa meet with encouragement, but
+ lie SHOULD land amoag them without
the usual PlHndpr they would proha
bly, Kill Inn at breakfast time anil
pick his ribs for lunch. Toward the
A,lantic coast the savagcs are of
Il higher order. aud the bishop
bas established missionary station in
a little town in which they live. His
assistants have succeeded in pcrs,,ad
ing the inhabitants Of this village to
wear clothing and run a pr mary
school. from VIII CHI much good may
come. ~ % IL :