X 
ASTONISHMENT OF NATIVES 
231 
twenty-eight, started under the command of Captain Fitz Roy. 
In the afternoon we entered the eastern mouth of the channel, 
and shortly afterwards found a snug little cove concealed by 
some surrounding islets. Here we pitched our tents and lighted 
our fires. Nothing could look more comfortable than this scene. 
The glassy water of the little harbour, with the branches of the 
trees hanging over the rocky beach, the boats at anchor, the 
tents supported by the crossed oars, and the smoke curling up 
the wooded valley, formed a picture of quiet retirement. The 
next day (20th) we smoothly glided onwards in our little fleet, 
and came to a more inhabited district. Few if any of these 
natives could ever have seen a white man ; certainly nothing 
could exceed their astonishment at the apparition of the four 
boats. Fires were lighted on every point (hence the name of 
Tierra del Fuego, or the land of fire), both to attract our attention 
and to spread far and wide the news. Some of the men ran for 
miles along the shore. I shall never forget how wild and savage 
one group appeared : suddenly four or five men came to the 
edge of an overhanging cliff; they were absolutely naked, and 
their long hair streamed about their faces; they held rugged staffs 
in their hands, and, springing from the ground, they waved their 
arms round their heads, and sent forth the most hideous yells. 
At dinner-time we landed among a party of Fuegians. At 
first they were not inclined to be friendly ; for until the Captain 
pulled in ahead of the other boats, they kept their slings in 
their hands. We soon, however, delighted them by trifling 
presents, such as tying red tape round their heads. They liked 
our biscuit: but one of the savages touched with his finger some 
of the meat preserved in tin cases which I was eating, and feel¬ 
ing it soft and cold, showed as much disgust at it as I should 
have done at putrid blubber. Jemmy was thoroughly ashamed of 
his countrymen, and declared his own tribe were quite different, 
in which he was wofully mistaken. It was as easy to please 
as it was difficult to satisfy these savages. Young and old, men 
and children, never ceased repeating the word “yammerschooner,” 
which means “ give me.” After pointing to almost every object, 
one after the other, even to the buttons on our coats, and saying 
their favourite word in as many intonations as possible, they 
would then use it in a neuter sense, and vacantly repeat “ yam¬ 
merschooner.” After yammerschoonering for any article very 
