Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-11-25
TINE parasoHlAns.
Their Customs and Scenes Amid Which They
live-New Discoveries.

Professor J. b. Hatcher of Princeton
University has newly returned from a
remarkable trip of exploration in a hith-
erto unknown region of South America
namely. the wild interior of Patagonia.
He visited Washington this week, for the
purpose of depositing with the bureau Of
ethnology Il rich collection of objects il
Illustrating the mode of life of the various
tribes of aborigines in that part of the
world. These natives are among the
strongest and most picturesque savages
in. existence. some OF them being de-
scribed as representing almost the lowest
stage in the scale of human deyelopment
Their country, too. is more than ordinari-
~ interesting. being associated since the
earliest times with rumors of gigantic
human inhabitants and an astonishing
fauna. quite recently some skeletons of
birds that had heads as big as those of
horses have actually been dug up. They
stood at least nine feet high, and had
short wings, claws like an eagles and a
beak like a condor's. 1t is likely that
they attacked with success the largest
mammals contemporary with them. be-
ing the biggest fowls of prey that ever
lived: but they became extinct long ago
and SO there was no opportunity for Pro-
fessor Hatcher to secure a living speci-
men.
The professor made several trips dur
ing one of which-through the desert in
terior-he did not see a human being for
over four months, except Mr.. O. A. Peter
son of Princeton, who accompanied him.
He discovered a river never before heard
Of which is one of the largest in Pata-
gonia very swift and deep. But his most
interesting observations related to the
aboriginal tribes. respecting some of
which almost nothing was known. OF
these not the least notable were the saw
ages of the west coast. who are an
aquatic people, living almost entirely in
small open boats, which they construct
with much skill out of large pieces of
bark sewn together with sinew and flex-
ible whalebone. OF the latter considera-
able quantities are thrown up along
shore.
These natives feed almost exclusively
on shellfish, which they pick up along
shore while the remains of an occasional
seal or sea-otter cast up by the waves or
killed with spears serve to vary the mo-
notony of the diet. Probably among no
other people in the world are the actual
necessities of life so few. With no con-
slant habitation-no place of residence
that can properly be called home-they
move about from one sheltered cove to
another. Their occupat ton of any partic-
ular locality is entirely dependent upon
the abundance of edible mollusks and up
on the weather. which during Indictment
periods may render a well-Sheltered spot
desirable as a temporary village site. On
a few earthen sods in the bottom of the
family canoe is kept constantly burning
a small fire, which always seems just on
the point of going out. About this fire
they huddle when not engaged in collect
ing food
The climate is extremely cold and fierce
storms are constantly raging; vet these
strange people, instead of wrapping
themselves in furs, go almost naked.
Some of them are clad in scraps of cheap
calico. obtained by barter from the
whites. which are fashioned into rude
garments the costume of the women be-
| ing a loose skirt suspended from the
shoulders and falling below the knees.
Others, through choice or necessity, cling
to the primitive style of costume, which
consists merely of a narrow girth about
the loins. To this is sometimes added a
piece of sealskin held by thongs in such a
| way as to be readily shifted to any de-
sired position as a protection against the
wind.
For shelter on land. notwithstanding
the severe weather that prevails most of
the time, these aborigines erect struc-
lures scarce worthy to be called huts.
| consisting of a few branches Of trees,
the lower ends of which are stuck in the
ground in a circle. while the upper ends
are bent over toward the middle and
carelessly matched together. Such a
house, together with canoe, a couple of
paddles, one or two spears or harpoons
of bone for the capture of seals. and one
or more baskets made of rushes for use
| in gathering molusks. fulfill all the do
mestic requirements of family. From
the great accommodations of shell heaps in
| many places periodically occupied it is
| evident that the people described have in
| habited the region for a long period. dur
! ing which their habits and customs have
| undergone little change.
of very different character are the
| tribes to the east of the Cordilleras
! They belong to Araucanian stock and
are a very superior race. The Tehuelches
| as they call ghemselves-of southern and
eastern Patagonia are the people whose
! unusual stature gave rise to the fables
| of early days to the effect that the ma
| tives of this region were giants, averag
| ing nine or ten feet in height. II is fact
| that they are the tallest human beings
| in the world. the men averaging but
slightly less than six feet. while individ-
| uals of four to six inches above that
mark are not uncommon. They are in
| reality by no means savageS. but some
what civilized barbarians. They are al
most unacquainted with the use of fire.
arms. Notwithstanding some contact with
| the whites, but they have plenty of
| horses and dogs. Unsurpassed hunters,
| they capture the guanaco and the rhea.
or South American ostrich, and from the
| skins of these and other animals they
make clothes and coverings for their
| tents. They make beautiful capes,' or
nantes. of fur and feathers. which are
| highly priced by Europeans and find Il
ready market, most of the proceeds be-
| ing spent for bad WhlSkey. which is
| brought into the country in quantities by
| traders.
Before saying anything more about this
race of giants it may be as well to re-
| fer to some other tribes about Cape Horn
| which attracted the attention of Profess
sor Hatcher. For example. may be
| mentioned the Yahgans, who live nearer
| to the South pole than any other known
people. They occupy certain small islands
| lying south of Terra del Fuego. and are
| found also on the south beach of that
| great island itself. The territory they
| occupy is a maze of mountain peaks, and
| the conditions under which they exist are
almost beyond realization by any civilized
| person. Darwin, the naturalist, wrote of
| them: These were the most abject and
| miserable creatures I anywhere beheld.
The men generally have an otter-skin or
some small scrap. about as large as a
pocket handkerchief. which is barely suf-
ficient to cover their backs. 1t is laced
across the breast by strings, and accord
| ing as the wind blows it is shifted from
| side to side. In another harbor, not far
| distant. a woman who was sucking re-
Gently born child came one day alongside
the vessel and remained there out of
mere curiosity. while the sleet fell and
| thawed on her naked bosom and on the
| skin of her naked baby
| The Yahgans build huts of poles with
a thatch of brush and grass, about the
shape and size of haycock. Just inside
the door fire is made. and the family