1834.] INDIAN GRAVE. 161 



stone.-?, each probably weighing at least a couple of tons, had been 

 placed in front of a ledge of rock about six feet high. At the 

 bottom of the grave on the hard rock there was a layer of earth 

 about a foot deep, which must have been brought up from the 

 plain below. Above it a pavement of flat stones was placed, on 

 which others were piled, so as to fill up the space between the ledgo 

 and the two great blocks. To complete the grave, the Indians had 

 contrived to detach from the ledge a huge fragment, and to throw 

 it over the pile so as to rest on the two blocks. We undermined 

 the grave on both sides, but could not find any relics, or even 

 bones. The latter probably had decayed long since (in which case 

 the grave must have been of extreme antiquity), for I found in 

 another place some smaller heaps, beneath which a very few crum- 

 bling fragments could yet be distinguished as having belonged to a 

 man. Falconer states, that where an Indian dies he is buried, but 

 that subsequently his bones are carefully taken up and carried, let 

 the distance be ever so great, to be deposited near the sea-coast. 

 This custom, I think, may be accounted for by recollecting, that 

 before the introduction of horses, these Indians must have led 

 nearly the same life as the Fuegians now do, and therefore gene- 

 rally have resided in the neighbourhood of the sea. The common 

 prejudice of lying where one's ancestors have lain, would make the 

 now roaming Indians bring the less perishable part of their dead 

 to their ancient burial-ground on the coast. 



January $th, 1834. Before it was dark the Beagle anchored in 

 the fine spacious harbour of Port St. Julian, situated about one 

 hundred and ten miles to the south of Port Desire. We remained 

 here eight days. The country is nearly similar to that of Port 

 Desire, but perhaps rather more sterile. One day a party accom- 

 panied Captain Fitz Eoy on a long walk round the head of the 

 harbour. We were eleven hours without tasting any water, and 

 some of the party were quite exhausted. From the summit of a 

 hill (since well named Thirsty Hill) a fine lake was spied, and two 

 of the party proceeded with concerted signals to show whether it 

 was fresh water. What was our disappointment to find a snow- 

 white expanse of salt, crystallized in great cubes ! We attributed 

 our extreme thirst to the dryness of the atmosphere ; but whatever 

 the cause might be, we ^yere exceedingly glad late in the evening 

 to get back to the boats. Although we could nowhere find, during 

 our whole visit, a single drop of fresh water, yet some must exist ; 



M 



