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410
They seemed to belong to the same tribe as those we had last
seen.
“ 4th. This afternoon our boat’s keel was laid down, and
her moulds were set up. Fuegia Basket,* told ‘ York Minster’
f all her story; at some parts of which he laughed
heartily. Fuegia, cleaned and dressed, was much improved in
appearance; she was already a pet on the lower deck, and
appeared to be quite contented. York Minster was sullen at
first, yet his appetite did not fa il; and whatever he received
more than he could eat, he stowed away in a corner; but as
soon as he was well cleaned and clothed, and allowed to go
about where he liked in the vessel, he became much more
cheerful.
“ At Cape Castlere,agh and the heights over Doris Cove in
Gilbert Island, the rock seemed to contain so much metal, that
I spent the greater part of one day in trying experiments on
pieces of it, with a blowpipe and mercury. By pounding and
washing I separated about a tea-spoonful of metal from a piece
of rock (taken at random) the size of a small cup. I put the
powder by carefully, with some specimens of the rock—thinking
that some of these otherwise barren mountains might be
rich in metals. It would not be in conformity with most other
parts of the world were the tract of mountainous islands composing
the Archipelago of Tierra del Fuego condemned to internal
as well as external unprofitableness. From the nature of
the climate agriculture could seldom succeed; and perhaps no
quadrupeds fit for man’s use, except goats and dogs, could
thrive in i t : externally too, the land is unfit for the use of
civilized man. In a few years its shores will be destitute of seal:
and then, what benefit will be derived from it.°—unless it
prove internally rich, not in gold or silver, but perhaps in
copper, iron, or other metals.
“ 5th. This day all hands were put on full allowance, our
savings since we left San Carlos having secured a sufficient
* So called in rcmemlirance of the basket-like canoe by ivbich we
received intelligence of the loss of our boat,
t T h e m an 1 took out of the canoe.
stock of provisions to last more than the time allotted for the
the remainder of our solitary cruise.
“ By using substitutes for the mens’ shoes, made of sealskin,
we secured enough to last as long as we should want them-
I have never mentioned the state of our sick list, because it
was always so trifling. There had been very little doing in
the surgeon’s department; nothing indeed of consequence,
since Mr. Murray dislocated his shoulder.
“ The promontory of York Minster is a black irregularly-
shaped rocky cliff, eight hundred feet in height, rising almost
perpendicularly from the sea. It is nearly the loftiest as well
as the most projecting part of the land about Christmas Sound,
which, generally speaking, is not near so high as that further
west, but it is very barren. Granite is prevalent, and I could
find no sandstone. Coming from the westward, we thought the
heights about here inconsiderable ; but Cook, coming from the
South Sea, called them ‘ high and savage.’ Had he made the
land nearer the Barbara Channel, where the mountains are much
higher, he would have spoken still more strongly of the wild
and disagreeable appearance of the coast.
“ 6th. During the past night it blew very hard, making our
vessel jerk her cables with unusual violence, though we had a
good scope out, aud the water was perfectly smooth. We saw
that the best bower-anchor had been dragged some distance, it
was therefore hove to the bows when its stock was found to ha
broken, by a rock, in the midst of good ground, having caught
the anchor. It had been obtained at San Carlos from a merchant
brig, but being much too light for our vessel, had been
woulded round with chains to give it weight: its place was
taken by a frigate’s stream-anchor, well made and well tried,
which I had procured from Valparaiso.* In shifting our berth,
the small bower chain was found to be so firmly fixed round
another rock that for several hours we could not clear it. Such
rocks as these are very treacherous and not easily detected,
except by sweeping the bottom with a line and weights. A very
I t had formerly belong;ed to H.M.S, Doris, which was condemned a t
Valparaiso; being unserviceable.
f t