428 



YAPOOS FISHING FORGE. 



April 1830. 



ing at them, and calling them ^ Yapoo, yapoo."* ' Fuegia' 

 went on deck ; but the instant she saw them, screamed and 

 ran away. Some one told her, in jest, to go into their canoe 

 and live with them, which frightened her so much, that she 

 burst into tears and ran below to hide herself. After they 

 were gone, ' Boat' and ' York' made us understand they had 

 had fights with that tribe, and shewed the scars of wounds 

 received from them. By the help of signs we could compre- 

 hend much of their meaning ; but very few words were yet 

 learned on either side. We afterwards found that these Ya- 

 poos built their wigwams in a manner differing from that of 

 the western tribes, being made of a number of poles, or pieces 

 of wood, placed on end around a small space, and meeting at 

 the top. 



" Our Yapoo acquaintances established themselves in the 

 bay near our forge, but without attempting to steal any thing. 

 They frequently came alongside the ship with fish, which they 

 caught in the kelp. They take these fish by means of a line 

 without a hook, having only a small piece of bait at the end, 

 with which to entice them to the top of the water, close to the 

 side of the canoe. A fish bites, and before it can detach its 

 small teeth from the soft, tough bait, the hand holding the 

 line jerks the prize above the water, and the other catches it. 

 The fisher then bites out a large piece of its belly, takes out 

 the inside, and hangs the fish on a stick by the fire in the 

 canoe. 



" 10th. Still fine steady weather, notwithstanding the un- 

 usually low fall of the barometer already mentioned. 



" 12th. By the assistance of Mr. May, at the forge, we 

 made one good anchor out of two broken ones, and fitted new 

 liawse-plates where they were worn through, by constantly 

 using the chains. Fortunately, we brought from San Carlos 

 a good supply of iron and coals, and applied the latter only 

 to the use of the armourer and the small stoves, so that we 

 were enabled to use the forge very often ; and between the 

 wants of the ship and those of the boats, there was always 

 much work for that most useful appendage. 



