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

410 NATURE OF TIERllA DEL FUEGO. March 1830. They seemed to belong to tlie same tribe as those we had last seen. " 4th. This afternoon our boat''s keel Avas laid down, and her moulds were set up. Fuegia Basket * told ' York Min- ster' -f- all her story ; at some parts of which he laughed heartily. Fuegia, cleaned and dressed, was much improved in appearance : she was already a pet on the lower deck, and appeared to be quite contented. York Minster was sullen at first, yet his appetite did not fail ; and whatever he received moi'e than he could eat, he stowed away in a corner ; but as soon as he was well cleaned and clothed, and allowed to go about where he liked in the vessel, he became much more cheerful. " At Cape Castlereagh and the heights over Doris Cove in Gilbert Island, the rock seemed to contain so much metal, that I spent the greater part of one day in trying experiments on pieces of it, with a blowpipe and mercury. By pounding and washing I separated about a tea-spoonful of metal from a piece of rock (taken at random) the size of a small cup. I put the powder by carefully, with some specimens of the rock — think- ing that some of these otherwise barren mountains might be rich in metals. It would not be in conformity with most other parts of the world were the tract of mountainous islands com- posing the Archipelago of Tierra del Fuego condemned to in- ternal as well as external unprofitableness. From the nature of the climate agriculture could seldom succeed ; and perhaps no quadrupeds fit for man's use, except goats and dogs, could thrive in it : externally too, the land is unfit for the use of civilized man. In a few years its shores will be destitute of seal: and then, what benefit will be derived from it ? — unless it prove internally rich, not in gold or silver, but perhaps in copper, iron, or other metals. " 5th. This day all hands were put on full allowance, our savings since we left San Carlos having; secured a sufficient * So called in remembrance of the basket-like canoe by which we received intellig'ence of the loss of our boat, t The man 1 took out of the canoe.