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

128 FUEGiANS. March 1828. of the Adelaide ; and for some days had three anchors down, owing to the violent squalls. Farenheit's thermometer ranged between thirty-six and forty-six degrees, and we had several snow storms, but the snow did not lie on the low grounds. On the 28th the gale began to subside, and there was a change for the better ; but we were again disappointed, and not until the 31st could we effect our departure from this dreary and confined little place. The day before we sailed, three canoes, containing in all six- teen persons, of whom six only were men, came alongside. For about an hour they had hesitated to approach ; but when once near us, very little invitation was necessary to induce them to come on board. One was clothed in a duck shirt, which was recognised by one of our people, who had joined us from the Uxbridge, as having been given to them a few weeks before, when that vessel passed through Magdalen Channel : another wore a red flannel shirt, and in the canoe we observed an European boarding-pike, painted green, and a part of the iron-work of the cutter, burned at Port Famine during our absence ; also some relics of the boat in which Mr. Ainsworth was drowned, which last they had doubtless found thrown up on the beach. Upon our inquiring how they became possessed of the iron-work, they pointed towards Port Famine; and I have no doubt they were concerned in the fire; but as we could not explain to them the mischief they had occasioned, it was thought better not to notice the affair, and the articles were retm-ned to them. They could have had no idea of our being the owners of the boat, or they would have concealed all that belonged to her. They conducted themselves very quietly during their stay on board, with the exception of one, who tried to pick my pocket of a handkerchief ; the offender was ordered out of the vessel, and there was no further attempt to pilfer. They wished to go below ; but this was not permitted, because the odour of their oily persons was scarcely tolerable, even in the open air. As to food, tallow-candles, biscuit, beef, plumb-pudding, were