United States or British Indian Ocean Territory ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Jemmy Button's "Oensmen" are the Yacana-cunnees, kindred of the Patagonians, who at some distant time have crossed the Magellan Strait, and now rove over the large tract to which Narborough gave the name of "King Charles's South Land." They are a hunting tribe, the guanaco being the chief object of their pursuit and source of subsistence. Myopotamus coypus.
The course he counsels is already being taken by his compatriots; all of whom, men and women, on hearing the word "Oensmen" the most terrifying bogey of their babyhood have made a rush to the wigwams and hastily gathered up the most portable of their household goods. Nor do they stay for Jemmy; but all together, shouting and screaming, strike off into the woods his own wife with them!
Orundelico, left alone with the boat's people, remains by them but for a brief moment, urging them to flight also. "Oensmen bad very bad," he keeps affirming. "They worse than Ailikoleep more cruel. Kill you all if you stay here. Come hide in the woods there you safe." "What's to be done?" interrogates the captain, as usual appealing to Seagriff.
"The Yapoos!" exclaims Orundelico in a voice betokening great alarm. But not so great as when, the instant after, he again cries out: "O Lor'! The Oensmen 'long with 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 latter are seated or bent down working the paddles; while the big men stand erect, each with an ample robe of skin hanging toga-like from his shoulders, cloaking him from neck to ankles. It is seen, also, that the canoes are lashed two and two, like double-keeled catamarans, as though the heavy stalwart Oensmen dare not trust themselves to embark in the ordinary Fuegian craft.