4 PASSAGES. FUEGTANS. 1830. 



twenty-five and thirty degrees west, are, I believe, far less 

 subject to detention — taking the year through — than those 

 which adopt easterly courses. 



Cape St. Roque, St. Paul Rocks, Fernando Noronha, and 

 the Roccas, ought not to be thought of too lightly ; but in 

 avoiding them, and the lee current near St. Roque, many ships 

 have encountered the tedious calms, extremely hot weather, 

 frequent torrents of rain, and violent squalls, which are more 

 or less prevalent between the longitudes of twenty and ten 

 degrees west. 



To return to the Fuegians. While on our passage home 

 I addressed the following letter to my commanding officer and 

 kind friend. Captain King. 



" Sir, Beagle; at sea, Sept. 12, 1830. 



" I have the honour of reporting to you that there are now 

 on board of his Majesty's sloop, under my command, four 

 natives of Tierra del Fuego. 



" Their names and estimated ages are, 



York Minster 26 



Boat Memory 20 



James Button 14 



Fueg-ia Basket (a girl) 9 



" I have maintained them entirely at my own expense, and 

 hold myself responsible for their comfort while away from, 

 and for their safe return to their own country : and I have 

 now to request that, as senior officer of the Expedition, you 

 will consider of the possibility of some public advantage being 

 derived from this circumstance ; and of the propriety of offer- 

 ing them, with that view, to his Majesty's Government. 



" If you think it proper to make the offer, I will keep them 

 in readiness to be removed according to your directions. 



" I am now to account for my having these Fuegians on 

 board, and to explain my future views with respect to them. 



" In February last, the Beagle being moored in ' Towns- 

 hend Harbour,' on the south-west coast of Tierra del Fuego, 

 I sent Mr. Matthew Murray (master), with six men, in a 

 whale-boat, to Cape Desolation ; the projecting part of a small, 



