1834.] PORT FAMINE. ^ 



a cause which would not at first be imagined, namely, that the whole 

 mass, from the summit to the water's edge, is generally in full view. 

 I remember having seen a mountain, first from the Beagle Channel, 

 where the whole sweep from the summit to the bas was full in view, 

 and then from Ponsonby Sound across several successive ridges ; 

 and it was curious to observe in the latter case, as each fresh ridge 

 afforded fresh means of judging of the distance, how the mountain rose 

 in height. 



Before reaching Port Famine, two men were seen running along the 

 shore and hailing the ship. A boat was sent for them. They turned 

 out to be two sailors who had run away from a sealing-vessel, and had 

 joined the Patagonians. These Indians had treated them with their 

 usual disinterested hospitality. They had parted company through 

 accident, and were then proceeding to Port Famine in hopes of finding 

 some ship. I daresay they were worthless vagabonds, but I never saw 

 more miserable-looking ones. They had been living for some days on 

 mussel-shells and berries, and their tattered clothes had been burnt by 

 sleeping so near their fires. They had been exposed night and day, 

 without any shelter, to the late incessant gales, with rain, sleet, and 

 snow, and yet they were in good health. 



During our stay at Port Famine, the Fuegians twice came and 

 plagued us. As there were many instruments, clothes, and men 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 behind 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 contrast with the profound silence, which 

 in a minute or two afterwards 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 2,600 feet 

 high, and is the most elevated point in this immediate district. We 

 went in a boat to the foot of the mountain (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 land- 

 mark, though in a mountainous country, was completely shut out. la 



