396 



FIRE TREATMENT OF NATIVES. 



I would not disturb them until daylight (8th), when we con- 

 tinued our search in the direction the natives had indicated ; 

 but after examining several coves without finding any traces 

 of Fuegians, we hastened back towards the wigwams we had 

 visited on the previous day. Sailing close along-shore, a large 

 smoke suddenly rose up, out of a small cove close by us, where 

 we immediately landed, and looked all round ; but found only 

 the foot-prints of two Fuegians, probably the runaways, who 

 had just succeeded in lighting a fire at the moment we passed 

 by. This shows how quickly they find materials for the pur- 

 pose, for vv^hen they left us, they had neither iron nor fire-stone 

 (pyrites), nor any kind of tinder. They had carried off two 

 tarpaulin coats, which Mr. Murray had kindly put on to keep 

 them warm ; although, treated as he had so lately been, one 

 might have thought he would not have been the first to care 

 for their comfort. I mention these incidents to show what was 

 our behaviour to these savages, and that no wanton cruelty 

 was exercised towards them. 



" After looking for these two natives, and for Mr. Murray ""s 

 coats, which at that time he could ill spare, we returned to 

 our boat, and pushed on towards the wigwams. The moment 

 the inmates saw us, they ran away, and we gave chase, trying, 

 in vain, to make them stop. Disappointed in the hope of obtain- 

 ing a guide, we determined to prevent these people from escap- 

 ing far, and spreading any intelligence likely to impede the 

 return of our boat, which we daily expected : we therefore 

 destroyed two canoes, and part of a third, that the natives were 

 building, and burned every material which could be useful to 

 them in making another canoe. 



" (9th). Next day^ we went straight across the bay to Cape 

 Desolation, against a fresh breeze : by pulling in turns, the 

 boat was kept going fast through the water, and late in the 

 evening we reached the cove from which the thieves had first 

 started, when they stole the boat ; but no traces of their having 

 been there again, were found. I thought it probable that they 

 would return to see what had become of our party, and whether 

 our people were weak enough to be plundered again, or per- 

 haps attacked. 



