208 TIERRA DEL FUEGO. [CHAP. x. 



in a-head of the other boats, they kept their slings in their hands. 

 We soon, however, delighted them by trifling presents, such as 

 tying red tape round their heads. They liked our biscuit : but 

 one of the savages touched with his finger some of the meat pre- 

 served in tin cases which I was eating, and feeling it soft and cold, 

 showed as much disgust at it, as I should have done at putrid 

 blubber. Jemmy was thoroughly ashamed of his countrymen, and 

 declared his own tribe were quite different, in which lie was wofully 

 mistaken. It was as easy to please as it was difficult to satisfy 

 these savages. Young and old, men and children, never ceased 

 repeating the word " yammerschooner," which means "give me." 

 After pointing to almost every object, one after the other, even to 

 the buttons on our coats, and saying their favourite word in as 

 many intonations as possible, they would then use it in a neuter 

 sense, and vacantly repeat "yammerschooner." After yammer- 

 schoonering for any article very eagerly, they would by a simple 

 artifice point to their young women or little children, as much 

 as to say, " If you will not give it me, surely you will to such as 

 these." 



At night we endeavoured in vain to find an uninhabited cove ; 

 and at last were obliged to bivouac not far from a party of natives. 

 They were very inoffensive as long as they were few in numbers, 

 but in the morning (21st) being joined by others they showed 

 symptoms of hostility, and we thought that we should have come 

 to a skirmish. An European labours under great disadvantages 

 when treating with savages like these, who have not the least idea 

 of the power of fire-arms. In the very act of levelling his musket 

 he appears to the savage far inferior to a man armed with a bow 

 and arrow, a spear, or even a sling. Nor is it easy to teach them 

 our superiority except by striking a fatal blow. Like wild beasts, 

 they do not appear to compare numbers; for each individual, if 

 attacked, instead of retiring, will endeavour to dash your brains 

 out with a stone, as certainly as a tiger under similar circumstances 

 would tear you. Captain Fitz Roy on one occasion being very 

 anxious, from good reasons, to frighten away a small party, first 

 flourished a cutlass near them, at which they only laughed; he then 

 twice fired his pistol close to a native. The man both times looked 

 astounded, and carefully but quickly rubbed his head; he then 

 stared awhile, and gabbled to his companions, but he never seemed 

 to think of running away. We can hardly put ourselves in the 



