Patagonians have been hitherto' described only in the most general terms, and in many cases very inaccurately. Little was known of their appearance, habits, and employments. The work of M. Guinnard, Trois A113 cher. la; Pate gong (1864) was for a time believed to form a valuable addition to our knot, ledge of Pata gonia and its inhabitants; lout the publication of Mr. Musters's record of hist] avels Roan the straits of Magellan to the Rio Negro, under the title of At Rome with the Patogonians (1871), has utterly destroyed the Frenchman's claim to be an authority. Mr. Musters is decidedly of opinion that M. Guinnard was never in Patagonia at all, and that his "experiences" were confined to the Indians north of the Rio _Negro.
The Patagonians or Tartekite Indians are divided into two great tribes, the northern and the southern. They speak the same language, but are distinguishable by difference of accent; and the southern men appear to be on an average taller and finer, and are more expert hunters. The northern range chiefly over the district between the Cordil lera and the Atlantic, from the Rio Negro to the Chupat, and even the Santa Crt:z river. The southern occupy the rest of Patagonia as far south as the strait of Magellan. The two divisions, however, are much intermixed, and frequently intermarry. The question is often asked: "Arc the Patagonians of gigantic stature?" Mr. Musters's statement is. "The average height of the Tehuelche male rner'^ers of our party with which I traveled was rather over than under 5 ft. 10 inches." Two others, measured carefully by Mr. Clarke (while resident at Santa Cruz), stood 6 ft. 4 in. each. The muscular do elopment of the arms and chest is extraordinary, and in general, the Patagonians are well propor tinned. They are splendid swimmers, can walk great distances without being tired, and can go for two and even three days without being tired. As an illustration of their strength of arm, Musters mentions that he has seen them "ball" an ostrich over 70 yards distant. The expression of their face is ordinarily good humored, except in the settle ments: their eyes are bright and intelligent, their noses aquiline and well-formed, their foreheads open and prominent. The complexion of the men, when cleansed from paint, is a reddish brown. Thick flowing masses of long hair cover their and are combed out by their wives at least once a day. The scanty natural growth of beard, mustaches, and even eyebrows, is carefully eradicated. when young women are fre
quently good-looking, displaying healthy, ruddy cheeks when with paint. The dress of the men consists of a chiripo, or undergarment round the loins, made of a poncho, a piece of cloth, or other material; a long mantle of hide. worn with the fur inside, and drooping in unbroken outline from their shoulders to the ground; and rotro boots or buskins made from the skin of horse's hock, and occasionally from the leg of a large puma. The dress of the women is similar, except that the undergarment is made of calico or stuff sack, and extends from the shoulders to the ankle. Both sexes are fond of ornaments. wearing huge ear-rings of square shape, suspended from small rings passing through the lobe of the ear; also silver or blue bead necklaces. The reason assigned for the use of paint is that it forms a protection against son and wind, and Musters states that he "found from personal experience it proved a complete preserva tive from excoriation or a chapped skin." The arms of the Telmelches consist of gun or revolver; sword or dagger; a long, heavy lance, used only by dismounted Indians, and altogether different from the light lance of Araucanian and Pampa liorsemen; and the bola perdida, or single ball, so called because, once thrown from the sling, it is not picked up again.
Their houses, called toldog, are formed of three rows of stakes driven into the ground. The middle row is higher than the others, and the three rows are tied together with strings of hide, and so kept in their place. This frail framework is covered with bides which reach the ground on all sides, and arc fastened to it by Small stakes of bone. At night-fall, guanaco hides are spread on the ground withiii the tents, and the men and women, laying aside their mantle, their only garment, and which sometimes serves as a blanket, go to sleep tinder the same roof and in the same apartment. Bathing in cold water every morning, throughout the whole year, is a custom to which men, women, and children conform; and although the morning bath may not free them from vermin, —a national characteristic—yet it hasthe effect of preventing disease. and of enabling them the more easily to endure the severities of winter. Their only manufactures are mantles of guanaco hide, and saddles, bridles, stirrups, and lassos. The lassos and the articles of harness are chiefly plaited, and evince wonderful ingenuity and nicety of exe cution.