Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.1): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

76 FUEGIAN NATIVES. Feb. 1827. rancid seal, and whale blubber, &c. When on board my ship, they ate or drank greedily whatever was offered to them, salt- beef, salt-pork, preserved meat, pudding, pea-soup, tea, coffee, wine, or brandy — nothing came amiss. One little instance, however, happened, whicli showed what they preferred. As they were going ashore, a lump of the tallow used for arming the lead was given to them, and received with particular delight. It was scrupulously divided, and placed in the little baskets which they form of rushes, to be reserved for eating last, as the richest treat. " To their dwellings have been given, in various books of voyages, the names of huts, wigwams, &c. ; but, with reference to their structure, I think old Sir John Narborough's term for them will convey the best idea to an English reader; he calls them ' arbours.' They are formed of about a couple of dozen branches, pointed at the larger ends, and stuck into the ground round a circular or elliptical space, about ten feet by six ; the upper ends are brought together, and secured by tyers of grass, over which is thrown a thatching of grass and seal-skins, a hole being left at the side as a door, and another at tlie top as a vent for the smoke. A fire is kept burning within, over which the natives are constantly cowering ; hence, when seen abroad, instead of appearing to be hardy savages, inured to wet and cold, you see wretched creatures shivering at every breeze. I never met people so sensible of cold as these Fuegian Indians. " The nature of their domestic ties we had no opportunity of discovering ; their manner towards their children is affec- tionate and caressing. I often witnessed the tenderness with which they tried to quiet the alarms our presence at first occasioned, and the pleasure which they showed when we bestowed upon the little ones any trifling trinkets. It appeared that they allow their children to possess property, and con- sult their little whims and wishes, with respect to its disposal for lying in a boat, alongside one of the canoes, bargaining for various articles, spears, arrows, baskets, &c., I took a fancy to a dog lying near one of the women, and offered a price for it; one of my seamen, supposing the bargain concluded, laid