238 CHARLES DARWIN 



her canoe. We heard, however, through York that the 

 mother has been inconsolable for the loss of Jemmy, and had 

 searched everywhere for him, thinking that he might have 

 been left after having been taken in the boat. The women 

 took much notice of and were very kind to Fuegia. We had 

 already perceived that Jemmy had almost forgotten his own 

 language. I should think there was scarcely another human 

 being with so small a stock of language, for his English was 

 very imperfect. It was laughable, but almost pitiable, to 

 hear him speak to his wild brother in English, and then ask 

 him in Spanish ("no sabe?") whether he did not under- 

 stand him. 



Everything went on peaceably during the three next days, 

 whilst the gardens were digging and wigwams building. We 

 estimated the number of natives at about one hundred and 

 twenty. The women worked hard, whilst the men lounged 

 about all day long, watching us. They asked for everything 

 they saw, and stole what they could. They were delighted 

 at our dancing and singing, and were particularly interested 

 at seeing us wash in a neighbouring brook ; they did not pay 

 much attention to anything else, not even to our boats. Of 

 all the things which York saw, during his absence from his 

 country, nothing seems more to have astonished him than 

 an ostrich, near Maldonado : breathless with astonishment, 

 he came running to Mr. Bynoe, with whom he was out walk- 

 ing " Oh, Mr. Bynoe, oh, bird all same horse ! " Much as 

 our white skins surprised the natives, by Mr. Low's account 

 a negro-cook to a sealing vessel, did so more effectually ; and 

 the poor fellow was so mobbed and shouted at that he would 

 never go on shore again. Everything went on so quietly, 

 that some of the officers and myself took long walks in the 

 surrounding hills and woods. Suddenly, however, on the 

 27th, every woman and child disappeared. We were all un- 

 easy at this, as neither York nor Jemmy could make out 

 the cause. It was thought by some that they had been fright- 

 ened by our cleaning and firing off our muskets on the pre- 

 vious evening ; by others, that it was owing to offence taken 

 by an old savage, who, when told to keep further off, had 

 coolly spit in the sentry's face, and had then, by gestures 

 acted over a sleeping Fuegian, plainly showed, as it was said, 



