1834. 'York's' treachery — jemmy's story. 325 



- Next morning Jemmy shared my breakfast, and then weliad 

 a long conversation by ourselves ; the result of which was, 

 that I felt quite decided not to make a second attempt to 

 place Matthews among the natives of Tierra del Fuego. 

 Jemmy told me that he knew very little of his own language ; 

 that he spoke some words of English, and some Tekeenica, 

 when he talked to his family ; and that they all understood the 

 English words he used. York and Fuegia left him some 

 months before our arrival, and went in a large canoe to their 

 own country ; the last act of that cunning fellow was to rob 

 poor Jemmy of all his clothes ; nearly all the tools his Tekee- 

 nica 'friends' had left him; and various other necessaries. 

 Fuegia was dressed as usual, and looking well, when they de- 

 camped : her helpmate was also well clothed, and bad hardly 

 lost anything I left with him. Jemmy said " York very much 

 jaw," " pick up big stones," "all men afraid." Fuegia seemed 

 to be very happy, and quite contented with her lot. Jemmy 

 asserted that she helped to " catch (steal) his clothes," while he 

 was asleep, the night before York left him naked. 



Not long after my departure in Febuary 1833, the much- 

 dreaded Oens-men came in numbers, overland, to Woollya ; 

 obliged Jemmy's tribe to escape to the small islands, and car- 

 ried off every valuable which his party had not time to remove. 

 They had doubtless heard of the houses and property left 

 there, and hastened to seize upon it — hke other ' borderers.' 

 Until this time York had appeared to be settled, and quite at 

 ease, but he had been employed about a suspiciously large 

 canoe, just finished when the inroad was made. He saved 

 this canoe, indeed escaped in it, and afterwards induced Jemmy 

 and his family to accompany liim " to look at his land." They 

 went together in four canoes (York's large one and three 

 others) as far west as Devil Island, at the junction of the 

 north-west and south-west arms of the Beagle Channel : there 

 they met York's brother and some others of the Alikhoolip 

 tribe ; and, while Jemmy was asleep, all the Alikhoolip party 

 stole off, taking nearly all Jemmy's things, and leaving him in 

 his original condition. York's fine canoe was evidently not 



