FtlEGIANS. 298 



faint halloo from an all-powerful voice, heard at a 

 prodigious distance, would reach our ears, and 

 clearly could we distinguish "yammerschooner." 

 .But now, the moreFuegians the merrier; and very 

 merry work it was. Both parties laughing,- won- 

 dering, gajiing at each other ; we pitying them for 

 giving us good fish and crabs for rags, &c. ; they 

 grasping at the chance of finding people so foolish 

 as to exchange such splendid ornaments for a good 

 supper. It was most amusing to sec the undis- 

 guised smile of satisfaction with which one young 

 woman, with her face painted black, tied several 

 bits of scarlet cloth round her head with rushes. 

 Her husband, who enjoyed the very universal priv- 

 ilege in this country of possessing two wives, evi- 

 dently became jealous of all the attention paid to 

 his young wife, and, after a consultation with his 

 naked beauties, was paddled away by them. 



Some of the Fuegians plainly showed that they 

 had a fair notion of barter. I gave one man a 

 large nail (a most valuable present) without ma- 

 king any signs for a return ; but he immediately 

 picked out two fish, and handed them up on the 

 point of his spear. If any present was designed 

 for one canoe, and it fell near another, it was in- 

 variably given to the right owner. The Fuegian 

 boy whom Mr. Low had on board, showed, by 

 going into the most violent passion, that he quite 

 understood the reproach of being called a liar, 

 which in truth he was. We were this time, as on 

 all former occasions, much surprised at the little 

 notice, or, rather, none whatever, which was taken 

 of many things, the use of which must have been 

 evident to the natives. Simple circumstances — 

 such as the beauty of scai'let cloth or blue beads, 

 the absence of women, our care in washing our- 

 selves — excited their admiration far more than any 

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