234 TIERRA DEL FUEGO. [cHaP. XL 
on shore, it was thought necessary to frighten them away. The 
first time a few great guns were fired, when they were far distant. 
It was most ludicrous to watch through a glass the Indians, as 
often as the shot struck the water, take up stones, and as a bold 
defiance, throw them towards the ship, though about a mile and 
a-half distant! A boat was then sent with orders to fire a few 
musket-shots wide of them. The Fuegians hid themselves be- 
hind the trees, and for every discharge of the muskets they fired 
their arrows ; all, however, fell:short of the boat, and the officer 
as he pointed at them laughed. This made the Fuegians frantic 
with passion, and they shook their mantles in vain rage. At 
last, seeing the balls cut and strike the trees, they ran away, 
and we were left in peace and quietness. During the former 
voyage the Fuegians were here very troublesome, and to frighten 
them a rocket was fired at night over their wigwams: it answered 
effectually, and one of the officers told me that the clamour first 
raised, and the barking of the dogs, was quite ludicrous in con- 
trast with the profound silence which in a minute or two after- 
wards prevailed. The next morning not a single Fuegian was 
in the neighbourhood. 
When the Beagle was here in the month of February, I 
started one morning at four o’clock to ascend Mount Tarn, 
which is 2600 feet high, and is the most elevated point in this 
immediate district. We went in a boat to the foot of the moun-- 
tain (but unluckily not to the best part), and then began our 
ascent. The forest commences at the line of high-water mark, 
and during the first two hours I gave over all hopes of reaching 
the summit. So thick was the wood, that it was necessary fa 
have constant recourse to the compass; for every landmark, 
though in a mountainous country, was completely shut out. In 
the deep ravines, the death-like scene of desolation exceeded all 
description ; outside it was blowing a gale, but in these hollows, 
not even a breath of wind stirred the leaves of the tallest trees. 
So gloomy, cold, and wet was every part, that not even the 
fungi, mosses, or ferns could flourish. In the valleys it was 
scarcely possible to crawl along, they were so completely barri- 
eaded by great mouldering trunks, which had fallen down in 
every direction. When passing over these natural bridges, one’s 
course was often arrested by sinking knee deep into the rotten 
