The Descent of Man

sidered by the North American Indians "as very
vulgar," and every hair is carefully eradicated.
This practice prevails throughout the American
continent from Vancouver's Island in the north
to Tierra del Fuego in the south. When York
Minster, a Fuegian on board the "Beagle," was
taken back to his country, the natives told him
be ought to pull out the few short hairs on his
face. They also threatened a young missionary,
who was left for a time with them, to strip him
naked, and pluck the hair from his face and
body, yet he was far from being a hairy man.
This fashion is carried so far that the Indians of
Paraguay eradicate their eyebrows and eyelashes,
saying that they do not wish to be like horses.
(63. 'North American Indians,' by G. Catlin,
3rd ed., 1842, vol. i. p. 49; vol. ii, p. 227. On the
natives of Vancouver's Island, see Sproat, 'Scenes
and Studies of Savage Life,' 1868, p. 25. On
the Indians of Paraguay, Azara, 'Voyages,' tom.
ii. p. 105.)