e one or more of these
animals, and the boat-voyagers are awaiting its return before continuing
their interrupted voyage.

Meanwhile, the hospitality shown them by Jemmy Button is as generous as
his limited means will allow. To make their time pass agreeably, he
entertains them with accounts of many odd manners and customs, and also
of such strange phenomena of nature as are peculiar to his country. The
Tekeneekas, he assures them, are a peaceful people, never going to war
when they can avoid it. Sometimes, however, they are forced into it by
certain neighbouring tribes that make marauds upon them. The
Ailikoleeps are enemies of theirs, but a wide belt of neutral territory
between the two prevents frequent encounters. They more often have
quarrels with the Yapoos living to the eastward, though these are
tribally related to them. But their most dreaded foes are the Oensmen,
whose country lies north of the channel, beyond the range of high
mountains that borders it. The Oensmen he describes as giants, armed
with a terrible weapon--the "bolas." [Note 2.] But, being exclusively
hunters, they have no canoes; and when on a raid to the southern side of
the channel, they levy on the craft of the Yapoos, forcing the owners to
ferry them across.

Orundelico's own people can fight too, and bravely, according to his
account; but only do so in defence of their homes and at the last
extremity. They are not even possessed of warlike weapons--neither the
deadly club nor the flint-bladed dagger--their spears, bows, and slings
being used only as implements for fishing and the chase.

Besides the _harmaur_ (guanaco), they hunt the _hiappo_ (sea-otter) and
the _coypu_, or South American beaver, [Note 3], which is also found in
Tierra del Fuego. The chase of the otter takes place out in the open
water, where the amphibious animal is surrounded by the well-trained
dogs in a wide circle; they then close in upon it, diving whenever it
goes under to prevent its escape through the enfilading ring.

Of the tekeneeka mode of fishing he treats them to an actual exhibition.
No hooks are used, the bait, a lump of seal flesh, being simply
attached to a hair-line. The fish, seizing it, is gently drawn to the
surface, then dexterously caught by the left hand, and secured before it
can clear its teeth from the tough fibrous bait. The rods used in this
primitive style of angling are of the rudest kind--mere sticks, no
longer than coach-wh