CHAPTER VIIL 



Find that the Cutter had been burned — Anxiety for the Beag-le — Ux- 

 bridge Sealer ^ — Beagle arrives — Her cruize — Bellaco Rock — San 

 Julian — Santa Cruz — Gallegos — Adeona — Death of Lieutenant Sholl 

 ' — Adelaide Sails — Supposed Channel of San Sebastian — Useless Bay 

 — Natives — Port San Antonio — Humming-birds — Fuegians — Beagle 

 sailed — Sarmiento — Roldan — Pond — Whales— Structure— Scenery — 

 Port Gallant. 



Port Famine bore evident marks of having been visited in 

 our absence by the Indians, for a large fire, apparently recent, 

 had over-run the grass, and burned the trees upon Point Santa 

 Anna, particularly in that part where our boat had been so care- 

 fully concealed. Eager to know whether she had escaped the 

 fire, I lost no time in hastening to the spot, directly after the 

 Adventure anchored, and found, as our fears had anticipated, 

 that she had been completely destroyed, scarcely a vestige of 

 her wood remaining, and most of the iron-work having been 

 carried away ; for which, doubtless, the Indians had set her 

 on fire. 



The sheds for the cooper and armourer, which had been 

 erected with some pains, were also entirely consumed, and every 

 thing portable had been carried away. Those things which 

 were of no use to them were either broken or burnt ; but some 

 of our station poles on Point Santa Anna were left uninjured; 

 as well as the tablet erected to the memory of Mr. Ains worth 

 and the boat's crew ; which was singular, because it was secured 

 by iron hoops — of great value, in their eyes. 



From the fresh traces of horses in the neighbourhood, we at 

 first suspected the conflagration to have been caused by the 

 Patagonians ; but we soon found we owed our loss to the Fue- 

 gians, for in two new wigwams were strewed some remains of 

 our boat. 



The last winter appeared to have been milder than that pre- 

 ceding it, for last January, Mount Sarmiento and the hills to 



