i834] AT PORT FAMINE. 235 



forty-three years afterwards, we hear of them at the Strait 

 of Magellan ! Mr. Low informs me, that a neighbouring 

 tribe of foot-Indians is now changing into horse-Indians ; 

 the tribe at Gregory Bay giving them their worn-out horses, 

 and sending in winter a few of their best skilled men to 

 hunt for them. 



June 1st. — We anchored in the fine bay of Port Famine. 

 It was now the beginning of winter, and I never saw a more 

 cheerless prospect ; the dusky woods, piebald with snow, 

 could be only seen indistinctly through a drizzling hazy 

 atmosphere. We were, however, lucky in getting two 

 fine days. On one of these. Mount Sarmiento, a distant 

 mountain 6800 feet high, presented a very noble spectacle. 

 I was frequently surprised, in the scenery of Tierra del 

 Fuego, at the little apparent elevation of mountains really 

 lofty. I suspect it is owing to a cause which would not at 

 first be imagined, namely that the whole mass, from the 

 summit to the water's edge, is generally in full view. I 

 remember having seen a mountain, first from the Beagle 

 Channel, where the whole sweep from the summit to the 

 base was full in view, and then from Ponsonby Sound across 

 several successive ridges ; and it was curious to observe in 

 the latter case, as each fresh ridge afforded fresh means of 

 judging of the distance, how the mountain rose in height. 



Before reaching Port Famine, two men were seen running 

 along the shore and hailing the ship. A boat was sent for 

 them. They turned out to be two sailors who had run 

 away from a sealing-vessel, and had joined the Patagonians. 

 These Indians had treated them with their usual disinter- 

 ested hospitality. They had parted company through 

 accident, and were then proceeding to Port Famine in 

 hopes of finding some ship. I daresay they were worthless 

 vagabonds, but I never saw more miserable-looking ones. 

 They had been living for some days on mussel shells and 

 berries, and their tattered clothes had been burnt by sleeping 

 so near their fires. They had been exposed night and da]^ 

 without any shelter, to the late incessant gales, with rain, 



f-et, and snow, and yet they were in good health. 

 During our stay at Port Famine, the Fuegians twice 

 tame and plagued us. As there were many instruments, 

 clothes, and men on shore, it was thought necessary to 

 frighten them away. The first time a few great guns were 

 fired, when they were far distant. It was most ludicrous to 

 watch through a glass the Indians, as often as the shot 



