214 



PILFEEING TRIAL. 



Jan. 



natives, every one of whom had decamped at this time, gave a 

 good opportunity for landing the larger tools belonging to 

 Matthews and our Fuegians, and placing them within or 

 beneath his wigwam, unseen by any one except ourselves ; and 

 at dusk, all that we could do for them being completed, we 

 left the place and sailed some miles to the southward. 



During the four days in which we had so many natives about 

 us, of course some thefts were committed, but nothing of 

 consequence was stolen. I saw one man talking to Jemmy 

 Button, while another picked his pocket of a knife, and even 

 the wary York lost something, but from Fuegia they did not 

 take a single article ; on the contrary, their kindness to her 

 was remarkable, and among the women she was quite a pet. 



Our people lost a few trifles, in consequence of their own 

 carelessness. Had they themselves been left among gold and 

 diamonds, would they ail have refrained from indulging their 

 acquisitive inclinations ? ' 



Notwithstanding the decision into which I had reasoned 

 myself respecting the natives, I could not help being exceed- 

 ingly anxious about Matthews, and early next morning our 

 boats were again steered towards Woolly a. My own anxiety 

 was increased by hearing the remarks made from time to time 

 by the rest of the party, some of whom thought we should not 

 again see him alive ; and it was with no slight joy that I 

 caught sight of him, as my boat rounded a point of land, car- 

 rying a kettle to the fire near his wigwam. We landed and 

 ascertained that nothing had occurred to damp his spirits, or 

 in any way check his inclination to make a fair trial. Some 

 natives had returned to the place, among them one of Jemmy's 

 brothers ; but so far were they from showing the slightest ill- 

 will, that nothing could be more friendly than their behaviour. 



Jemmy told us that these people, who arrived at daylight 

 that morning were his friends, that his own family would come 

 in the course of the day, and that the ' bad men,"* the stran- 

 gers, were all gone away to their own country. 



A further trial was now determined upon. The yawl, with 

 one whale-boat, was sent back to the Beagle, and I set out on 



