2i8 TIERRA DEL FUEGO chap. 



accustomed to Europeans as they appeared to be, yet they knew 

 and dreaded our firearms ; nothing would tempt them to take a 

 gun in their hands. They begged for knives, calling them by 

 the Spanish word "cuchilla." They explained also what they 

 wanted, by acting as if they had a piece of blubber in their 

 mouth, and then pretending to cut instead of tear it. 



I have not as yet noticed the Fuegians whom we had on 

 board. During the former voyage of the Adventure and Beagle 

 in 1826 to 1830, Captain Fitz Roy seized on a party of natives, 

 as hostages for the loss of a boat, which had been stolen, to the 

 great jeopardy of a party employed on the survey ; and some of 

 these natives, as well as a child whom he bought for a pearl-button, 

 he took with him to England, determining to educate them and 

 instruct them in religion at his own expense. To settle these 

 natives in their own country was one chief inducement to Cap- 

 tain Fitz Roy to undertake our present voyage ; and before the 

 Admiralty had resolved to send out this expedition. Captain 

 Fitz Roy had generously chartered a vessel, and would himself 

 have taken them back. The natives were accompanied by a mis- 

 sionary, R. Matthews ; of whom and of the natives, Captain Fitz 

 Roy has published a full and excellent account. Two men, one 

 of whom died in England of the smallpox, a boy and a little 

 girl, were originally taken ; and we had now on board, York 

 Minster, Jemmy Button (whose name expresses his purchase- 

 money), and Fuegia Basket. York Minster was a full-grown, 

 short, thick, powerful man ; his disposition was reserved, taci- 

 turn, morose, and when excited violently passionate ; his affec- 

 tions were very strong towards a few friends on board ; his intel- 

 lect good. Jemmy Button was a universal favourite, but likewise 

 passionate ; the expression of his face at once showed his nice 

 disposition. He was merry and often laughed, and was remark- 

 ably sympathetic with any one in pain : when the water was 

 rough, I was often a little sea -sick, and he used to come to me 

 and say in a plaintive voice, " Poor, poor fellow ! " but the notion, 

 after his aquatic life, of a man being sea- sick, was too ludicrous, 

 and he was generally obliged to turn on one side to hide a smile 

 or laugh, and then he would repeat his " Poor, poor fellow !" He 

 was of a patriotic disposition ; and he liked to praise his own tribe 

 and country, in which he truly said there were " plenty of trees," 

 and he abused all the other tribes ; he stoutly declared that there 



