1833. 



SOUTH-WEST ARM FIRE. 



219 



ping may resort, would have been wrong, while so many other 

 objects demanded immediate attention. 



4th. We sailed along the passage very rapidly, a fresh 

 wind and strong tide favouring us. The flood-tide stream set 

 two or three knots an hour through this south-west arm of the 

 Beagle Channel, but the ebb was scarcely noticed : certainly 

 its strength did not, even in the narrowest places, exceed one 

 knot an hour. A few Alikhoolip Fuegians were seen in a cove 

 on the south shore, ten miles west of Point Divide ; the only 

 natives, except a very small party in Darwin Sound, that had 

 been met in the excursion since we left the Tekeenica people. 



Near Point Divide we saw a large fire, and approached the 

 spot guardedly, supposing that a number of Fuegians must be 

 there. No one appeared ; but still the fire burned brightly? 

 and we began to think there might be an ambush, or that the 

 natives who had been there had fled, but were still in the 

 neighbourhood. Approaching nearer, we found that the fire 

 was in a large tree, whose trunk it had almost consumed. 

 Judging from the slow rate at which the tree burned while we 

 were present, I should say it had been on fire two or three 

 days, and that the frequent heavy rain had prevented the 

 flames from making head. Had the weather been some time 

 dry, the adjoining woodland would have blazed, and, as the 

 mountain side is steep and covered with trees, the conflagration 

 would have been immense. At Point Divide the slate rock 

 seemed to be of excellent quality, fit for roofing ; but when 

 will roofing slates be required in Tierra del Fuego ? Perhaps 

 though sooner than we suppose ; for the accidental discovery of 

 a valuable mine might efl'ect great changes. 



On the south shore, nearly opposite to Shingle Point, we met 

 a large party of natives, among whom those who disturbed us at 

 that place as we passed westward were recognized. All of them 

 appeared in full dress, being bedaubed with red and white 

 paint, and ornamented, after their fashion, with feathers and 

 the down of geese. One of their women was noticed by several 

 among us as being far from ill-looking: her features were 

 regular, and, excepting a deficiency of hair on the eyebrow, 



