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

March 1828. fuegians — beagle sailed. 129 equally liked, and swallowed most voraciously. One of them was discovered taking the tallow out of the end of the deep sea lead and eating it, although mixed with sand and dirt. Before sunset their canoes were despatched on shore to pre- pare the wigwams, during vvhich operation three of the men remained on board ; and as soon as the preparations were made thev called for a canoe and went on shore. We obtained seve- ral spears, baskets, necklaces, bows and arrows from them in barter; but they seemed to have very few skins. Perhaps those they possessed were hidden in the bushes, because they had no wish to part with them. One woman was covered with a guanaco mantle •, another merely wore a seal-skin over her back and shoulders, Avhich, while she crouched in the canoe, was sufficient to cover her person. One had a black stripe down the nose, but she was the only female among them who was so painted. Next morninjj the Indians visited us with a fresh assortment of bows and arrows, in the manufacture of which they had evidently passed the night, for every one was quite new ; the bows were of green wood, and the arrows not even pointed. They found, however, a ready sale. One of the party was a man who had been turned out of our vessel the preceding even- ing, for picking my pocket ; but he was daubed over with a whitish pigment to deceive us, and would probably have escaped detection, but for the unusual ugliness of his person, which was not so easily disguised. He was much disconcerted by our recognition ; and our refusal to barter with him made him angry and sullen. The women had daubed their faces all over with bright red ochre ; to add to their beauty, no doubt. We sailed out of the port by the northern passage, and stand- ing across the Strait, anchored in San Nicolas Bay. Mr. Graves went to Bougainville Harbour, to communicate with the Adeona, and take letters from me to Lieutenaiit Wickham. He brought back an account of all being well at Port Famine, and of the Beagle having sailed on the 17th. When we left Port Famine my intention was to examine VOL. I. K