Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-27
NO REST FOR WOMEN.
The Noble Savages Of Patagonia
Impose Upon Their Squaws.
FINE SEWING WITH BITS OF BONE.
The Dish of Hospitality Offered Inside a
Native Tepee.
WEAPONS OF THE EARLIER RACES


T. PABEN ISLAND, PATAGONIA, Nov. l.
The time had come to bid not reluctant
adios to this wild abode, the crazy little
yacht which the good mission Padres of
Terra del Fuego had sent to convey us to
their station lay tumbling about in the har-
Dor, our luggage, reduced by long globe
| trotting to a surprisingly small compass,
| waited at the landing, and farewells were
actually being spoken-when Roman rushed
in, with the information that large COM
pany of Indians had collected on the other
side of the ford and wanted to come over
for purposes of barter. This circumstance,
though not unusual here, materially altered
our view of the case, and were easily per-
susded to remain another day in order to
cultivate closer acquaintance with the
Patagones.
Boats were Immediately dispatched, to
fetch as many of them as desired to trade,
and dozen or more of the young braves
came over, bringing few punches of gray
ostrich feathers and heap of furs and skins
to exchange at the "store'' for rum and to-
bacco. As negotiations promised to be a
tedious job Gin fact were not ACCOMPLISHED
for several hours, because without haggling
the desired luxuries would lose half their
savor-we took our hostess advice and some
field glasses and repaired to the housetop to
view proceedings on shore.
A Camp of the Natives.
The Indians had selected level spot q
few yards inland, where shrubs and boulders
formed partial wind-break, near the mouth
of a narrow canon, where their horses found
plenty of grass and water; and while the
men and boys rested from the fatigues of
their journey, stretched at ease on the
ground, the women hustled about like so
many big brown ants setting up the toldos.
bringing water from the distant spring and
skinning game for the cooking-spit. The
Patagonian toldo, or kall-wigwam, tent,
tepee, or whatever you choose to call it
differs somewhat from the homes of any
other Indians and therefore merits descrip-
tion.
A row of the tallest forked posts that can
be obtained in this comparatively treeIess
country-say S or feet long-are driven
into the ground and a ridge pole is laid
across them. About six feet back of these
another row of forked poles is set, each a
foot or two shorter than those of the first
row, and across these another ridge pole is
laid. The same distance back of these a
third row is driven of poles not more than
three feet long, topped by third ridge
an excellent one it is; and over it is spread
lot of skins, of the guanaco, deer, horse or
puma, sewn together in squares of varying
sizes and all daubed inside with mixture
of tallow and red ochre, which can be
smelled mile away.
A House Made of Fur.
More skins are tied with thongs around
the sides of the toldo, and in cold or rainy
weather horse hides are fastened up in front,
like curtains, and are sometimes hung in
side to partition off separate apartments
the number, quality and size of the skins
that are used denoting the wealth and social
standing of the inmates.
Think of it, fur house-and such fur,
too-the tawny mottled puma, and the beau
tiful and almost priceless pale yellow
streaked with white of young guanacos.
One family-that is, one Indian with his
especial wives and children-seldom mo-
nopolize a whole toldo, but, as civilized
people do in summer camping frolics, rela-
tives and intimate friends pool their issues,
as it were, under the same ridgepoles. OF
course, the highest side of the furhouse is
its front, and it is invariably set facing the
east-whether from superstition, habit, or
because Of the prevailing winds, 1 do not
know.
Later in the day closer inspection re-
vealed to US the inner furnishings. Just
inside the entrance to each tent several
small brushwood fires were kept burning,
evidently as much for warmth and to dry |
OF the wet ground as for cooking purposes.
They Use Civilized Bolsters.
Horses hides, spread on the half-frozen
sod, served for beds and seats; and I noticed |
with astonishment that each bed, besides its |
pile of furs and blanket. had one or more
bolsters-regular civilized holsters, at least |
in shape-made of half-worn blankets, sewn |
together with sinews and stuffed with wool. |
The blankets Of these people, which they |
call lechus, are almost like the ponchos of |
Bolivia and Chile, and / am told that they |
are hand-woven by the Araucsnian women |
The extra turs, saddles, blankets, and all
belongings not in immediate use, were piled |
around the outer edges as barricade
against the Etful gusts of wind that per-
sisted in skurrying in beneath the tapping
walls.
Cupboards, of course, there were none, the
fishes being piled ON the ground in pro-
niscuous heaps, washed clean by prowling
uncanny creatures that out
numbered their masters several to one.
There were huge trenchers hollow ed out of
blocks of wood, bark platters aud excellent
spoons made by sticking a clam shell on a
shaped branch, and armadillo
hell bowls. By way of soup dish, one
night go a good deal farther and fare worse
han to use the round, deep shell of the
oatagonian armadiilo or ant-eater.
Carrying Water in Baskets.
Then there were bucket-shaped baskets,
made of the coarse pampa grass, so tightly
,raided that water can be carried in them
without leaking drop; asadors, or spits of
zone and wood and even two or three iron
,ettles Squatted upon horsehide in one
# these queer homes, surrounded by an ad-
hiring throng Of grinning women and chill
lren-whose good graces had previously
'een won by gifts of beads and red calico
We partook of hospitality in the shape OF
,ustard la Patagonienne-the receipt for
which please accept as Christmas present:
Break a small hole in the point of an
,strich egg, and after removing part of the
ndegistible white lit is the fashion here to
uck it out), beat the yolk thoroughly
With stick, a hairpin or whatever comes
landy-adding little sugar if you have it,
" whisky if you like it, or plain salt and
pepper, as we did. Then set the egg on end
n the hot ashes, just far enough from the
,laze not to crack the shell, beating the
,atter now and then and turning it around
o that the mixture will not adhere to the
1des. You may be consoled with the
hought that the duty of friendly politeness,
IS demanded by local etiquette, has been
eligiously fulflIed-in the cleanest possible
manner, without touching a dog-licked
tensil belonging to the toldo.
The Women Don't Have a Snap.
However charming the life of a 'snoble
avage" may be, its delights do not appear
o be shared to any great extent by the
Teaker sex, even in Patagonia. l never
aw women work harder than those-eyen