266 TIERRA DEL FUEGO. 



present voyage ; and before the Admiralty had re- 

 solved to send out this expedition, Captain Fitz 

 Roy had generovisly chartered a vessel, and would 

 himself have taken them back. The natives were 

 accompanied by a missionary, R. Matthews, of 

 whom and of the natives Captain Fitz Roy has 

 published a full and excellent account. Two men, 

 one of whom died in England of the smallpox, a 

 boy and a little girl, were onginally taken; and we 

 had now on board, York Minster, Jemmy Button 

 (whose name expresses his purchase-money), and 

 Fuegia Basket. York Minster was a full-gi-own, 

 short, thick, powerful man : his disposition was re- 

 served, taciturn, morose, and when excited, violent- 

 ly passionate ; his affections were very strong to- 

 wards a few friends on board ; his intellect good. 

 Jemmy Button was a universal favourite, but like- 

 wise passionate ; the expression of his face at once 

 showed his nice disposition. He was meiTy, and 

 often laughed, and was remarkably sympathetic 

 with any one in pain : when the water was rough, 

 I was often a little sea-sick, and he used to come 

 to me and say, in a plaintive voice, " Poor, poor 

 fellow !" but the notion, after his aquatic life, of a 

 man being sea-sick, was too ludicrous, and he was 

 generally obliged to turn on one side to hide a smile 

 or laugh, and then he would repeat his " Poor, poor 

 fellow!" He was of a patiiotic disposition; and 

 he liked to praise his own tribe and country, in 

 which he truly said there were " plenty of trees," 

 and he abused all the other tribes : he stoutly de- 

 clared that there was no Devil in his land. Jem- 

 my was short, thick, and fat, but vain of his per- 

 sonal appearance ; he used always to wear gloves; 

 his hair was neatly cut, and he was distressed if his 

 well-polished shoes were dirtied. He was fond of 

 admiring himself in a looking-glass ; and a merry- 



