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

APPENDIX. 131 great success, they returned a good deal out of humour. A little boy of theirs, about three years old, whom they appeared to be doatingly fond of, watching for his father and mother's return, ran into the surf to meet them : the father handed a basket of eggs to the child, which being too heavy for him to carry, he let it fall, upon which the father jumped out of the canoe, and catching the boy up in his arms, dashed him with the utmost violence against the stones. The poor httle creature lay motionless and bleeding, and in that condition was taken up by the mother ; but died soon after. She appeared inconsolable for some time; but the brute, his father, shewed little concern about it." " The first thing that the Indians did in the mommg, was to take their canoes to pieces : and here, for the information of the reader, itwiU be necessary to describe the structure of these boats, which are extremely well calculated for the use of these Indians, as they are frequently obliged to carry them over-land a long way together, through thick woods, to avoid doubling capes and head-lands, in seas where no open boat could hve. They generally consist of five pieces, or planks ; one for the bottom and two for each side ; and as these people have no iron tools, the labour must be great in hacking a single plank out of a large tree with shells and flints, though with the help of fire. Along the edges of the plank they made small holes, at about an inch from one to the other, and sew them together with the supple-jack, or woodbine ; but as these holes are not filled up by the substance of the woodbine, their boats would be immediately full of water if they had not a method of preventing it. They do this very effectually by the bark of a tree, which they first steep in water for some time, and then beat it between two stones till it answers the use of oakum, and then chinse each hole so well, that they do not admit of the least water coming through, and are easily taken asunder and put together again. When they have occasion to go over-land, as at this time, each man or woman caixies a plank, whereas it would be impossible for them to drag a hea%y boat entire." " Quite worn out ^\dth fatigue, I soon feU asleep, and awaking before day, I thought I heard some voices at no great distance from me. As the day appeared, looking further into the wood, I per-