1833. 



JEALOUSY OENS-MEN. 



205 



woods, and established themselves, very confidently, in a wig- 

 wam within a hundred yards of our tents. During this and 

 the preceding day, we found the weather, by comparison, so 

 mild, even warm, that several of our party bathed ; yet the ther- 

 mometer ranged only to 53° in the shade, and at night fell to 

 40°. The temperature of the sea was 48°. 



Being within a few hours' pull (row) of Jemmy's ' own land,"* 

 which he called Woollya, we all felt eager, though anxious, 

 and I was much gratified by seeing that Matthews still looked 

 at his hazardous undertaking as steadily as ever, betraying 

 no symptom of hesitation. The attentions which York paid to 

 his intended wife, Fuegia, afforded much amusement to our 

 party. He had long shewn himself attached to her, and had 

 gradually become excessively jealous of her good- will. If any 

 one spoke to her, he watched every word ; if he was not sitting 

 by her side, he grumbled sulkily ; but if he was accidentally 

 separated, and obliged to go in a different boat, his behaviour 

 became sullen and morose. This evening he was quizzed so 

 much about her that he became seriously angry, and I was 

 obliged to interpose to prevent a quarrel between him and one 

 of his steadiest friends. 



On this and previous evenings, as we sat round the blaz- 

 ing piles, which our men seemed to think could never be large 

 enough, we heard many long stories from Jemmy about the 

 Oens, or Coin men, who live beyond the mountains at the north 

 side of the Beagle Channel, and almost every year make despe- 

 rate inroads upon the Tekeenica tribe, carrying off women 

 and children, dogs, arrows, spears, and canoes ; and killing 

 the men whom they succeed in making prisoners. He told us 

 that these Oens-men made their annual excursions at the time of 

 ' red leaf ;' that is in April or May^ when the leaves of deci- 

 duous trees are changing colour and beginning to fall ; just 

 the time of year also when the mountains are least difficult to 

 pass. 



At that period these invaders sometimes come down to the 

 shores of the Beagle Channel in parties of from fifty to a hun- 

 dred ; seize upon canoes belonging to the Yapoo division of 



