X ASTONISHMENT OF NATIVES 231 



twenty-eight, started under the command of Captain Fitz Roy. 

 In the afternoon we entered the eastern mouth of the channel, 

 and shortly afterwards found a snug little cove concealed by 

 some surrounding islets. Here we pitched our tents and lighted 

 our fires. Nothing could look more comfortable than this scene. 

 The glassy water of the little harbour, with the branches of the 

 trees hanging over the rocky beach, the boats at anchor, the 

 tents supported by the crossed oars, and the smoke curling up 

 the wooded valley, formed a picture of quiet retirement. The 

 next day (20th) we smoothly glided onwards in our little fleet, 

 and came to a more inhabited district. Few if any of these 

 natives could ever have seen a white man ; certainly nothing 

 could exceed their astonishment at the apparition of the four 

 boats. Fires were lighted on every point (hence the name of 

 Tierra del Fuego, or the land of fire), both to attract our attention 

 and to spread far and wide the news. Some of the men ran for 

 miles along the shore. I shall never forget how wild and savage 

 one group appeared : suddenly four or five men came to the 

 edge of an overhanging cliff ; they were absolutely naked, and 

 their long hair streamed about their faces ; they held rugged staffs 

 in their hands, and, springing from the ground, they waved their 

 arms round their heads, and sent forth the most hideous yells. 



At dinner-time we landed among a party of Fuegians. At 

 first they were not inclined to be friendly ; for until the Captain 

 pulled in ahead of the other boats, they kept their slings in 

 their hands. We soon, however, delighted them by trifling 

 presents, such as tying red tape round their heads. They liked 

 our biscuit : but one of the savages touched with his finger some 

 of the meat preserved in tin cases which I was eating, and feel- 

 ing it soft and cold, showed as much disgust at it as I should 

 have done at putrid blubber. Jemmy was thoroughly ashamed of 

 his countrymen, and declared his own tribe were quite different, 

 in which he was wofully mistaken. It was as easy to please 

 as it was difficult to satisfy these savages. Young and old, men 

 and children, never ceased repeating the word "yammerschooner," 

 which means " give me." After pointing to almost every object, 

 one after the other, even to the buttons on our coats, and saying 

 their favourite word in as many intonations as possible, they 

 would then use it in a neuter sense, and vacantly repeat " yam- 

 merschooner." After yammerschooncring for any article very 



