234 TIERRA DEL FUEGO. [CHAP. xi. 



on shore, it was thought necessary to frighten them away. The 

 first time a few great guns were fired, when they were far distant. 

 It was most ludicrous to watch through a glass the Indians, as 

 often as the shot struck the water, take up stones, and as a bold 

 defiance, throw them towards the ship, though about a mile and 

 a-half distant ! A boat was then sent with orders to fire a few 

 musket-shots wide of them. The Fuegians hid themselves be- 

 hind the trees, and for every discharge of the muskets they fired 

 their arrows ; all, however, fell short of the boat, and the officer 

 as he pointed at them laughed. This made the Fuegians frantic 

 with passion, and they shook their mantles in vain rage. At 

 last, seeing the balls cut and strike the trees, they ran away, 

 and we were left in peace and quietness. During the former 

 voyage the Fuegians were here very troublesome, and to frighten 

 them a rocket was fired at night over their wigwams : it answered 

 effectually, and one of the officers told me that the clamour first 

 raised, and the barking of the dogs, was quite ludicrous in con- 

 trast with the profound silence which in a minute or two after- 

 wards prevailed. The next morning not a single Fuegian was 

 in the neighbourhood. 



When the Beagle was here in the month of February, I 

 started one morning at four o'clock to ascend Mount Tarn, 

 which is 2600 feet high, and is the most elevated point in this 

 immediate district. We went in a boat to the foot of the moun- 

 tain (but unluckily not to the best part), and then began our 

 ascent. The forest commences at the line of high-water mark, 

 and during the first two hours I gave over all hopes of reaching 

 the summit. So thick was the wood, that it was necessary to 

 have constant recourse to the compass ; for every landmark, 

 though in a mountainous country, was completely shut out. In 

 the deep ravines, the death-like scene of desolation exceeded all 

 description ; outside it was blowing a gale, but in these hollows, 

 not even a breath of wind stirred the leaves of the tallest trees. 

 So gloomy, cold, and wet was every part, that not even the 

 fungi, mosses, or ferns could flourish. In the valleys it was 

 scarcely possible to crawl along, they were so completely barri- 

 caded by great mouldering trunks, which had fallen down in 

 every direction. When passing over these natural bridges, one's 

 course was often arrested by sinking knee deep into the rotten 



