Feb 1827. 



FUEGIAN NATIVES. 



45 



were found standing, and from the green appearance of the 

 branches with which they were formed, seemed to have been 

 lately erected. After leaving Willes Bay, the Hope visited Fox 

 Bay, and Sir Edward Owen's Sound, which, it was thought, 

 would lead into Lomas Bay, opposite to Port Famine ; but, 

 after running ten miles up, they got into shoal water, and as 

 there was no current, or stream of tide, they landed, and found 

 that a mile and a half farther on, the sound was terminated 

 by low land. Another day, while proceeding along the south 

 side of Brenton Sound, the smoke of Indians' fires was 

 noticed near the beach. As this was the first time the Natives 

 of this part had been seen, the course was shaped towards 

 them, until the Hope anchored. Three Indians then ap- 

 proached, holding up the skins of some animal, and inviting 

 them to land. The small boat was hoisted out, and Messrs- 

 Wickham and Rowlett, with Robinson the pilot, went on 

 shore. The Fuegians presented a fox skin to each of the party, 

 who in return gave them some trifles. After a short inter- 

 view the boat left them, and no further communication was 

 held that night. The following morning a canoe came off to 

 the vessel, containing three young men, two women, and three 

 children, the youngest not more than four months old. They 

 were no sooner alongside than the men went on board, and 

 commenced an active traffic with all the valuables they pos- 

 sessed ; and for a few buttons, a glass bottle, or an empty pre- 

 served-meat canister, many of their goods were bartered. They 

 had several fox-skins with them, but no other kind of peltry, 

 except their clothing, obtained from the seal or guanaco : and 

 though many of them wore a penguin skin suspended from 

 their girdle, some were without even that covering. This canoe 

 was followed by another, containing an old man, sixty or 

 seventy years of age, with a grey beard ; an elderly woman, 

 and two children. Before they came alongside they put their 

 dogs on shore. 



Although the visit from these Indians did not last very long, 

 they had time enough to pilfer. One of the young men, who 

 was seen going into a canoe, excited, by his manner, a suspi- 



