1830. 



FUEGIANS. 



This letter was forwarded to the Admiralty by Captain 

 King, as soon as he arrived in England ; and a few days after- 

 wards the following answer was received. 



" Sir, Admiralty Office, 19th Oct. 1830. 



" Having laid before my Lords Commissioners of the Admi- 

 ralty your letter and its enclosure from Commander Fitz-Roy, 

 of the Beagle, relative to the four Indians whom he has 

 brought from Tierra del Fuego under the circumstances 

 therein stated; I am commanded to acquaint you that their 

 Lordships will not interfere with Commander Fitz-Roy's per- 

 sonal superintendence of, or benevolent intentions towards 

 these four people, but they will afford him any facilities 

 towards maintaining and educating them in England, and will 

 give them a passage home again. 



" I am, he. 



" To Commander King, (Signed) John Barrow/' 

 H.M.S.V. Adventure." 



I was, of course, anxious to protect the Fuegians, as far as 

 possible, from the contagion of any of those disorders, some- 

 times prevalent, and which unhappily have so often proved 

 fatal to the aboriginal natives of distant countries when brought 

 to Europe ; and, immediately after our arrival in England, 

 they landed with me, after dark, and were taken to comfort- 

 able, airy lodgings, where, next day, they were vaccinated, for 

 the second time. 



Two days afterwards they were carried a few miles into 

 the country, to a quiet farm-house, where I hoped they would 

 enjoy more freedom and fresh air, and, at the same time, 

 incur less risk of contagion than in a populous sea-port town, 

 where curiosity would be excited. 



Meanwhile, the Beagle was stripped and cleared out ; and 

 the Adventure went to Woolwich for a similar purpose, prepa- 

 ratory to being paid off. On the 27th of October, the Beagle''s 

 pendant was hauled down ; and on the 15th of November, the 

 Adventure was put out of commission. 



