248 



TIERRA DEL FUEGO 



* 



They turned out to be two sailors who had run away from a 

 sealing-vessel, and had joined the Patagonians. These Indians 

 had treated them with their usual disinterested 

 hospitality. They had parted company through 

 accident, and were then proceeding to Port Famine 

 in hopes of finding some ship. I daresay they 

 were worthless vagabonds, but I never saw more 

 miserable-looking ones. They had been living for 

 some days on mussel-shells and berries, and their 

 tattered clothes had been burnt by sleeping so near 

 their fires. They had been exposed night and day, 

 without any shelter, to the late incessant gales, 

 with rain, sleet, and snow, and yet they were in 

 good health. 



During our stay at Port Famine, the Fuegians 

 twice came and plagued us. As there were many 

 instruments, clothes, and men 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 behind 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 trouble- 

 some, 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 contrast with the 

 profound silence which in a minute or two afterwards prevailed. 

 The next morning not a single Fuegian was in the neighbourhood. 



PAT AGON IAN 

 BO LAS. 



