p
I 1
, 1 "
' I
*1
jii 1.1
Persons who have witnessed a forest burning on the side of a
mountain, will easily perceive how, when seen from a distance,
it may resemble the eruption of a volcano; but to those who
have not seen fire on such a scale, I may remark that each gust
of wind, or temporary calm; each thick wood, or comparatively
barren space; augments or deadens the flames so suddenly, as
the fire sweeps along the mountain side, that, at a distance of
fifty miles or more, the deception may be complete.
22d. Favoured by beautiful weather, we passed along a tract
of country where no natives were seen. Jemmy told us it was
“ land between had people and his friends(neutral-ground
probably). This evening we reached a cove near the Murray
Narrow; and from a small party of Tekeenica natives, Jemmy’s
friends, whom we found there, he heard of his mother and
brothers, but found that his father was dead. Poor Jemmy
looked very grave and mysterious at the news, but showed no
other symptom of sorrow. He reminded Bennett* of the dream
(related in the previous chapter), and then went for some green
branches, which he burned, watching them with a solemn look:
after which he talked and laughed as usual, never once, of his
own accord, recurring to the subject of his father’s decease.
The language of this small party, who were the first of Jemmy’s
own tribe whom we met, seemed softer and less guttural than
those of the “ bad men” whom we had passed near the clay
cliffs ; and the people themselves seemed much better disposed,
though as abject and degraded in outward appearance as any
Fuegians I had ever seen. There were three men and two
women : when first we were seen they all ran away, but upon
two of our party landing and advancing quietly, the men
returned and were soon at their ease. Jemmy and York then
tried to speak to them; but to our surprise, and much to my
sorrow, we found that Jemmy had almost forgotten his native
language, and that, of the two, York, although belonging to
another tribe, was rather the best interpreter. In a few minutes
the natives comprehended that we should do them no harm ;
and they then called back their women, who were hiding in the
• My coxswain.
woods, and established themselves, very confidently, in a wigwam
within a hundred yards of our tents. During this and
the preceding day, we found the weather, by comparison, so
mild, even warm, that several of our party bathed ; yet the thermometer
ranged only to 53° in the shade, and at night fell to
40°. The temperature of the sea was 48°.
Being within a few hours’ pull (row) of Jemmy’s ‘ own land,’
which he called Woollya, we all felt eager, though anxious,
and I was much gratified by seeing that Matthews still looked
at his hazardous undertaking as steadily as ever, betraying
no symptom of hesitation. The attentions which York paid to
his intended wife, Fuegia, afforded much amusement to our
party. He had long shewn himself attached to her, and had
gradually become excessively jealous of her good-will. If any
one spoke to her, he watched every word; if he was not sitting
by her side, he grumbled sulkily ; but if he was accidentally
separated, and obliged to go in a different boat, his behaviour
became sullen and morose. This evening he was quizzed so
much about her that he became seriously angry, and I was
obliged to interpose to prevent a quarrel between him and one
of his steadiest friends.
On this and previous evenings, as we sat round the blazing
piles, which our men seemed to think could never be large
enough, we heard many long stories from Jemmy about the
Oens, or Coin men, who live beyond the mountains at the north
side of the Beagle Channel, and almost every year make desperate
inroads upon the Tekeenica tribe, carrying off women
and children, dogs, arrows, spears, and canoes; and killing
the men whom they succeed in making prisoners. He told us
that these Oens-men made their annual excursions at the time of
‘ red leaf;’ that is in April or May, when the leaves of deciduous
trees are changing colour and beginning to fa ll; just
the time of year also when the mountains are least difficult to
pass.
At that period these invaders sometimes come down to the
shores of tbe Beagle Channel in parties of from fifty to a hundred
; seize upon canoes belonging to the Yapoo division of
i
r a
I’: