Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-26

or an adze out Of any old piece Of metal picked
up from wrecks on the coast or procured in the
colonies A file they call "khikerikikh," and
the word in their mouths sounds precisely like
the rasping of file over some dull instru-
ment
Chief among their weapons is the yachilo or
bolas. with three balls, for guanaco hunting;
the chume or bolas, with two balls for captur-
ing ostriches, and tho bola perdita or single
ball. SO named from the Spanish verb perdir,
picked up again. Before the introduction of
firearms the bola perdita was the most deadly
missile in the hands Of the Tehuelches. 1t is
made by covering sharp pointed stone with
hide, all but the point, which protrudes, and at
taching thong about yard long. with knot
tied in the end to prevent it slipping through
the hand. David's historic sling was harmless
beside this weapon when whirled round and
round to give it force before shying it at an
enemy's head. Some of them also carry long,
heavy lances tipped with flint and adorned with
tufts OF feathers-very different from the light
lances used by the Araucanians. Nowadays
guns, revolvers, swords and daggers are alto
gether too common among them, bought from
traders Pgafetta tells us how Magellan g
party found the ancestors of those Indians car
rying bows and arrows, but it is probable that
he was romancing in this particular, as In many
others. At any rate, though ancient flint ar
row heads abound north of the Rio Negi o. none
have ever been discovered in central or south
ern Patagonia, yet ancient bOlas are frequently
found differing from those in present use only
by being much larger and heavier and having
grooves cut around them.
BOTH MEN AND WOMEN PAINT.
Both the men and the women daub thei,
faces and sometimes their bodies with paint
made by mixing guanaco and ostrich fat with
red ochre or black earth. On state occasions
as for dance or q funeral-the men further
add to their beauty by rubbing white paint on
their hands and then making five white finger.
marks on their chests, arms and legs. Ii in
mourning they put on black paint, and when
going forth to fight dab little white paint I'm.
der each eye to impart ferocious expression.
Not small part Of the manifold duties of the
women is to attend to the toilets Of the men In
the way OF paint and hair dressing and, no,
being blessed with mirrors, they must also per-
form those delicate services for one another
The men are very particular about their hair
and so the wives, sweethearts, mothers and sis
tiers have to brush their bushy locks ut least
twice every day and tie them back neatly with
the hllet- The greatest care is taken to burn
any stray hairs that may brush out, for it is
believed that witches work evil spells with such
things. The women are also the tatooers, both
sexes ornamentlng their arms with triangles,
crosses and parallel lines by the simple process
OF puncturing the flesh with bone needles and
rubbing in blue earth
Even in bleak Patagonia the "old, old story
seems to be as attractive as when told in
the sun-kissed tropics, and, unlike heaven,
Here marriages are usually those Of inclina-
ton. and though a man may have as many
wives as he can persuade women to fall in love
with him, 1t is said that family jars and sepa-
rations are extremely rare-probably because
the husband is complete master of the situa-
consent Of the object of his affections ana then
he sends friend to her parents, Offering
horses or silver ornaments in exchange for the
girl. Ii the parents have no serious objections,
the impatient lover dresses up in his smartest
capa and potro boots, his mother, or an earlier
sharer of his conjugal affections, carefully
brushes his hair, paints his face and buckles on
his silver-studded belt and garters; he mounts
his heetest horse, bedecked with all the trap
pings OF fur and feather and jingling silver
he owns or can borrow. and gallops gaily to
the toldo Of his intended, followed by troop
OF friends bringing the stipulated gifts. The
bride parents return presents of equal value,
and then, without more ado, the new Adam
grabs his blushing Eve, lifts her on the same
horse with himself and proceeds to his own
toldo, amid the cheers of his friends and the
singing OF the women. Mares are slaughtered
and eaten Tor the wedding feast, extraordinary
pains being taken to prevent the dogs from
touching morsel of the meat or offal. as that
would be the most unlucky of omens. The
head, tail, heart, liver and backbone are taken
to the top Of the nearest hill and left there as
a propitiatory offering to Gualichu, the Pata-
posed to be especially interested in matters
REJOICING At CHILD's BIRTH.
When child is born to well-to-do parents
that is. If they own plenty of horses and silver
of the happy event is imme-
diately sent to tie chief. the relatives and the
medicine man or wizard of the tribe. The lat
ter worthy bleeds himself by sticking a bodkin
into his arm or leg, and then orders a small
tent Of the finest furs and lechus to be con-
structed, within which he may retire to work
some special charms for the child's future; and
meanwhile mares are killed and cooked for the
inevitable dance and feast. The baby is
smeared all over with grease and gypsum
never to be clean thereafter in all his earthly
career; and If need be, the mother is able to
travel on horseback the same day, CARRYING
along the latest addition to the family In a
wicker cradle. These cradles are ingenious
Of wicker work interlaced with
thongs and fitted with a cover like that
OF hamper to keep off sun and
WIND. They are SO constructed as to rest easily
on the mothers saddle gear. and are decorated
10 the utmost extent OF the parents means with
little bells, beads, shells, plates of brass and
that will shine and rattle.
he women are equally fond of ornamentinp
and old and young wear enormous
earrings each q silver dollar beaten to double
It's natural size. suspended to small rings thrust
through the lobe OF the ear, besides necklaces
and armlets Of glass beads and bits of silver.
capa pins with fat heads large as tea plates. &c.
The men also wear necklaces, and though they
do not care at all for gold. adorn their pipes.
knives, sheaths and horse-gear with all the
silver they can lay hands on.
The Patagonian saddle is odd enough to de-
serve paragraph. Sideboards are made by
splitting piece of timber in two and reducing
1t to the requisite size and thickness, skilfully
adapting it to the shape of a horses back,
Holes are punched in both ends of these boards
and saddle trees, chosen from limbs of trees
like knees for boat building, are dashed on
with thongs. Fresh guanaco skin, shorn of its
woolly coat, is then stretched over the whole
and securely sewn with sinews, serving as il
dries to bind the pieces securely together.
Underneath the saddle a thick blanket is laid
and over it q corconilla Of black sheepskin or
fur. The girths are many ties Of twisted hide.
fitted with o ring at each end, to be connected
by q leather thong. The stirrups are suspended
by strips of hide from the holes bored in the
saddle trees, and are generally made of a piece
OF hard wood fastened into Q rawhide thong
The brides are Of twisted hide. The bits are
a simple bar of wood, covered at both ends with
stout hide flaps, from which thongs extend
under the horses jaw, forming an effectual
curb, and reins are also secured to the flaps
Even spurs are used-two pieces Of hard wood
with nails filed to q sharp point fixed in the
ENDS, the whole cruel concern tied to the foot
by thongs.
THE HORSE UNKNOWN THREE crNrURrys Am