176 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST 



appeared in front of us, and as the ship was slowed 

 down, they came alongside, and after a little 

 persuasion came on board. They soon made 

 friends with the crew, and the pilot, who knew 

 their language, talked to them. They at once 

 began to bargain for biscuits, etc. All they had 

 to offer in exchange were the well-worn otter skins 

 with which they were clothed. They readily 

 divested themselves of these and implored us to 

 give them biscuits, tobacco, and matches : the 

 latter they seemed to understand perfectly. We, 

 of course, gave them a plentiful supply, and they 

 went away quite happy. 



It appears that whole families travel about in 

 one canoe, in which they go from island to island 

 in the channel. In the canoe a fire is kept con- 

 tinually burning, and if this should go out, these 

 poor people are in a bad way, as, owing to the 

 dampness of the wood, it is almost, if not quite, 

 impossible to kindle fire by friction. 



Owing to the greatly reduced number of these 

 natives, Tierra del Fuego, which was so named 

 on account of their custom of signalling by fire, 

 can hardly now be said to be appropriately 

 named. 



The same evening we anchored in Port Dixon, 

 where the night was spent, and sailing at daylight 

 next morning we arrived towards evening in 

 Puerto Bueno harbour. Here we visited a large 

 fresh- water lake, which our pilot assured us was a 



