Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-01-03
PEOPLE OF PATAGONIA.
STRANGE CUSTOMS OF A COMPARE.
TIVELY UNKNOWN RACE.


of the West Coast-A Low Scale OF
Humanity-Tallest People in the World
| Are the eTehueIches-Fine Family Tents
| Professor J. B. Hatcher, of Prince
ton University, has newly returned
from remarkable trip of exploration
in hitherto unknown region of South
America-namely, the wild interior of
J Patagonia. The various tribes of
aborigines in that part of the world,
writes Rene Bacho i'll the Detroit
Free Press, are among the strangest
and most picturesque savages in exist
ence, some of them being described as
representing almost the lowest stage
in the scale of human development.
Their country, too, is more than
ordinarily 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 beak like q
condor's. It Is likely that they at
tackled with success the largest NAM
mails contemporary with them, being
the biggest fowls OF prey that ever
lived; but they became extinct long
ago, and so there was no opportunity
for Professor Hatcher to secure q
living specimen.
The professor made several trips,
during one of which-through the
desert interior-he did not see a
human being for over four months,
except Mr.. o. A. Peterson, of Prince
ton, who accompanied him. He dis
covered 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 no.
table were the savages of the west
coast, who are au aquatic people, liv-
ing almost entirely in small open boats,
| which they construct with much skill
out of large pieces Of beech bark sewn
! together with sinew and flexible
whalebone. OF the latter considerable
quantities are thrown up along shore.
These natives feed almost exclusive
ly 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 monotony of the diet.
Probably among no other people in
| the world are the actual necessities Of
life so few. With no constant habita-
tion-uo place of residence that can
properly be called home-they move
about from one sheltered cove to an
other. Their occupation of any parti-
cular locality is entirely dependent
upon the abundance of edible mol
lusks and upon the weather, which
during inclement periods may render
well-sheltered spot desirable as a
temporary village site. On few
earthen sods in the bottom of the
! family canoe is kept constantly burn
ing small fire. which always seems
just on the point of going out. About
this fire they huddle when not engaged
in collecting food.
The climate IS extremely cold, and
| fierce storms are constantly raging;
yet these strange people, instead of
wrapping themselves in furs, go al
most naked. Some of them are clad
in scraps of cheap calico, obtained by
/ barter from the whites, which are
| fashioned into rude garments, the cos
tune of the women being loose skirt
suspended from the shoulders and
falling below the knees.
For shelter on land. notwithstanding
the severe weather that prevails most
| of the time, these aborigines erect
structures scarce worthy to be called
huts, consisting of few branches of
| trees, the lower ends of which are
| stuck i'll the ground in circle, while
the upper ends are bent over toward
the middle and carelessly thatched to-
! gether. Such house, together with
Il canoe, couple of paddles, one or
two spears or harpoons of bone for the
, capture of seals, and one or more bas-
kets made of rushes for use in gather
ing mollusks, fulfill oil the domestic
requirements Of family. From the
| great accumulation of shell heaps in
many places periodically occupied, it is
evident that the people described
have inhabited the region for long
period, during 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 very superior race. The
Tehuelches-as they call themselves
of southern and eastern Patagonia
are the people whose unusual stature
gave rise to the fables of early days,
to the effect that the natives Of this
region were giants, averaging nine or
ten feet in hight. 1t is a fact that
they are the tallest human beings in
the world, the men averaging but
slightly less than six feet, while indi-
viduals of four to six inches above
that mark are not uncommon. They