230 



TIERRA DEL FUEGO. 



Dec. 1832. 



knives^ calling them by the Spanish word ^^cuchilla." 

 They explained also what they wanted^ by acting as if they 

 had a piece of blubber in their mouth, and then pretending 

 to cut instead of tear it. 



It was interesting to watch the conduct of these people to- 

 wards Jemmy Button (one of the Fuegians* who had been 

 taken, during the former voyage, to England) : they immedi- 

 ately perceived the difference between him and the rest, and 

 held much conversation between themselves on the subject. 

 The old man addressed a long harangue to Jemmy, which 

 it seems was to invite him to stay with them. But Jemmy 

 understood very httle of their language, and was, moreover, 

 thoroughly ashamed of his countrymen. When York Minster 

 (another of these men) came on shore, they noticed him in 

 the same way, and told him he ought to shave ; yet he had 

 not twenty dwarf hairs on his face, whilst we all wore our 

 untrimmed beards. They examined the colour of his skin, 

 and com_pared it with ours. One of our arms being bared, 

 they expressed the Hveliest surprise and admiration at its 

 whiteness. We thought that they mistook two or three 

 of the officers, who were rather shorter and fairer (though 

 adorned with large beards), for the ladies of our party. 

 The tallest amongst the Fuegians was evidently much 

 pleased at his height being noticed. When placed back 

 to back with the tallest of the boat^s crew, he tried his 

 best to edge on higher ground, and to stand on tiptoe. 

 He opened his mouth to show his teeth, and turned 

 his face for a side view; and all this was done with such 

 alacrity, that I dare say he thought himself the handsomest 

 man in Tierra del Fuego. After the first feeling on our 

 part of grave astonishment was over, nothing could be 

 more ludicrous or interesting than the odd mixture of sur- 

 prise and imitation which these savages every moment 

 exhibited. 



* Captain FitzRoy has given a history of these people. Four were taken 

 to England ; one died there, and the three others (two men and one woman) 

 were now brought back and settled in their own country. 



