242 



TIERRA DEL FUEGO. 



Jan. 1833. 



point of his spear. If any present was designed for one 

 canoe, and it fell near another, it was invariably given to the 

 right owner. We were always much surprised at the little 

 notice, or rather none whatever, which was evinced respect- 

 ing many things, even such as boats, the use of which must 

 have been evident. Simple circumstances, — such as the white- 

 ness of our skins, the beauty of scarlet cloth or blue beads, the 

 absence of women, our care in washing ourselves, — excited 

 their admiration far more than any grand or complicated 

 object, such as the ship. Bougainville has remarked con- 

 cerning these very people that they treat the " chef 

 d^oeuvres de Findustrie humaine, comme ils traitent les loix 

 de la nature et ses phenomenes.^^ 



The perfect equality among the individuals composing 

 these tribes, must for a long time retard their civilization. 

 As we see those animals, whose instinct compels them to 

 live in society and obey a chief, are most capable of improve- 

 ment, so is it with the races of mankind. Whether we 

 look at it as a cause or a consequence, the more civilized 

 always have the most artificial governments. For instance, 

 the inhabitants of Otaheite, who, when first discovered, were 

 governed by hereditary kings, had arrived at a far higher 

 grade than another branch of the same people, the New 

 Zealanders, — who although benefited by being compelled to 

 turn their attention to agriculture, were republicans in the 

 most absolute sense. In Tierra del Fuego, until some chief 

 shall arise with power sufficient to secure any acquired 

 advantages, such as the domesticated animals or other valu- 

 able presents, it seems scarcely possible that the political 

 state of the country can be improved. At present, even a 

 piece of cloth is torn into shreds and distributed ; and no 

 one individual becomes richer than another. On the other 

 hand, it is difficult to understand how a chief can arise till 

 there is property of some sort by which he might manifest 

 and still increase his authority. 



January 28th. — In the evening. Captain FitzRoy sent 

 two boats back to the ship from Ponsonby Sound, and with 



