DuringourstayatPortFamine,theFuegianstwicecameandplaguedus。Asthereweremanyinstruments,clothes,andmenonshore,itwasthoughtnecessarytofrightenthemaway。Thefirsttimeafewgreatgunswerefired,whentheywerefardistant。ItwasmostludicroustowatchthroughaglasstheIndians,asoftenastheshotstruckthewater,takeupstones,and,asabolddefiance,throwthemtowardstheship,thoughaboutamileandahalfdistant!Aboatwassentwithorderstofireafewmusket-shotswideofthem。TheFuegianshidthemselvesbehindthetrees,andforeverydischargeofthemusketstheyfiredtheirarrows;all,however,fellshortoftheboat,andtheofficerashepointedatthemlaughed。ThismadetheFuegiansfranticwithpassion,andtheyshooktheirmantlesinvainrage。
Atlast,seeingtheballscutandstrikethetrees,theyranaway,andwewereleftinpeaceandquietness。DuringtheformervoyagetheFuegianswerehereverytroublesome,andtofrightenthemarocketwasfiredatnightovertheirwigwams;itansweredeffectually,andoneoftheofficerstoldmethattheclamourfirstraised,andthebarkingofthedogs,wasquiteludicrousincontrastwiththeprofoundsilencewhichinaminuteortwoafterwardsprevailed。ThenextmorningnotasingleFuegianwasintheneighbourhood。
WhentheBeaglewashereinthemonthofFebruary,Istartedonemorningatfouro’clocktoascendMountTarn,whichis2600feethigh,andisthemostelevatedpointinthisimmediatedistrict。Wewentinaboattothefootofthemountainbutunluckilynottothebestpart,andthenbeganourascent。Theforestcommencesatthelineofhigh-watermark,andduringthefirsttwohoursIgaveoverallhopesofreachingthesummit。Sothickwasthewood,thatitwasnecessarytohaveconstantrecoursetothecompass;
foreverylandmark,thoughinamountainouscountry,wascompletelyshutout。Inthedeepravines,thedeath-likesceneofdesolationexceededalldescription;outsideitwasblowingagale,butinthesehollows,notevenabreathofwindstirredtheleavesofthetallesttrees。Sogloomy,cold,andwetwaseverypart,thatnoteventhefungi,mosses,orfernscouldflourish。Inthevalleysitwasscarcelypossibletocrawlalong,theyweresocompletelybarricadedbygreatmoulderingtrunks,whichhadfallendownineverydirection。Whenpassingoverthesenaturalbridges,one’scoursewasoftenarrestedbysinkingkneedeepintotherottenwood;atothertimes,whenattemptingtoleanagainstafirmtree,onewasstartledbyfindingamassofdecayedmatterreadytofallattheslightesttouch。
Weatlastfoundourselvesamongthestuntedtrees,andthensoonreachedthebareridge,whichconductedustothesummit。HerewasaviewcharacteristicofTierradelFuego;irregularchainsofhills,mottledwithpatchesofsnow,deepyellowish-greenvalleys,andarmsoftheseaintersectingthelandinmanydirections。Thestrongwindwaspiercinglycold,andtheatmosphereratherhazy,sothatwedidnotstaylongonthetopofthemountain。Ourdescentwasnotquitesolaboriousasourascent,fortheweightofthebodyforcedapassage,andalltheslipsandfallswereintherightdirection。
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