248 
TIERRA DEL FUEGO 
CHAP. 
They turned out to be two sailors who had run away from a 
sealing-vessel, and had joined the Patagonians. These Indians 
had treated them with their usual disinterested 
hospitality. They had parted company through 
accident, and were then proceeding to Port Famine 
in hopes of finding some ship. I daresay they 
were worthless vagabonds, but I never saw more 
miserable-looking ones. They had been living for 
some days on mussel-shells and berries, and their 
tattered clothes had been burnt by sleeping so near 
their fires. They had been exposed night and day, 
without any shelter, to the late incessant gales, 
with rain, sleet, and snow, and yet they were in 
good health. 
During our stay at Port Famine, the Fuegians 
twice came and plagued us. As there were many 
instruments, clothes, and men on shore, it was 
thought necessary to frighten them away. The 
first time a few great guns were fired, when they were 
far distant. It was most ludicrous to watch through 
a glass the Indians, as often as the shot struck the 
water, take up stones, and as a bold defiance, throw 
them towards the ship, though about a mile and 
a half distant! A boat was then sent with orders 
to fire a few musket-shots wide of them. The 
Fuegians hid themselves behind the trees, and for 
every discharge of the muskets they fired their 
arrows ; all, however, fell short of the boat, and the 
officer as he pointed at them laughed. This made 
the Fuegians frantic with passion, and they shook 
their mantles in vain rage. At last, seeing the 
balls cut and strike the trees, they ran away, and 
we were left in peace and quietness. During the 
former voyage the Fuegians were here very trouble¬ 
some, and to frighten them a rocket was fired at 
night over their wigwams ; it answered effectually, 
and one of the officers told me that the clamour first raised, and 
the barking of the dogs, was quite ludicrous in contrast with the 
profound silence which in a minute or two afterwards prevailed. 
The next morning not a single Fuegian was in the neighbourhood. 
A 
PATAGONIAN 
BOLAS. 
