102 WHAT MR. DARWIN SAW. 



TIERRA DEL FUEGO. 



spread far and wide the news. Some of the men ran for 

 miles along the shore. I shall never forget how wild and 

 savage one group appeared : suddenly four or five men came 

 to the edge of an overhanging cliff; they were absolutely 

 naked, and their long hair streamed about their faces. They 

 held rough staves in their hands, and, springing from the 

 ground, waved their arms round their heads, and sent forth 

 the most hideous yells. At dinner-time we landed among a 

 party of Fuegians. At first they were not inclined to be 

 friendly, for, until Captain Fitz Roy pulled in ahead 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, he showed as much disgust at it as I should have done 

 at putrid blubber. It was as easy to please as it was hard 

 to satisfy these savages. Young and old, men and children, 

 never ceased repeating the word " Yammerschooner," which 

 means " give me," and pointing to almost every object, one 

 after the other, even to the buttons on our coats. At night 

 we slept close to the junction of Ponsonby Sound with the 

 Beagle Channel. A small family of Fuegians, who were liv- 

 ing in the cove, were quiet and inoffensive, and soon joined 

 our party round a blazing fire. We were well clothed, and, 

 though sitting close to the fire, were far from too warm ; yet 

 these naked savages, though farther off, were observed, to our 

 great surprise, to be streaming with perspiration from such a 

 roasting. They seemed, however, very well pleased, and all 



