On the 5th of March, we anchored in a cove at Woollya, but we saw not a
soul there. We were alarmed at this, for the natives in Ponsonby Sound
showed by gestures, that there had been fighting; and we afterwards
heard that the dreaded Oens men had made a descent. Soon a canoe, with
a little flag flying, was seen approaching, with one of the men in it
washing the paint off his face. This man was poor Jemmy,--now a thin,
haggard savage, with long disordered hair, and naked, except a bit of
blanket round his waist. We did not recognize him till he was close to
us, for he was ashamed of himself, and turned his back to the ship. We
had left him plump, fat, clean, and well-dressed;--I never saw so
complete and grievous a change. As soon, however, as he was clothed,
and the first flurry was over, things wore a good appearance. He dined
with Captain Fitz Roy, and ate his dinner as tidily as formerly. He
told us that he had "too much" (meaning enough) to eat, that he was not
cold, that his relations were very good people, and that he did not
wish to go back to England: in the evening we found out the cause of
this great change in Jemmy's feelings, in the arrival of his young and
nice-looking wife. With his usual good feeling he brought two
beautiful otter-skins for two of his best friends, and some spear-heads
and arrows made with his own hands for the Captain. He said he had
built a canoe for himself, and he boasted that he could talk a little
of his own language! But it is a most singular fact, that he appears
to have taught all his tribe some English: an old man spontaneously
announced "Jemmy Button's wife." Jemmy had lost all his property. He
told us that York Minster had built a large canoe, and with his wife
Fuegia, [3] had several months since gone to his own country, and had
taken farewell by an act of consummate villainy; he persuaded Jemmy and
his mother to come with him, and then on the way deserted them by
night, stealing every article of their property.
Jemmy went to sleep on shore, and in the morning returned, and remained
on board till the ship got under way, which frightened his wife, who
continued crying violently till he got into his canoe. He returned
loaded with valuable property. Every soul on board was heartily sorry
to shake hands with him for the last time. I do not now doubt that he
will be as happy as, perhaps happier than, if he had never left his own
country. Every one must sincerely hope that Captain Fitz Roy's noble
hope may be fulfilled, of being rewarded for the many generous
sacrifices which he made for these Fuegians, by some shipwrecked sailor
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