174 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST 



On one island the remains of an encampment 

 of Fuegian Indians was seen ; this consisted of 

 a few " wigwams " built up with branches, and 

 outside them a large heap of mussel shells — of 

 natives there was no sign. 



Afterwards, when we were under steam, the 

 people themselves brought their canoes alongside, 

 but when we were on land they kept out of our 

 way, disappearing in a wonderful fashion. 

 Major Wilbraham one day saw a canoe-load of 

 them land in one of these harbours, and, wishing 

 to try to converse with them, he steered his boat 

 for the same place. When he arrived, however, 

 he found that people, canoe, and aU had vanished 

 into the forest, and by no amount of searching 

 could he find any trace of them. 



The food of these people is composed almost 

 entirely of mussels, which are very plentiful in all 

 these waters. 



