THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE 237 



like so many demoniacs who had been fighting. We then 

 proceeded (accompanied by twelve canoes, each holding four 

 or five people) down Ponsonby Sound to the spot where poor 

 Jemmy expected to find his mother and relatives. He had 

 already heard that his father was dead; but as he had had 

 a "dream in his head" to that effect, he did not seem to 

 care much about it, and repeatedly comforted himself with 

 the very natural reflection — " Me no help it." He was not 

 able to learn any particulars regarding his father's death, as 

 his relations would not speak about it. 



Jemmy was now in a district well known to him, and 

 guided the boats to a quiet pretty cove named Woollya, sur- 

 rounded by islets, every one of which and every point had 

 its proper native name. We found here a family of Jemmy's 

 tribe, but not his relations: we made friends with them; 

 and in the evening they sent a canoe to inform Jemmy's 

 mother and brothers. The cove was bordered by some acres 

 of good sloping land, not covered (as elsewhere) either by 

 peat or by forest-trees. Captain Fitz Roy originally in- 

 tended, as before stated, to have taken York Minster and 

 Fuegia to their own tribe on the west coast; but as they ex- 

 pressed a wish to remain here, and as the spot was singularly 

 favourable, Captain Fitz Roy determined to settle here the 

 whole party, including Matthews, the missionary. Five days 

 were spent in building for them three large wigwams, in 

 landing their goods, in digging two gardens, and sowing 

 seeds. 



The next morning after our arrival (the 24th) the Fu- 

 egians began to pour in, and Jemmy's mother and brothers 

 arrived. Jemmy recognised the stentorian voice of one of 

 his brothers at a prodigious distance. The meeting was less 

 interesting than that between a horse, turned out into a field, 

 when he joins an old companion. There was no demonstra- 

 tion of affection; they simply stared for a short time at 

 each other; and the mother immediately went to look after 



inhabitants of fresh-water; this is a beautiful example of the results obtain- 

 able through Professor Ehrenberg's microscopic researches; for Jemmy 

 Button told me that it is always collected at the bottoms of mountain- 

 brooks. It is, moreover, a striking fact in the geographical distribution 

 of the infusoria, which are well known to have very wide ranges, that all 

 the species in this substance, although brought from the extreme southern 

 point of Tierra del Fuego, are old, known forms. 



