THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE 243 



While in the boats I got to hate the very sound of their 

 voices, so much trouble did they give us. The first and last 

 word was " yammerschooner." When, entering some quiet 

 little cove, we have looked round and thought to pass a quiet 

 night, the odious word "yammerschooner" has shrilly sounded 

 from some gloomy nook, and then the little signal-smoke 

 has curled up to spread the news far and wide. On leaving 

 some place we have said to each other, " Thank Heaven, we 

 have at last fairly left these wretches ! " when one more faint 

 hallo from an all-powerful voice, heard at a prodigious dis- 

 tance, would reach our ears, and clearly could we distinguish 

 " yammerschooner." But now, the more Fuegians the mer- 

 rier ; and very merry work it was. Both parties laughing, 

 wondering, gaping at each other; we pitying them, for giv- 

 ing us good fish and crabs for rags, etc. ; they grasping at the 

 chance of finding people so foolish as to exchange such splen- 

 did ornaments for a good supper. It was most amusing to 

 see the undisguised smile of satisfaction with which one 

 young woman with her face painted black, tied several bits 

 of scarlet cloth round her head with rushes. Her husband, 

 who enjoyed the very universal privilege in this country of 

 possessing two wives, evidently became jealous of all the at- 

 tention paid to his young wife; and, after a consultation 

 with his naked beauties, was paddled away by them. 



Some of the Fuegians plainly showed that they had a fair 

 notion of barter. I gave one man a large nail (a most valu- 

 able present) without making any signs for a return; but he 

 immediately picked out two fish, and handed them up on the 

 point of his spear. If any present was designed for one 

 canoe, and it fell near another, it was invariably given to the 

 right owner. The Fuegian boy, whom Mr. Low had on 

 board, showed, by going into the most violent passion, that 

 he quite understood the reproach of being called a liar, which 

 in truth he was. We were this time, as on all former occa- 

 sions, much surprised at the little notice, or rather none 

 whatever, which was taken of many things, the use of which 

 must have been evident to the natives. Simple circum- 

 stances such as the beauty of scarlet cloth or blue beads, 

 the absence of women, our care in washing ourselves, ex- 

 cited their admiration far more than any grand or compli- 



