Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

HOSTAGE SCENE NOISE. 207 come impeded by he number of canoes which I knew would soon throng around us. Although now among natives who seemed to be friendly, and to whom Jemmy and York con- trived to explain the motives of our visit, it was still highly necessary to be on our guard. Of those men and boys who ran over the hills to us, all were of Jemmy's tribe excepting one man, whom he called an Oens-man ; but it was evident, from his own description, that the man belonged to the Yapoo, or eastern Tekeenica tribe, and was living in safety among his ' usual enemies, as a hostage for the security of a man belonging to Jemmy's tribe who was staying among the eastern people. As we steered out of the cove in which our boats had been sheltered, a striking scene opened : beyond a lake-like expanse of deep blue water, mountains rose abruptly to a great height, and on their icy summits the sun's early rays glittered as if on a mirror. Immediately round us were mountainous emi- nences, and dark cliffy precipices which cast a very deep shadow over the still water beneath them. In the distant west, an opening appeared where no land could be seen ; and to the south was a cheerful sunny woodland, sloping gradually down to the Murray Narrow, at that moment almost undis- tinguishable. As our boats became visible to the natives, who were eagerly paddling towards the cove from every direction, hoarse shouts arose, and, echoed about by the cliffs, seemed to be a continual cheer. In a very short time there were thirty or forty canoes in our train, each full of natives, each with a column of blue smoke rising from the fire amidships, and almost all the men in them shouting at the full power of their deep sonorous voices. As we pursued a winding course around the bases of high rocks or between islets covered with wood, continual additions were made to our attendants ; and the day being very fine, without a breeze to ruffle the water, it was a scene which carried one's thoughts to the South Sea Islands, but in Tierra del Fuego almost appeared like a dream. After a~few hours (pulling hard to keep a-head of our train) we reached WooUya, and selected a clear space favourably situated for our encampment, landed, marked a boundary-line.