CHAP, X. FUEGIANS ON BOARD. 207 
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 smail-pox, 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 ina 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 
was no Devil in his land. Jemmy was short, thick, and fat, but 
vain of his personal appearance; he used always to wear gloves, 
his hair was neatly cut, and he was distressed if his well-polished 
shoes were dirtied. He was fond of admiring himself in a look- 
ing-glass; and a merry-faced little Indian boy from the Rio Negro, 
whom we had for some months on board, soon perceived this, and 
used to mock him: Jemmy, who was always rather jealous of 
the attention paid to this little boy, did not at all like this, and 
used to say, with rather a contemptuous twist of his head, “Too 
much skylark.” It seems yet wonderful to me, when I think over 
all his many good qualities, that he should have been“of the same 
race, and doubtless partaken of the same character, with the mi- 
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