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

1833. STRANGERS — MATTHEWS. 213 disposition to try their strength, having more than three hun- dred men, while we were but thirty, I had thought it ad- visable, as I mentioned, to give them some idea of the wea- pons we had at command, if obliged to use them, by firing at a mark. Probably two-thirds of the natives arovmd us at that time had never seen a gun fired, being strangers, coming from the Beagle Channel and its neighbourhood, where no ves- sel had been ; and although our exercise might have frightened them more than I wished, so much, indeed, as to have induced them to leave the place, it is not improbable that, without some such demonstration, they might have obliged us to fire at them instead of the target. So many strangers had arrived during the few days we remained, I mean strangers to Jemmy's family — men of the eastern tribe, which he called Yapoo — that his brothers and mother had no longer any influence over the majority, who cared for them as little as they did for us, and were intent only upon plunder. Finding this the case, I con- clude that Jemmy's fi'iends thought it wise to retreat to a neighbouring island before any attack commenced ; but why they did not tell Jemmy their reasons for going, I know not, neither could he tell me more than that they said they were going to fish, and would return at night. This, however, they did not do. In the evening, Matthews and his party — Jemmy, York, and Fuegia — went to their abode in the three new wigwams. In that made for Matthews, Jemmy also took up his quarters at first : it was high and roomy for such a construction ; the space overhead was divided by a floor of boards, brought from the ship, and there most of Matthews' stores were placed ; but the most valuable articles were deposited in a box, which was hid in the ground underneath the wigwam, where fire could not reach. Matthews was steady, and as willing as ever ; neither York nor Jemmy had the slightest doubt of their being all well- treated ; so trusting that Matthews, in his honest intention to do good, would obtain that assistance in which he confided, I decided to leave him for a few days. The absence of the