240 



TIERRA DEL FUEGO. 



Jan. 1833. 



such as these of Tierra del Fuego^ have seen objects struck, 

 and even small animals killed by the musket, without being 

 in the least aware how deadly an instrument it was. 



22d. — After having passed an unmolested night, in what 

 would appear to be neutral territory, between Jemmy's tribe 

 and the people we saw yesterday, we sailed pleasantly along. 

 The scenery in this part had a peculiar and very magnificent 

 character ; although the effect was lessened from the lowness 

 of the point of view in a boat, and from looking down the valley 

 and hence losing all the beauty of a succession of ridges. The 

 mountains attained an elevation of about 3000 feet, and were 

 terminated by sharp and jagged points. They rose in one 

 unbroken sweep from the water's edge, and were covered to 

 the height of fourteen or fifteen hundred feet by the dusky- 

 coloured forest. It was most curious to observe, how level 

 and truly horizontal the line on the mountain side was, as far 

 as the eye could range, at which trees ceased to grow. It 

 precisely resembled the high-water mark of drift weed on a 

 sea-beach. 



At night we slept close to the junction of Ponsonby 

 Sound with the Beagle channel. A small family of Fuegians, 

 who were hving in the cove, were very quiet and inoffensive, 

 and soon joined our party round the blazing fire. We were 

 well clothed, and though sitting close to the fire, were far 

 from too warm ; yet these naked savages, though further off, 

 were observed to our great surprise, to be streaming with 

 perspiration at undergoing such a roasting. They seemed, 

 however, very well pleased, and all joined in the chorus of 

 the seamen's songs : but the manner in which they were 

 invariably a little behindhand was quite ludicrous. 



During the night the news had spread, and early in the 

 morning (23d) a fresh party arrived. Several of them had 

 run so fast that their noses were bleeding, and their mouths 

 frothed from the rapidity with which they talked, and with 

 their naked bodies all bedaubed with black, white, and red, 

 they looked like so many demoniacs who had been fighting. 

 We then proceeded down Ponsonby Sound to the spot 



