216 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



told me that there was " man very much kiU with fire," add- 

 ing, " you like to see him ? " to which I returned a decided 

 negative, imagining that it was a burnt carcass which was 

 proposed to be submitted to my inspection. However, he 

 repeated his remark, adding very earnestly, " You come with 

 me and see him ;" and I at length gathered that the man was 

 alive, and had been burned in consequence of lying too close 

 to the fire when in a state of intoxication, and consented to 

 go and see him. Pedro accordingly conducted me to a wooden 

 shanty where the unfortunate sufferer was lying, telling me 

 on the way that he had visited the " Malouines " (Falkland 

 Islands), and asking, "You know Mr. Tirling? he great friend 

 of mine." After a little consideration I arrived at the con- 

 clusion that Mr. Stirling, the energetic missionary to the 

 Fuegians, and now Bishop of the Falkland Islands, was 

 meant. On reaching the hovel and opening the door, the 

 only object at first presented to my view in the darkness (for 

 windows there were none), was a smouldering wood-fire. 

 However, on Pedro's addressing some invisible individual 

 with a command, which he translated for my benefit, as 

 " Make candle," a torch was produced, by the light of which 

 a number of women, children, and dogs were disclosed, as 

 well as a handsome young man lying on the ground near the 

 fire, wrapped in his guanaco robe. It- was then explained to 

 him that I had come to see him, and the burn forthwith 

 exhibited. It was not a very deep one, but extended for 

 more than a foot along the outside of one thigh, and was evi- 

 dently very painful. I felt much at a loss to tell them how 

 to treat the poor fellow, as they have so very few appliances, but 

 endeavoured to explain that they must keep the burnt sur- 

 face free from dirt, and laid a pocket-handkerchief moistened 

 with water over it, securing it with strips of guanaco-skin. 



