ESCAPE—UNAVAILING SEARCH. 401 
left in our vessel was a security for the mothers far stronger 
than rope or iron. I kept watch myself during the first part 
of the night, as the men were tired by pulling all day, and 
incautiously allowed the Fuegians to lie between the fire and 
the bushes, having covered them up so snugly, with old blan- 
kets and my own poncho, that their bodies were entirely hid- 
den. About midnight, while standing on the opposite side of 
the fire, looking at the boats, with my back to the Fuegians, 
I heard a rustling noise, and turned round ; but seeing the 
heap of blankets unmoved, satisfied me, and I stooped down to 
the fire to look at my watch. At this moment, another rustle, 
and my dog jumping up and barking, told me that the natives 
had escaped. Still the blankets looked the same, for they were 
artfully propped up by bushes. All our party began imme- 
diately to search for them; but as the night was quite dark, 
and there was a thick wood close to us, our exertions were 
unavailing. 
“¢ Believing that we could not be far from the place where the 
natives supposed our boat to be, I thought that they would 
go directly and warn their people of our approach ; and as the 
island was narrow, though long, a very little travelling would 
take them across to the part they had pointed out to us, while 
it might take a boat a considerable time to go round ; I there- 
fore started immediately to continue the search in that direction, 
and left the master to examine every place near our tents. 
“In the afternoon of the same day I returned to him, having 
traversed a long extent of coast without finding an outlet to 
sea-ward, or any traces of the lost boat. Meanwhile Mr. Mur- 
ray had searched every place near our bivouac without success ; 
but he found the spot where the Fuegians had concealed them- 
selves during the night, under the roots of a large tree, only a 
dozen yards from our fire. 
“© As it was possible that the thieves might have returned to 
the place whence we had taken the natives, I desired the mas- 
ter to cross the sound and go there, and afterwards return to 
meet me, while I continued the search eastward. With a fair 
and fresh wind I made a good run that evening, found a pas- 
VOU. I. 2pD 
