Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-08-16

summer is the great drawback to the
climate, and is a greater Inconvenience
than the cold in winter, which has
never been known to be lower than
II degrees Fahrenheit, while the high
est summer temperature is only 20 de-
grees. II it were not for the raw,
damp winds, the climate OF TERRA del
Fuego would be much better than that
of Canada. While there are probably
few streams in the country which are
of sufficient size ever to be utilized for
navigation, there is a large number of
small rivers and watercourses, which
carry off the rains and melted snow
from the mountains, and thus assist to
irrigate the lower plains.
Travellers reports as to the inhabit-
ants of TERRA del Fuego have been
conflicting. Some visitors have re-
ported the natives to be stalwart, fine
looking men, and others have described
them as small and abject beings.
Darwin, whose scientific Investigations
were confined to the south of the coun-
try, says that " one can hardly believe
them to be fellow-creatures and inhab-
itants of the same world" On the
other hand, other explorers in the
north and northeast describe the Fue-
gians as powerful men of large stature
and warlike instincts. This apparent
discrepancy seems to be due to the
fact that the land is inhabited by
two very distinct races of Indians.
Mr.. Bridges, whose long residence
in the country enables him to speak
with authority on this point, assures
us that there are two separate and
distinct tribes dwelling in TERRA del
Fuego. He calls them, as they call
themselves, Onas and Yahgans, the for
mer living in the north and the lat
ter in the south. The Onas seem to be
almost identical in character, manners
and language with the Tuehelche In
dians of Patagonia. Like them, they
use bows and arrows in the chase, and
are muscular, active and well formed.
Their number is now much reduced; an
epidemic of measles having been very
fatal among them few years ago, and
the whole tribe probably does not now
number more than five hundred per.
sons. They are nomadic, and live prin.
cipally in portable tents, covered with
guanaco skins. Mr.. Pepper did moi
form high opinion of their intellec.
tual faculties, judging from the primi.
tive nature of their implements. He
describes their tools as consisting foi
the most part of pieces of iron, taken
from some vessel cast on shore, ano
tied to pieces of wood by leather
thongs. They have no canoes, and dc
not fish, though they pick up on the
shore such fish as are left behind after
heavy tides. Their only water-vessels
are large shells; but they display some
ingenuity in making arrows and bas
kets.
The Yaghans, who inhabited tn,
southern portion of TERRA del Fuego
are an altogether different people
from the Onas, and have, with som,
reason, been considered as the mos
miserable species of humanity in tn,
Western Hemisphere. They are quar-
relsome and treacherous, and are gov
erned entirely by their desires ant
passions. Very dexterous in the man
agement of canoes, they live largel,
by fishing, but are very destitute evel
of the simplest appliance for cooking
and comfort Some of the tribes ar
of fair size, but others are extremel,
diminutive and abject looking. MI
Bridges, however, who has live
among them nearly quarter of
, century, says they are not so dc
graded as they have been represented
, and he particularly repudiates tn
charge of cannibalism which has bee
made against them. They hav
been found capable of some sma
measure of civilization, but, lik
the Onas, have suffered severe
, ly from epidemics, especially frol
smallpox Their number is now col
siderably below three thousand. Nj
Bridges describes their language 6
"soft, rich and very fuit;" how ric
and full may be inferred from his a
. most incredible statement that he hs
8 accumulated vocabulary of no fewt
, than $4,000 words. To find such
8 wealthy language among so low a rat
, is curious circumstance and OF
q worthy of consideration by ethnol
: gists.
| Such are few of the latest partic1
q lars about this little-known territor
q Even the name by which it is known
misnomer, it being land of fro
4 rather than land of fire. 1t receiv,
: the latter title from its discovere
| Magellan, who, when passing i
/ northern coasts, noticed night aft
night succession of small fires, viii,
a he supposed to be due to some mystic
4 ious natural causes. In reality, tn,
!. were beacons lighted by the native
q but the original mistake has given
5 permanent name to the country, and
typical of many other mistakes whiC
have since been made about it.-Char
, bers' Journal.
= Not Strong Enough.