242 TIERRA DEL FUEGO chap. 



into his canoe. He returned loaded with valuable property. 

 Every soul on board was heartily sorry to shake hands with him 

 for the last time. I do not now doubt that he will be as happy 

 as, perhaps happier than, if he had never left his own country. 

 Every one must sincerely hope that Captain Fitz Roy's noble 

 hope may be fulfilled, of being rewarded for the many generous 

 sacrifices which he made for these Fuegians, by some ship- 

 wrecked sailor being protected by the descendants of Jemmy 

 Button and his tribe ! When Jemmy reached the shore, he 

 lighted a signal fire, and the smoke curled up, bidding us a last 

 and long farewell, as the ship stood on her course into the open 

 sea. 



The perfect equality among the individuals composing the 

 Fuegian tribes must for a long time retard their civilisation. 

 As we see those animals, whose instinct compels them to live in 

 society and obey a chief, are most capable of improvement, so 

 is it with the races of mankind. Whether we look at it as a 

 cause or a consequence, the more civilised always have the most 

 artificial governments. For instance, the inhabitants ofOtaheite,. 

 who, when first discovered, were governed by hereditary kings^ 

 had arrived at a far higher grade than another branch of the 

 same people, the New Zealanders, — who, although benefited by 

 being compelled to turn their attention to agriculture, were 

 republicans in the most absolute sense. In Tierra del Fuego, 

 until some chief shall arise with power sufficient to secure any 

 acquired advantage, such as the domesticated animals, it seems 

 scarcely possible that the political state of the country can be 

 improved. At present, ev^en a piece of cloth given to one is 

 torn into shreds and distributed ; and no one individual becomes 

 richer than another. On the other hand, it is difficult to under- 

 stand how a chief can arise till there is property of some sort 

 by which he might manifest his superiority and increase his 

 powder. 



I believe, in this extreme part of South America, man exists 

 in a lower state of improvement than in any other part of the 

 world. The South Sea Islanders of the two races inhabiting 

 the Pacific are comparatively civilised. The Esquimaux, in his 

 subterranean hut, enjoys some of the comforts of life, and in his 

 canoe, when fully equipped, manifests much skill. Some of the 



