204 



CONFLAGRATION DREAM. 



Jan. 



Persons who have witnessed a forest burning on the side of a 

 mountain, will easily perceive how, when seen from a distance, 

 it may resemble the eruption of a volcano ; but to those who 

 have not seen fire on such a scale, I may remark that each gust 

 of wind, or temporary calm ; each thick wood, or comparatively 

 barren space ; augments or deadens the flames so suddenly, as 

 the fire sweeps along the mountain side, that, at a distance of 

 fifty miles or more, the deception may be complete. 



22d. Favoured by beautiful weather, we passed along a tract 

 of country where no natives were seen. Jem.my told us it was 

 "land between bad people and his friends;" (neutral-ground 

 probably). This evening we reached a cove near the Murray 

 Narrow; and from a small party of Tekeenica natives. Jemmy's 

 friends, whom we found there, he heard of his mother and 

 brothers, but found that his father was dead. Poor Jemmy 

 looked very grave and mysterious at the news, but showed no 

 other symptom of sorrow. He reminded Bennett^ of the dream 

 (related in the previous chapter), and then went for some green 

 branches, which he burned, watching them with a solemn look : 

 after which he talked and laughed as usual, never once, of his 

 own accord, recurring to the subject of his father's decease. 

 The language of this small party, who were the first of Jemmy's 

 own tribe whom we met, seemed softer and less guttural than 

 those of the " bad men'' whom we had passed near the clay 

 clifl^s ; and the people themselves seemed much better disposed, 

 though as abject and degraded in outward appearance as any 

 Fuegians I had ever seen. There were three men and two 

 women : when first we were seen they all ran away, but upon 

 two of our party landing and advancing quietly, the men 

 returned and were soon at their ease. J emmy and York then 

 tried to speak to them ; but to our surprise, and much to my 

 sorrow, we found that Jemmy had almost forgotten his native 

 language, and that, of the two, York, although belonging to 

 another tribe, was rather the best interpreter. In a few minutes 

 the natives comprehended that we should do them no harm ; 

 and they then called back their women, who were hiding in the 

 * My coxswain. 



