The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-05
THEY SLEEP IN NAKED SNOW.
Extradrdinary Men of TERRA del
Fuego, With Skins as Tough as
Iron.

Extradrdinary Hen of TERRA del
Fuego, With Skins as Tough as
Iron.
Recent explorations of the strange
land of TERRA del Fuego have re-
vealed a curious race of people whose
skin is so thick that they go naked
in the coolest weather. The discovery
of these people is not altogether a. sur
prise, for their existence has been
limited at more than once by scientific
men. In a paper lately written by
Herbert Spencer he refers to them as
a people who, in their wretched
islands go almost naked while the fall
ling snow meltS on their backs.
This is cited as an instance of the
effect of habit and environment on IN
dividuais. He argues that at some
time i'll the remote past these hardy
people were as susceptible to cold as
a civilized inhabitant of the north, but
that through force of circumstances
they have been clothed with a skin of
iron
TERRA del F'uego is an intricate med
ley of islands situated just off the
southern point of South America, and
is separated from the mainland (Pata-
gonia) by the Strait of Magellan. The
islands present an appearance OF bar
renness, the scenery being rocky and
desolate. They are named TERRA del
Fuego, land of fire. from the cir
cumstance that they are of volcanic
origin.
The highest mountains are from 5000
to 1000 feet above sea level and are
covered with snow. The climate is
probably the worst on the face of the
earth. AT this point the waters OF
the Atlantic and Pacific meet and dis
pute the right of way. and their strife
is accompanied by terrific tempests.
Violent rains and snow storms occur
at every season Of the year.
The only plants on these islands that
can be eaten are the wild celery and
spoonwort, and the natives are forced
to Subsist on shellfsh, which are
found in great abundance. The only
quadruped kept in a domestic state
by the Inhabitants is the dog, which.
in extreme cases, serves them as an
article of Good.
The descriptions that have been
given of the natives by different traY-
elers vary They are generally
described as short, ugly, beardless
race, with long black hair of a rusty
iron color. and occupying the lowest
rank in the scale of civilization. Ac-
cording to Captain w. Parker Snow,
however, who made d visit to the
island and studied the habits of the
natives, they are robust looking, power
full and of middle height.
The truth of the matter probably Is
that the inhabitants are Of several
different races or tribes. 1t is certain
that a part of them came over from
Patagonia. This is evident from their
huge stature, distinguishing feature
of the natives of the extreme South
American peninsula.
The Patagonians on the islands are
known as Onas. Their numbers are
estimated at 1000 Two other races
are known, the Yaghans, Of the SOUTH
and the Alcalufs of West Fuego. The
Alcalufs are thought to have come
over from the mainland
1t is among the Yaghans, who dwell
in the more rugged and exposed parts
of the island, that the strange tribe of
iron men" have been found. These
are the true aborigineS of the Archipel-
ago 1t must have taken ages to turn
their skin into a. covering of bark ca
pable of resisting the fearful attacks
of an abominable climate. They are
probably the direct descendants of a
primitive race, by which the islands
have been occupied from a vastly re-
mote period.
These curious people are about five
feet in height. Their appearance is de-
scribed as follows: Low brow; large
lips; fiat nose; loose Wrinkled skin:
black, restless eyes very wide apart;
unkempt hair, and head and chest dis
proportionately large compared with
the extremely slender and outwardly
curved legs, conveying an impression
of topheaviness. ~
Their mental qualities are on the
same low level. as is indicated by the
almost total absence of clothing under
such inclement skies. This is the fea-
ture about the iron men that has at
tracted the attention and aroused the
curiosity of the few travellers who
have visited this wild region.
But it is not so remarkable, after all,
that they should go about naked in
the snow and, cold. 1t was either this
or perish as there is nothing on the
island which they could manufacture
into clothing. The wonder is that
they should have survived after SO
many years of exposure. Nature has
been very kind to them. AS they were
unable to clothe themselves she has
provided them with a. garment that is
a good protection from cold, but that
would freeze to death a more tender
inhabitant of civilized countries.
It is said that these hardy people
sleep out of doors as readily as under
cover. Draughts have no terrors for
them. Their occupation consists chiefly
in catching fish, and they are there
fore obliged to spend much of their
time on the coast. where the weather
is much more severe than in the in
terror. But even on the coast they
have been known to lie down, abso-
Iutely without covering of any sort.
and sleep soundly through snow and
tempest. waking thoroughly refreshed
in the morning.
Such diseases as consumption, pleu-
risy, pneumonia. rheumatism, colds in
the head and bronchitis are unknown.
This would seem to prove that the
best way to protect ones self from the
rigors of a bad climate is to accustom
the body ito exposure.
Aside from their rhinoceros-like
skins these Yaghans are interesting in
other ways. Representing the very
lowest order of human intelligence, it
was to be expected that they would be
brutal in their treatment of women.
Their brutality in this respect goes to