THE FUEGIANS. 245 



Journal (p. 234), from which I extract the following passages, 

 which give us a vivid and probably correct idea of what might 

 have been seen on the Danish shores, long, long ago. " The 

 inhabitants, living chiefly upon shell-fish, are obliged con- 

 stantly to change their place of residence ; but they return at 

 intervals to the same spots, as is evident from the pile of old 

 shells, which must often amount to some tons in weight. 

 These heaps can be distinguished at a long distance by the 

 bright green colour of certain plants which invariably grow 



on them The Fuegian wigwam resembles, in size and 



dimensions, a haycock. It merely consists of a few broken 

 branches stuck in the ground, and very imperfectly thatched 

 on one side with a few tufts of grass and rushes. The whole 

 cannot be so much as the work of an hour, and it is only used 



for a few days At a subsequent period, the Beagle 



anchored for a couple of days under Wollaston Island, which 

 is a short way to the northward. While going on shore, we 

 pulled alongside a canoe with six Fuegians. These were the 

 most abject and miserable creatures I anywhere beheld. On 

 the east coast, the natives, as we have seen, have guaoioco 

 cloaks, and on the west, they possess sealskins. Amongst the 

 central tribes the men generally possess an otter-skin, or some 

 small scrap about as large as a pocket-kandkerchief, which is 

 barely sufficient to cover their backs as low down as their 

 loins. It is laced across the breast by strings, and according 

 as the wind blows, it is shifted from side to side. But these 

 Fuegians in the canoe were quite naked, and even one full- 

 grown woman was absolutely so. It was raining heavily, and 

 the fresh water, together with the spray, trickled down her 



body These poor wretches were stunted in their growth, 



their hideous faces bedaubed with white paint, their skins 

 filthy and greasy, their hair entangled, their voices discordant, 

 their gestures violent and without dignity. Viewing such men, 

 one can hardly make oneself believe they are fellow-creatures 



