Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-05

/, 1S91-SIXTEEN PAGES.
vices Of civilization and have omitted lis vir
tues, his highest ambition now being to &c,
enough to eat, drink and smoke with the leas
possible labor. He hangs around the rancho,
| 70 PICK mp what 10 thrown TO himself and the
ao9s m tne line OF food and depends upon steal
| ing and begging for whisky and tobacco.
Ii should be remembered. however. that
| there are several distinct nations of Patago
| nans-not counting the Araucanians on the
north nor the Firelanders on the southland
tnat eacn nation has distinguishing character
| lstcs: those above referred to are the south.
ern Tehueloches who SLOUGH about the country
between santa Cruz and Punta Arenas The
giants, II there ever were any Patagouians
deserving the namo, were found among this
| tribe, VINO are much taller and more slender
| than any OF their neighbors and have a differ
emit complexion, being red like the North Amer.
lean Indians rather than muddy brown like the
South American. They are excessively dirty
lazy and treacherous, fond Of personal adorn.
ments made out of bones, shells, beads and sill
| YER (gold, strangely enough, they do not like
and arc ready at any time to barter all their
earthly possessions wives, horses. even the
lew garments that cover their nakedness-fors
| Little "ire-water."
THE FoUR rRIBEA
The "Pampas Patagones'-so called because
they inhabit the vast pampas or plains Of the
north-are subdivided into four tribes, known
respectively a. Pnelches, or eastern people, y
the word puel meaning east, che people: the
tlcunehes, picun meaning north; the Pechuen
ches, or people Of the pines" pechun mean
Ing pine tree, and the Ranqueles. or those who
dwell among the thistle beds, from Ranquel, 9
| thistle. Though not quite so degraded a
tneir southern brothers, perhaps because fur
ther removed from civilization, they are
4 l.. A. q
degree. But they are nos beggars; they live by
| tne chase and by plumber, bartering the prod.
uct OF the former to interruptions white trad
ers for rum and trinkets
Then there are the Cinema Patagones, who
inhabit the higher attitudes, who differ both In
language and physical aspect from other tribes,
and are less lazy and erratic. They are some
times called MaDzaneros, because their head.
quarters are at place named LAS Manzanas
(the apples), where the Jesuits formerly had q
mission and planted good many apple trees.
Ihey own sheep, cattle and horses in the
sheltered valleys Of tae Cordilleras and make
very good cider from the apples that the old
friars planted. They also brew an in.oxicat-
ing drink from the beans Of the algaroba,
which 10 In demand all over the country.
WHAT PATAooSIAS MEANS.
OF course the term "Patagonian" is entirely
unknown among the Indians. Their true name,
collectively and Individually, 10 Tsonecas, and
by it all the tribes call themselves. The word
Pata-gones. meaning ''duck-Iooted men" refers
to their peculiar foot-gear. The lower limbs
are encased in boots without soles, or rather
long CATERS. made Of guauaco skins, with the
beautiful yellowish fur turned outward. The
leg is covered all around from below tine knee,
the fur passing over the top of the foot and
around the heel. leaving the toes sticking out
This trifiing circumstance obtained the appel
lation by which vast territory and all the peo-
pie who inhabit it are known to the civilized
world The flaps or ''uppers" Of the CATERS,
extending loosely across the top Of their feet,
exaggerated in breadth by the long hair ON the
edges, give the wearers the appearance Of hav-
ing paws or ''patas." When Magellan's men
first saw these Indians they were unable to &C.
count for the peculiar appearance OF their feet
and the bright yellow fur upon their legs, and
called them ''duck-footed."
The southern Tsonecas-as yet have seen
no others-dress in the rudost fashion. A large,
square rug OF guanaco hides, sewed together,
Is fastened Our side outward) around the body
under the arms, and extends about to the
knees. Another rug, with slit in the middle
through which TO pass the head. falls over the
shoulders. The long, stiff. unkempt hair is
partially held in place by strips Of cloth, which
are often large enough to form a kind of cap or
turban. Low down in the scale of humanity as
they look, II appears that they have some re-
deeming qualities. For instance, they do not
practice polygamy Ike most Indians, and they
believe in the Immortality Of the soul. Did
you ever notice that the character Of O man,
whether his skin be white, black, red or yellow,
can be pretty accurately told by the sort of
God he worships, or rather by the attributes
with which his own imagination invests q su-
preme being? The Tehuelche deity is not tan
eternal spider weaving webs to catch the
souls OF men," nor . revengeful being
who inten ds to torment any of his creatures.
His name Is Coche and he is Of Q very tender,
loving and forgiving disposition. He is wait
ing for his children in happy hunting grounds
beyond the farthest rim of hills where he has
prepared all good things necessary to their
happiness. The good things mean plenti-
full supply OF food and furs, unlimited wine (of
which beverage they are inordinately fond and
purchase quantities Of poor stuff from the
Chileans), no stones nor darkness, and above
all no more cold weather. On the latter point
the missionaries who go among them are
obliged to be extremely careful. To their
Antarctic imagine tons the od-time hell of
actual fro that We used to hear about pre-
sents far more attractions than the orthodox
heaven.
HOW THEY LOOK AND DRESS.
Let us see what Capt. Reid has to say about
the ''duck-footed men," glancing over his
chapter on the giants and making here and
there IN extract. Let us paint the portrait of
the Patagonian himself. He wears 10 hat, but
suffers his long black hair to hang loosely over
us sAouiuers, or more frequently gathers il
into knot upon the crown Of his head To
keep it from struggling into his eyes he usually
wears n narrow strip Of guanaco skin around
his forehead, or a plated band OF the hair of
the same animal, but although he possesses
ostrich feathers at discretion, he rarely in
duiges in plume. He knows he is tall enough
without one. Over his shoulders and hanging
to his heels he wears q loose mantle of guanaco
skins, which is of sufficient width 10 wrap
around his body and meet over his breast
should he feel cold enough to require it, but he
often throws his mantle entirely aside to give
him the freedom OF his arms. or
more generally ties q girdle around il
and leaves the upper part to fall
back from his shoulders and hang over the
girdle. Perhaps his ample garment has some
thing to do in producing the exaggerated ac-
counts that have been given Of the stature of
the Patagonians. Certain it is that man thus
apparaled looks taller than he otherwise vould
aud presents altogether more imposing ap-
pearance. The Caffre, in his civet-cat ..kaross."
and the Pawnee Indian. In his robe Of shaggy
buffalo hide, loom very large upon karroo and
prairie-much larger in appearance than they
really are. 1t is but natural. therefore, to sup
pose that the Patagonian, attired in his long.
straight guanaco msntle-perhaps seen against
the sky. standing upon the summit of a con.
spicuous clif-would present truly gigantic
appearance. FANNIE b WAHp.