1833. 



STRANGERS MATTHEWS. 



213 



disposition to try their strength, having more than three hun- 

 dred men, while we were but thirty, I had thought it ad- 

 visable, as I mentioned, to give them some idea of the wea- 

 pons we had at command, if obliged to use them, by firing 

 at a mark. Probably two-thirds of the natives around us at 

 that time had never seen a gun fired, being strangers, coming 

 from the Beagle Channel and its neighbourhood, where no ves- 

 sel had been ; and although our exercise might have frightened 

 them more than I wished, so much, indeed, as to have induced 

 them to leave the place, it is not improbable that, without some 

 such demonstration, they might have obliged us to fire at them 

 instead of the target. So many strangers had arrived during 

 the few days we remained, I mean strangers to Jemmy's family 

 — men of the eastern tribe, which he called Yapoo — that his 

 brothers and mother had no longer any influence over the 

 majority, who cared for them as little as they did for us, and 

 were intent only upon plunder. Finding this the case, I con- 

 clude that Jemmy'*s friends thought it wise to retreat to a 

 neighbouring island before any attack commenced ; but why 

 they did not tell Jemmy their reasons for going, I know not, 

 neither could he tell me more than that they said they were 

 going to fish, and would return at night. This, however, they 

 did not do. 



In the evening, Matthews and his party — Jemmy, York, 

 and Fuegia — went to their abode in the three new wigwams. 

 In that made for Matthews, Jemmy also took up his quarters 

 at first : it was high and roomy for such a construction ; the 

 space overhead was divided by a floor of boards, brought from 

 the ship, and there most of Matthews' stores were placed ; but 

 the most valuable articles were deposited in a box, which was 

 hid in the ground underneath the wigwam, where fire could 

 not reach. 



Matthews was steady, and as willing as ever ; neither York 

 nor Jemmy had the slightest doubt of their being all well- 

 treated ; so trusting that Matthews, in his honest intention 

 to do good, would obtain that assistance in which he confided, 

 I decided to leave him for a few days. The absence of the 



