FAMILY ARRIVE. 



209 



ber) were occupied at a distance, cutting wood, digging 

 ground for a garden, or making wigwams for Matthews, 

 York, and Jemmy. 



As the natives thronged to our boundary-line (a mere mark 

 made with a spade on the ground), it was at first difficult to 

 keep them back without using force ; but by good temper on 

 the part of our men, by distributing several presents, and by 

 the broken Fuegian explanations of our dark-coloured ship- 

 mates, we succeeded in getting the natives squatted on their 

 hams around the line, and obtaining influence enough over 

 them to prevent their encroaching. 



Canoes continued to arrive ; their owners hauled them ashore 

 on the beach, sent the women and children to old wigwams at 

 a little distance, and hastened themselves to see the strangers. 

 While I was engaged in watching the proceedings at our 

 encampment, and poor Jemmy was getting out of temper at 

 the quizzing he had to endure on account of his countrymen, 

 whom he had extolled so highly until in sight, a deep voice 

 was heard shouting from a canoe more than a mile distant : 

 up started Jemmy from a bag full of nails and tools which he 

 was distributing, leaving them to be scrambled for by those 

 nearest, and, upon a repetition of the shout, exclaimed " My 

 brother! " He then told me that it was his eldest brother''s voice, 

 and perched himself on a large stone to watch the canoe, which 

 approached slowly, being small and loaded with several people. 

 When it arrived, instead of an eager meeting, there was a 

 cautious circumspection which astonished us. Jemmy walked 

 slowly to meet the party, consisting of his mother, two sisters, 

 and four brothers. The old woman hardly looked at him 

 before she hastened away to secure her canoe and hide her 

 property, all she possessed — a basket containing tinder, fire- 

 stone, paint, &c., and a bundle of fish. The girls ran off 

 with her without even looking at Jemmy ; and the brothers 

 (a man and three boys) stood still, stared, walked up to Jemmy, 

 and all round him, without uttering a word. Animals when 

 they meet show far more animation and anxiety than was 

 displayed at this meeting. Jemmy was evidently much morti- 



VOL. II. p 



