FUEGIANS. 291' 



had not been concealed under gi'ound. Every arti- 

 cle seemed to have been torn up and divided by the 

 natives. Matthews described the watch he was obli- 

 ged always to keep as most harassing; night and day 

 he was surrounded by the natives, who tried to tire 

 him out by making an incessant noise close to his 

 head. One day an old man, whom Matthews ask- 

 ed to leave his wigwam, immediately returned with 

 a large stone in his hand : another day a whole 

 party came armed with stones and stakes, and some 

 of the younger men and Jemmy's brother were 

 crying : Matthews met them with presents. An- 

 other party showed by signs that they wished to 

 strip him naked and pluck all the hairs out of his 

 face and body. I think we arrived just in time to 

 save his life. Jemmy's relatives had been so vain 

 and foolish, that they had showed to strangers their 

 plunder, and their manner of obtaining it. It was 

 quite melancholy leaving the three Fuegians with 

 their savage countrymen ; but it was a gi-eat com- 

 fort that they had no personal fears. York, being 

 a powerful, resolute man, was pretty sure to get on 

 well, together with his wife Fuegia. Poor Jem- 

 my looked rather disconsolate, and would then, I 

 have little doubt, have been glad to have returned 

 with us. His own brother had stolen many things 

 from him; and as he remarked, "what fashion call 

 that]" he abused his countrymen, "all bad men, no 

 sabe (know) nothing," and, though I never heard 

 him swear before, " d — d fools." Our three Fu- 

 egians, though they had been oidy three years with 

 civilized men, would, I am sure, have been glad to 

 have retained their new habits ; but this was obvi- 

 ously impossible. I fear it is more than doubtful 

 whether their visit will have been of any use to 

 them. 



In the evening, with Matthews on board, we 



