Page:The birds of Tierra del Fuego - Richard Crawshay.djvu/43

Rh FAUNA

was known to attain a length of upwards of a thousand feet, which Sir Joseph Hooker does not seem inclined to question, but rather confirms, for he expresses the opinion that this plant is of indefinite growth.

No great fossil animals have been discovered in Tierra del Fuego, although such should exist in continuation of those occurring in the Patagonian Pampas—such as Megatherium, Scelidotherium, Mylodon, Glyptodon, Hippidium, Macrauchenia, Toxodon, Nesodon, Megamys—so abundantly, that Darwin states his belief no deep trench can be cut in a line across these without intersecting some such remains.

Living Mammals are extraordinarily few.

Man is represented by the Onas in the north and east, the Yaghans in the south, and the Alakalufs in the west. It seems to be a prevailing belief that the native races of Tierra del Fuego are the most degraded of mankind—due probably to voyagers to these regions having confused the Onas with the canoe tribes. However much such an imputation may apply to the latter, it cannot with any justice include the Onas; for they are a magnificent race, little inferior in stature to the Tehuelchs of Patagonia, who are the giants of all mankind; and like them, they live entirely by the chase on foot with bows and arrows, where the Tehuelchs are horsemen using the bolas. If the arts of life of the Onas are primitive, it must be remembered that for unknown ages they have been a people cut off from intercourse with others. Judged from the point of view of the land they inhabit, they are perfect. Living a nomadic existence in these terrific elements, with only a screen of skins to windward where they camp for the time being, they are able to supply all their needs in food and clothing by the chase and by the natural produce of the land, and at that maintain about the finest physique seen in Man. Such weapons as they possess are the best possible to them—mighty bows strung with Guanaco sinew, arrows made from the forest barberry with heads marvellously chipped from glass. For tools they rely on Nature