i s
I:'
m
i iËi '
gathering up their effects, they hurried into their canoes, and
joined the others, who all paddled round Point St. Anna. The
men, however, landed there, and remained on shore, armed
with slings, spears, and hows, ready to defend themselves,
and, by their gestures, defying us to land. No attention was
paid to them, and, after a short time, they went over the hills
to the coves on the north side of the point. As we had now
openly quarrelled, I thought it better that they shovrld keep
at a distance; and therefore, taking two boats, pulled round
the point, to tell them to go five miles fai’ther, to Rocky Bay ;
but the canoes were already beached, and the women had taken
up their quarters. As we approached, the hills echoed with the
screams of the women and the shouts of the men ; all of whom,
stark naked, armed, and daubed with white paint, their heads
being stuck full of white feathers, hastened down to the point
of the bay. The place, from its nature, offered a good defence,
as the beach was lined by large rocks, behind which they could
conceal themselves from our view, and yet assail us with stones.
When within a few yards of the beach, we held a parley—the
object of which was, that they should go farther to the northward
; to this they vociferously replied, by desiring us to leave
them. Seeing there was no chance of enforcing our demand,
without shedding blood, I ordered the boats away ; and on getting
about a musket-shot from the beach, one of the Fuegians
threw a stone, which fell close to us. In an instant, every one
of them was concealed behind the rocks; but we returned their
fire, and another large stone fell within two feet of the boat.
A second musket was fired, and another stone was returned, with
equal precision. After the interchange of a few more stones for
bullets, they ceased throwing them, and we returned on board.
It was very unlikely that any of our shot took effect; for we
were at a long distance, and could only see their heads above the
rocks. Fortunately, none of the stones struck us, for they were
large enough to have caused a severe bruise. It is astonishing
how very correctly they throw them, and to what a distance.
When the first stone fell close to us, we all thought ourselves
out of musket-shot.
The next morning, five or six natives were seen crouching
down among high grass, on the hill over our watering-well,
waiting for the people to go for water ; probably with the intention
of assailing them, for it appeared afterwards that their
slings and bows were in readiness. To show them they were
not out of our reach, I caused a six-pound shot to he fired
over their heads, which, as it went high above them, made no
impression. The gun was then pointed lower, and another
ineffectual shot fired. A third, however, fell close to them,
when they jumped up, shook their mantles in the air, with
the most violent gestures, and, apparently in a furious rage,
scampered off ; but the last man, before he disappeared,
threw an immense stone, which did not reach one quarter of the
distance.
We saw nothing more of the natives until the evening, when
Lieutenant MitcheU, who went to look for them, found they
had moved away to Rocky Bay, where they had encamped
on the open beach. The next day, I sent him to endeavour to
make peace, which he very easily effected, by the interchange
of a few trifles.
After this we had much bad weather, during which most of
the Indians kept close to then- wigwams; but a few occasionally
communicated with our watering party, quite peaceably, as if
nothing had happened. A day or two after, the weather improved,
and the Fuegians dispersed, probably for want of food,
some going to the northward, hut the greater part along shore
to the southward. These people pointed upwards to the sky,
when they were going away, repeating the word ‘ Pecheray.’
This was our last interview with the wretched Fuegians.
Naturally petulant and quarrelsome, they are also ever intent
upon mischief ; the fear of punishment alone restraining them.
Weakly-manned vessels passing through this Strait should
always avoid them, if they are numerous ; for unless they are
given what they want, they try to steal it, and any consequent
punishment probably brings on a quarrel. Their conduct, and
servile bearing, at our first seeing them, gave them an appearance
of being timid and inactive ; while, in reality, they