last were obliged to bivouac not far from a party of natives. They
were very inoffensive as long as they were few in numbers, but in the
morning (21st) being joined by others they showed symptoms of
hostility, and we thought that we should have come to a skirmish. An
European labours under great disadvantages when treating with savages
like these, who have not the least idea of the power of fire-arms. In
the very act of levelling his musket he appears to the savage far
inferior to a man armed with a bow and arrow, a spear, or even a sling.
Nor is it easy to teach them our superiority except by striking a fatal
blow. Like wild beasts, they do not appear to compare numbers; for
each individual, if attacked, instead of retiring, will endeavour to
dash your brains out with a stone, as certainly as a tiger under
similar circumstances would tear you. Captain Fitz Roy on one occasion
being very anxious, from good reasons, to frighten away a small party,
first flourished a cutlass near them, at which they only laughed; he
then twice fired his pistol close to a native. The man both times
looked astounded, and carefully but quickly rubbed his head; he then
stared awhile, and gabbled to his companions, but he never seemed to
think of running away. We can hardly put ourselves in the position of
these savages, and understand their actions. In the case of this
Fuegian, the possibility of such a sound as the report of a gun close
to his ear could never have entered his mind. He perhaps literally did
not for a second know whether it was a sound or a blow, and therefore
very naturally rubbed his head. In a similar manner, when a savage
sees a mark struck by a bullet, it may be some time before he is able
at all to understand how it is effected; for the fact of a body being
invisible from its velocity would perhaps be to him an idea totally
inconceivable. Moreover, the extreme force of a bullet, that
penetrates a hard substance without tearing it, may convince the savage
that it has no force at all. Certainly I believe that many savages of
the lowest grade, such as these of Tierra del Fuego, have seen objects
struck, and even small animals killed by the musket, without being in
the least aware how deadly an instrument it is.
22nd.--After having passed an unmolested night, in what would appear to
be neutral territory between Jemmy's tribe and the people whom we saw
yesterday, we sailed pleasantly along. I do not know anything which
shows more clearly the hostile state of the different tribes, than
these wide border or neutral tracts. Although Jemmy Button well knew
the force of our party, he was, at first, unwilling to land amidst the
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