The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-23
OURNUDE NEIGHBORS.
Curious Peoples in the South
American Republics.
CORPSE EATERS OF FuEGo.
Eternal Fires Burning Along the Shores
Strange Aborigines OF Ecuador
Cannibals Of the Amazon.

CannibsIs of the Amazon.
wAsHrseTos CTTT, Aug. 17.-TspeciaI
Correspondenee Concerning the native
populations of the South American repub-
lies. with which Uncle Sam has recently
entered into commercial relations, the de-
partment Of state has taken pains to COL
lect a good deal Of interesting inforrna-
ton. Not the least extraordinary of these
peoples is the unique race which inhabits
the great island called Terra del Fuego, or
LAND of Fire" at the southern
end Of the continent, claimed Jointly
by Chile and the Argentine. II was
given this name by Magellan because of
the fires that were extraordinarily burn
ing along the shore, never being permitted
TO go out. The natives are the fiercest
savages known in the world and approach
most nearly TO the beast, with no fore
heads 70 speak Of, their hair growing down
to their eyebrows Their favorite and
customary food Is half-putrid fish, seal and
whale meat thrown up by the sea along
the coast about Cape Horn during the
frightfui storms that assail that bleak and
inhospitable strand. From time 10 time the
corpses of wrecked sailors afford them
much-relished feasts, without the trouble
Of cooking. They eat everything raw, the
fires being simply for warmth. for the cli-
mate is exceedingly cold. Nevertheless
they go about practically naked, wearing
only cloak Of rat skin or other fur hung
over one shoulder, and always on the
windward side. A Fuegan woman viii
sell you this garment of her back any
time and trudge off perfectly nude but
quite content through a raging snow
squall.
These Fuegans live in holes under the
ground, covered over with brush, bark and
wild cabbage leaves. In the center of each
dwelling, which is entered by an inclined
tunnel. a FIRE is kept perpetnally burning,
the smoke finding its way out through
hole IN the roof. The embers are never al
lowed TO become extiDguished, because
the people know of no way OF making FIRE,
and If 1t was lost they could not reproduce
it. 1t is supposed that they brought it or
iginallv, centuries ago, from some volcano
in the Cordilieras. Their subterranean re-
treats are constructed in the manner de-
scribed IN order to economic
warmth In every canoe also
perennial blaze is kept up
on q clay flooring in the middle, for con-
venience when fishing or trading ex-
cursion is 70 be made. The children's
chief duty is to keep up the fires. Recently
great discoveries of gold have been made
in that country, and Argentine miners
have gone there with troops for protection.
The latter have numerous encounters with
the natives, killing them without quarter
like wild beasts. Many an armed expedi-
ton has gone against these savages, who
have never been subdued, though reduced
in numbers. About 1000 of them are
supposed TO remain. Not long ago
in the Straits of Magellan ship
of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company
picked up a naked British sailor, whose
i've companions, survivors from the wreck
Of an English barque, had been killed by
the Fuegans. This man was saved TO
amuse the women and children. who beat
him constantly TO make him dance. When
rescued he vas mass Of sores and bruises.
Not less interesting than the Fuegans
are the aborigines Of Ecuador. who use
against their enemies and in the capture
Of game arrows tipped with a mysterious
poison Of unknown origin, which Is sure
and sudden death to man or beast. These
deadly weapons are Ered from biOwpipes
ten feet in length and are effective at a
distance of 80 feet. Among these people
if a woman is tired of her husband she
gives him draught of ''horipondio," dis
titled from a plant resembling the stra-
mony, by drinking which the Deiphic
priests Of old sought inspiration for
their oracular utterances. The bever-
age transforms the man into an
Another curious custom prevalent in the
same region obilges man. when his wife
is confined, to go TO bed himself and re-
ceive all the attentions ordinarily due to
| female in childbirth. To Ecuador belongs
the Galapagos islands in the Pacific. which
| form strange volcanic group crossed by
/ the line OF the equator. They are perfectly
barren and unlnhabitated save by extraor-
| binary reptiles and birds, which are found
| nowhere else in the world. OF twenty
| five sorts of land birds secured there by
| Darwin on the occasion OF his visit. all but
| one were peculiar 10 the little archipelago.
| Most remarkable among the reptiles were
| gigantic tortOises, which grew 10 zoo or SO
| pounds each IN weight. These last have
! been almost extermlnated by sailors who
/ have made practice of stopping at the
| islands 10 provision their ships with turtle
/ elude capture.
Many strange race types most surprising
! 10 the ethnoioglst are found along the
| Amazon and its tributaries On the high
slopes OF the Andes dwell people who
make practice of chopping off the heads
| VA tAANAA preserving lnegn Tor
! ornamental uses. The process employed
| IN the preparation of these weird trophies
is quite an art IN itself, the head being lit
/ orally boned-that is to say. deprived OF
the skull. For this purpose the throat is
| sliced around with knife, and the skin
Is drawn off over the skull. with care
| 10 keep injured the mouth, nose and
| other features. Next, the skin being
turned right side out it is filled with hot
/ gravel, which makes it shrink. Fresh
heated gravel is put in at intervals, until
the head has shrunS TO quarter the size of
that Of newborn baby. Its appearance,
thus transformed, is astonishingly gro
tesque. and much pleasure is derived from
hanging II by its long black hair from a
ratter in the house for the family to jeer at
| and abuse now and then.
On the lower Amazon dwell the canni-
| bal Butocud0s, who distort their features
| with the biggest ornaments of a certain
| kind known. In babvhood both men and
| women have their lower lips and the lobes