March 1830. 



SKIRMISH WITH NATIVES. 



413 



ing so many men without women, for I concluded that some of 

 the whale-boat thieves were among them, who, having seen our 

 cutter go to the westward full of people, might suppose we had 

 not many left on board : one boat''s crew, as they perhaps ima- 

 gined, being left on an island, and another away in search of 

 them. They had hitherto seen only merchant-vessels on this 

 coast, and judging of the number of a crew by them, might 

 think there could not be many persons on board, and that the 

 vessel would be easy to take. At all events they came prepared 

 for war, being much painted, wearing white bands on their 

 heads, carrying their slings and spears, and having left all 

 their children and dogs, with most of their women, in some 

 other place. 



" Two boats being manned and armed, I went with Lieut. 

 Kempe and Mr. Wilson to chase the Fuegians, who were pad- 

 dling towards another part of the harbour. Seeing the boats 

 approaching, they landed and got on the top of a rock, leaving 

 the canoes underneath with the two women. From their manner 

 I saw they were disposed to be hostile, and we therefore ap- 

 proached leisurely. Their canoes being within our reach, I 

 told the bowman to haul one alongside that we might search 

 it ; but no sooner did his boathook touch it, than a shower of 

 stones of all sizes came upon us, and one man was knocked 

 down, apparently killed, by the blow of a large stone on the 

 temple. We returned their volley with our fire-arms, but I 

 believe without hitting one of them. Stones and balls continued 

 to be exchanged till the cutter came to our assistance. The 

 Fuegians then got behind a rock, where we could not see them? 

 and kept close. Their canoes we took, and finding in them 

 some bottles* and part of our lost boat's gear, we destroyed 

 them. The man of my crew who was knocked down by a stone 

 was only stunned, and soon recovered, but the blow was very 

 severe and dangerous. Not choosing to risk any further injury 

 to our people, and seeing no object to be gained, I would not 

 land, though our numbers were much superior, and we had fire- 



* Mr. Murray had some bottles of beer in his boat — besides those in 

 which the men's allowance of spirits was kept. 



