The sun., 1894-09-16

at the Hermit group of islands, but IN the Bea-
gle channel they have been go altered by new
clothing and habits of life that scarcely trace
of their old time form remains. The descrip-
tion of the old-time navigator is not attractivei
"These poor wretches were stunted In their
growth. their hidcous faces bedaubcd with pain,
their skins filthy and greasy. their hair, en-,
tangled" They are elsewhere spoken of as hav-
color OF iron rust. while Capt. Fitzroy pictures
them as almost black.
One may sdmt adm that these old e1pI95Ee55s hsS
accuracy, what they saw, and yet may, provs
that the Yahgans were not hideous Indeed.
hope to show that, all things considered, they
were the handsomest ABORIGINAL race on earth
To begin the argument, II must be said that
than that In which he was, found say that he
faithful in the care of widows and orphans. y
generous neighbor, and an ardent lover. Food
lie delighted in what civilized people cali tho
higher pleasures, the Joys OF good stories witty
limited Opportunity for cultivating the faculties
which S gave HI him 1, greatest pleasure. How could
The answer 70 the allegation made by the eI-
saw, the Coating Of paint and whale oil that COW COW
cred him. and because this was offepsive TO
when hsasy d e.a am nss look i ike yfh
fahgan clothed in whale oil. smoke from tho
ho When wdsssd Es pps
a. nS pS sSSss oSs R
who, grace the halls Of the female seminary AZ
tourist camera M proves it Yahsans had d. straight,
black hair greet dark eyes; full red lips, breast;
1s' that shsf fsa
drooped as Il from % a blow when H shamed. anu
II ever the moans OF outraged Indian mai
gel against the brutality Of The civilized man, IL
yas when the suffcie1t arm that Protected the
piications s Of the - gospel Of peace. A ~
AS has been said. the Yshgans had an abun,
SoG with wSse ss
Ih numerous W. were the the fur seals that one sealing
and Of / 200 head The hair seal. the otter. Md
the sea lion were found by the thousand. SWAMI
the %ateTs IN hoss ss AT Thess
were fish In the sea and guanacos on the land.
cillagipous, slightly sweet taste, with n faint
ws smell cnkrs, Ike that & OF mushroom" There wers
n more IKE rf raspberry than like It's northern
the Yahgan was the shellfish; Mussels and
CLAIMS covered every rock under water. and
food qualities to preserve life for long periods,
even saw two white gold diggers who, having
weeks with no other food
The explorers say the Yahgans ate guanaco
meat raw The Rev. Thomas Bridges denies
this. He says, In lecture on the hgans, =
prepared for delivery before white folks:
They toasted whale or seal blubber on
pointed sticks stuck in the ground. and caugho
the oil In large mussel shells placed underneath,
As these filled they poured the oil into bladderd
for future use. They tried out fish fat by put
ting IL In large shells and placing heated stones
or shells on IL. They cooked large birds whole
by burytng them In the Goals with hot stones
placed inside. They baked eggs by placing
them, after a small hole had been made In each
shell, on end close TO the embers and turning
hem from time tO time. They uniformly ate tho
blood OF animals, but always cooked 10 In shells
first l have never seen heard OF tho
iahgans eating any kind OF meat or fish
raw except certain Kinds of limpets. ! have
occasionally heard OF their heating water by
dropping hot stones into 1t, but they did no1
cook their vegetable food. In winter. however,
part OF their diet"
A thousand other interesting facts and ehAr>
acteristics OF this long despised tribe remain un(
told here. There was their habit OF carrying
dry birds down to catch the spark when they
struck fire with the iron ore they found on ona
island only. They had tradition that in bys
gone years great flood raised the waters 10 the
level OF certain lines on the mountains, TO which
they point the traveller.
They were sensitive about growing old, and II
was because their boards grew late in life and
10 indicated advancing years that the med