320 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



two additional ferns, species of Hymenophyllum, on this oc- 

 casion, but, with this exception, met with nothing that was 

 of a novel character. 



The 15th was another day of very heavy showers, with 

 now and then brief gleams of sunshine. Our Fuegian friends, 

 this time no less than nineteen in number, again favoured 

 us with their company, most of the adults coming on 

 board, with the greater number of their children, and 

 one bringing a rude axe to be sharpened on the ship's 

 grindstone. They appeared to consider our custom of 

 walking up and down the quarter-deck, two and two, as a 

 most amusing proceeding, one of the women imitating the 

 rhythm of the sound produced by our feet as we advanced 

 and receded, and some of the men, after a time, following 

 our example ; — one old gentleman, blind of an eye, marching 

 in front of Captain Mayne, who laid his hand on his shoulder, 

 and gave him a slight shove to one side, an action which was 

 immediately retaliated, apparently under the impression that 

 it constituted part of the ceremony. The height of two of the 

 men and two of the women was measured on this occasion, that 

 of the former being found to be five feet six and five feet three 

 inches, and that of the latter four feet ten and four feet seven. 

 They did not appear nearly as tall as this, however, as nearly all 

 of them were much bent, probably in consequence of their 

 spending so much of their time in crouching round their fires. 

 While the party were on board they moored their plank canoe 

 alongside of the ship by means of a rope of plaited rushes {Bost- 

 kovid). One circumstance connected with them, which we 

 were interested to observe, was, that though fond of tobacco- 

 smoke, which they inhale till they almost lose consciousness, 

 they do not appear to have yet acquired a predilection for 

 intoxicating liquors, as one individual to whom a little rum 



