SM ' JEMMY ' AND HIS FAMILY. MarcTi 



detected me, and a sudden movement of the hand to his head 

 (as a sailor touches his hat) at once told me it was indeed 

 Jemmy Button — but how altered I I could hardly restrain my 

 feelings, and I was not, by any means, the only one so touched 

 by his squalid miserable appearance. He was naked, like his 

 companions, except a bit of skin about his loins ; his hair was 

 long and matted, just like theirs ; he was wretchedly thin, and 

 his eyes were affected by smoke. We hurried him below, 

 clothed him immediately, and in half an hour he was sitting 

 with me at dinner in my cabin, using his knife and fork pro- 

 perly, and in every way behaving as correctly as if he had 

 never left us. He spoke as much English as ever, and, to our 

 astonishment, his companions, his wife, his brothers and their 

 wives, mixed broken English words in their talking with him. 

 Jemmy recollected every one well, and was very glad to see 

 them all, especially Mr. Bynoe and James Bennett. I thought 

 he was ill, but he surprised me by saying that he was " hearty, 

 sir, never better,""* that he had not been ill, even for a day, 

 was happy and contented, and had no wish whatever to change 

 his way of life. He said that he got " plenty fruits,"-f " plenty 

 birdies," " ten guanaco in snow time," and " too much fish." 

 Besides, though he said nothing about her, I soon heard that 

 there was a good-looking j young woman in his canoe, who was 

 said to be his wife. Directly this became known, shawls, hand- 

 kerchiefs, and a gold-laced cap appeared, with which she was 

 speedily decorated ; but fears had been excited for her hus- 

 band's safe return to her, and no finery could stop her crying 

 until Jemmy again showed himself on deck. While he was 

 below, his brother Tommy called out in a loud tone — " Jemmy 

 Button, canoe, come ! " After some time the three canoes went 

 ashore, laden with presents, and their owners promised to come 

 again early next morning. Jemmy gave a fine otter skin to 

 me, which he had dressed and kept purposely ; another he gave 

 to Bennett. 



* A favourite sayings of his, formerly. 



t Excrescences on the birch treesj and berries.. 



I For a Fuegian, 



