ESCAPE — UNAVAILING SEAROH. 



401 



left in our vessel was a security for the mothers far stronger 

 than rope or iron. I kept watch myself during the first part 

 of the night, as the men were tired by pulling all day, and 

 incautiously allowed the Fuegians to lie between the fire and 

 the bushes, having covered them up so snugly, with old blan- 

 kets and my own poncho, that their bodies were entirely hid- 

 den. About midnight, while standing on the opposite side of 

 the fire, looking at the boats, with my back to the Fuegians, 

 I heard a rustling noise, and 'turned round ; but seeing the 

 heap of blankets unmoved, satisfied me, and I stooped down to 

 the fire to look at my watch. At this moment, another rustle, 

 and my dog jumping up and barking, told me that the natives 

 had escaped. Still the blankets looked the same, for they were 

 artfully propped up by bushes. All our party began imme- 

 diately to search for them ; but as the night was quite dark, 

 and there was a thick wood close to us, our exertions were 

 unavailing. 



" Believing that we could not be far from the place where the 

 natives supposed our boat to be, I thought that they would 

 go directly and warn their people of our approach ; and as the 

 island was narrow, though long, a very little travelling would 

 take them across to the part they had pointed out to us, while 

 it might take a boat a considerable time to go round ; I there- 

 fore started immediately to continue the search in that direction, 

 and left the master to examine every place near our tents. 



" In the afternoon of the same day I returned to him, having 

 traversed a long extent of coast without finding an outlet to 

 sea^ward, or any traces of the lost boat. Meanwhile Mr. Mur- 

 ray had searched every place near our bivouac without success ; 

 but he found the spot where the Fuegians had concealed them- 

 selves during the night, under the roots of a large tree, only a 

 dozen yards from our fire. 



As it was possible that the thieves might have returned to 

 the place whence we had taken the natives, I desired the mas- 

 ter to cross the sound and go there, and afterwards return to 

 meet me, while I continued the search eastward. With a fair 

 and fresh wind I made a good run that evening, found a pas- 



VOL. I. 2d 



