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

ESCAPE UNAVAILING SEARCH. 401 left in our vessel was a security for the mothers far stronger than rope or iron. I kept watch myself during the first part of the night, as the men were tired by pulling all day, and incautiously allowed the Fuegians to lie between the fire and the bushes, having covered them up so snugly, with old blan- kets and my own poncho, that their bodies were entirely hid- den. About midnight, while standing on the opposite side of the fire, looking at the boats, with my back to the Fuegians, I heard a rustling noise, and turned round ; but seeing the heap of blankets unmoved, satisfied me, and I stooped down to the fire to look at my watch. At this moment, another rustle, and my dog jumping up and barking, told me that the natives had escaped. Still the blankets looked the same, for they were artfully propped up by bushes. All our party began imme- diately to search for them ; but as the night was quite dark, and there was a thick wood close to us, our exertions were unavailing. " Believing that we could not be far from the place where the natives supposed our boat to be, I thought that they would go directly and warn their people of our approach ; and as the island was narrow, though long, a very little travelling would take tliem across to the part they had pointed out to us, while it might take a boat a considerable time to go round ; I there- fore started immediately to continue the search in that direction, and left the master to examine every place near our tents. " In the afternoon of the same day I returned to him, having traversed a long extent of coast without finding an outlet to sea-ward, or any traces of the lost boat. Meanwhile Mr. Mur- ray had searched every place near our bivouac without success but he found the spot where the Fuegians had concealed them- selves during the night, under the roots of a large tree, only a dozen vards from our fire. " As it was possible that the thieves might have returned to the place whence we had taken the natives, I desired the mas- ter to cross the soimd and go there, and afterwards return to meet me, while I continued the search eastward. With a fair and fresh wind I made a good run that evening, found a pas- VOL. I. 2d