Findingitnearlyhopelesstopushmywaythroughthewood，Ifollowedthecourseofamountaintorrent。Atfirst，fromthewaterfallsandnumberofdeadtrees，Icouldhardlycrawlalong；butthebedofthestreamsoonbecamealittlemoreopen，fromthefloodshavingsweptthesides。Icontinuedslowlytoadvanceforanhouralongthebrokenandrockybanks，andwasamplyrepaidbythegrandeurofthescene。Thegloomydepthoftheravinewellaccordedwiththeuniversalsignsofviolence。Oneverysidewerelyingirregularmassesofrockandtorn-uptrees；othertrees，thoughstillerect，weredecayedtotheheartandreadytofall。Theentangledmassofthethrivingandthefallenremindedmeoftheforestswithinthetropics——yettherewasadifference：forinthesestillsolitudes，Death，insteadofLife，seemedthepredominantspirit。IfollowedthewatercoursetillIcametoaspotwhereagreatsliphadclearedastraightspacedownthemountainside。BythisroadIascendedtoaconsiderableelevation，andobtainedagoodviewofthesurroundingwoods。Thetreesallbelongtoonekind，theFagusbetuloides；forthenumberoftheotherspeciesofFagusandoftheWinter’sBark，isquiteinconsiderable。Thisbeechkeepsitsleavesthroughouttheyear；butitsfoliageisofapeculiarbrownish-greencolour，withatingeofyellow。Asthewholelandscapeisthuscoloured，ithasasombre，dullappearance；norisitoftenenlivenedbytheraysofthesun。
　　December20th——Onesideoftheharbourisformedbyahillabout1500feethigh，whichCaptainFitzRoyhascalledafterSirJ。Banks，incommemorationofhisdisastrousexcursion，whichprovedfataltotwomenofhisparty，andnearlysotoDr。Solander。Thesnowstorm，whichwasthecauseoftheirmisfortune，happenedinthemiddleofJanuary，correspondingtoourJuly，andinthelatitudeofDurham！Iwasanxioustoreachthesummitofthismountaintocollectalpineplants；forflowersofanykindinthelowerpartsarefewinnumber。Wefollowedthesamewatercourseasonthepreviousday，tillitdwindledaway，andwewerethencompelledtocrawlblindlyamongthetrees。These，fromtheeffectsoftheelevationandoftheimpetuouswinds，werelow，thickandcrooked。Atlengthwereachedthatwhichfromadistanceappearedlikeacarpetoffinegreenturf，butwhich，toourvexation，turnedouttobeacompactmassoflittlebeech-treesaboutfourorfivefeethigh。Theywereasthicktogetherasboxintheborderofagarden，andwewereobligedtostruggleovertheflatbuttreacheroussurface。Afteralittlemoretroublewegainedthepeat，andthenthebareslaterock。
　　Aridgeconnectedthishillwithanother，distantsomemiles，andmorelofty，sothatpatchesofsnowwerelyingonit。Asthedaywasnotfaradvanced，Ideterminedtowalkthereandcollectplantsalongtheroad。
　　Itwouldhavebeenveryhardwork，haditnotbeenforawell-beatenandstraightpathmadebytheguanacos；fortheseanimals，likesheep，alwaysfollowthesameline。Whenwereachedthehillwefounditthehighestintheimmediateneighbourhood，andthewatersflowedtotheseainoppositedirections。Weobtainedawideviewoverthesurroundingcountry：tothenorthaswampymoorlandextended，buttothesouthwehadasceneofsavagemagnificence，wellbecomingTierradelFuego。Therewasadegreeofmysteriousgrandeurinmountainbehindmountain，withthedeepinterveningvalleys，allcoveredbyonethick，duskymassofforest。Theatmosphere，likewise，inthisclimate，wheregalesucceedsgale，withrain，hail，andsleet，seemsblackerthananywhereelse。IntheStraitofMagellanlookingduesouthwardfromPortFamine，thedistantchannelsbetweenthemountainsappearedfromtheirgloominesstoleadbeyondtheconfinesofthisworld。
　　December21st——TheBeaglegotunderway：andonthesucceedingday，favouredtoanuncommondegreebyafineeasterlybreeze，weclosedinwiththeBarnevelts，andrunningpastCapeDeceitwithitsstonypeaks，aboutthreeo’clockdoubledtheweather-beatenCapeHorn。Theeveningwascalmandbright，andweenjoyedafineviewofthesurroundingisles。CapeHorn，however，demandedhistribute，andbeforenightsentusagaleofwinddirectlyinourteeth。Westoodouttosea，andontheseconddayagainmadetheland，whenwesawonourweather-bowthisnotoriouspromontoryinitsproperform——veiledinamist，anditsdimoutlinesurroundedbyastormofwindandwater。Greatblackcloudswererollingacrosstheheavens，andsquallsofrain，withhail，sweptbyuswithsuchextremeviolence，thattheCaptaindeterminedtorunintoWigwamCove。Thisisasnuglittleharbour，notfarfromCapeHorn；andhere，atChristmas-eve，weanchoredinsmoothwater。Theonlythingwhichremindedusofthegaleoutside，waseverynowandthenapufffromthemountains，whichmadetheshipsurgeatheranchors。
　　December25th——ClosebytheCove，apointedhill，calledKater’sPeak，risestotheheightof1700feet。Thesurroundingislandsallconsistofconicalmassesofgreenstone，associatedsometimeswithlessregularhillsofbakedandalteredclay-slate。ThispartofTierradelFuegomaybeconsideredastheextremityofthesubmergedchainofmountainsalreadyalludedto。Thecovetakesitsnameof“Wigwam“fromsomeoftheFuegianhabitations；buteverybayintheneighbourhoodmightbesocalledwithequalpropriety。Theinhabitants，livingchieflyuponshell-fish，areobligedconstantlytochangetheirplaceofresidence；buttheyreturnatintervalstothesamespots，asisevidentfromthepilesofoldshells，whichmustoftenamounttomanytonsinfreight。Theseheapscanbedistinguishedatalongdistancebythebrightgreencolourofcertainplants，whichinvariablygrowonthem。Amongthesemaybeenumeratedthewildceleryandscurvygrass，twoveryserviceableplants，theuseofwhichhasnotbeendiscoveredbythenatives。
　　TheFuegianwigwamresembles，insizeanddimensions，ahaycock。Itmerelyconsistsofafewbrokenbranchesstuckintheground，andveryimperfectlythatchedononesidewithafewtuftsofgrassandrushes。
　　Thewholecannotbetheworkofanhour，anditisonlyusedforafewdays。AtGoereeRoadsIsawaplacewhereoneofthesenakedmenhadslept，whichabsolutelyofferednomorecoverthantheformofahare。Themanwasevidentlylivingbyhimself，andYorkMinstersaidhewas“verybadman。”andthatprobablyhehadstolensomething。Onthewestcoast，however，thewigwamsareratherbetter，fortheyarecoveredwithseal-skins。Weweredetainedhereseveraldaysbythebadweather。Theclimateiscertainlywretched：thesummersolsticewasnowpassed，yeteverydaysnowfellonthehills，andinthevalleystherewasrain，accompaniedbysleet。Thethermometergenerallystoodabout45degs。，butinthenightfellto38
　　or40degs。Fromthedampandboisterousstateoftheatmosphere，notcheeredbyagleamofsunshine，onefanciedtheclimateevenworsethanitreallywas。
　　WhilegoingonedayonshorenearWollastonIsland，wepulledalongsideacanoewithsixFuegians。ThesewerethemostabjectandmiserablecreaturesIanywherebeheld。Ontheeastcoastthenatives，aswehaveseen，haveguanacocloaks，andonthewesttheypossessseal-skins。Amongstthesecentraltribesthemengenerallyhaveanotter-skin，orsomesmallscrapaboutaslargeasapocket-handkerchief，whichisbarelysufficienttocovertheirbacksaslowdownastheirloins。Itislacedacrossthebreastbystrings，andaccordingasthewindblows，itisshiftedfromsidetoside。ButtheseFuegiansinthecanoewerequitenaked，andevenonefull-grownwomanwasabsolutelyso。Itwasrainingheavily，andthefreshwater，togetherwiththespray，trickleddownherbody。Inanotherharbournotfardistant，awoman，whowassucklingarecently-bornchild，cameonedayalongsidethevessel，andremainedthereoutofmerecuriosity，whilstthesleetfellandthawedonhernakedbosom，andontheskinofhernakedbaby！
　　Thesepoorwretcheswerestuntedintheirgrowth，theirhideousfacesbedaubedwithwhitepaint，theirskinsfilthyandgreasy，theirhairentangled，theirvoicesdiscordant，andtheirgesturesviolent。Viewingsuchmen，onecanhardlymakeone’sselfbelievethattheyarefellow-creatures，andinhabitantsofthesameworld。Itisacommonsubjectofconjecturewhatpleasureinlifesomeoftheloweranimalscanenjoy：howmuchmorereasonablythesamequestionmaybeaskedwithrespecttothesebarbarians！
　　Atnight，fiveorsixhumanbeings，nakedandscarcelyprotectedfromthewindandrainofthistempestuousclimate，sleeponthewetgroundcoileduplikeanimals。Wheneveritislowwater，winterorsummer，nightorday，theymustrisetopickshellfishfromtherocks；andthewomeneitherdivetocollectsea-eggs，orsitpatientlyintheircanoes，andwithabaitedhair-linewithoutanyhook，jerkoutlittlefish。Ifasealiskilled，orthefloatingcarcassofaputridwhaleisdiscovered，itisafeast；
　　andsuchmiserablefoodisassistedbyafewtastelessberriesandfungi。
　　Theyoftensufferfromfamine：IheardMr。Low，asealing-masterintimatelyacquaintedwiththenativesofthiscountry，giveacuriousaccountofthestateofapartyofonehundredandfiftynativesonthewestcoast，whowereverythinandingreatdistress。Asuccessionofgalespreventedthewomenfromgettingshell-fishontherocks，andtheycouldnotgooutintheircanoestocatchseal。Asmallpartyofthesemenonemorningsetout，andtheotherIndiansexplainedtohim，thattheyweregoingafourdays’journeyforfood：ontheirreturn，Lowwenttomeetthem，andhefoundthemexcessivelytired，eachmancarryingagreatsquarepieceofputridwhale’s-blubberwithaholeinthemiddle，throughwhichtheyputtheirheads，liketheGauchosdothroughtheirponchosorcloaks。Assoonastheblubberwasbroughtintoawigwam，anoldmancutoffthinslices，andmutteringoverthem，broiledthemforaminute，anddistributedthemtothefamishedparty，whoduringthistimepreservedaprofoundsilence。
　　Mr。Lowbelievesthatwheneverawhaleiscastonshore，thenativesburylargepiecesofitinthesand，asaresourceintimeoffamine；andanativeboy，whomhehadonboard，oncefoundastockthusburied。Thedifferenttribeswhenatwararecannibals。Fromtheconcurrent，butquiteindependentevidenceoftheboytakenbyMr。Low，andofJemmyButton，itiscertainlytrue，thatwhenpressedinwinterbyhunger，theykillanddevourtheiroldwomenbeforetheykilltheirdogs：theboy，beingaskedbyMr。Lowwhytheydidthis，answered，“Doggiescatchotters，oldwomenno。”Thisboydescribedthemannerinwhichtheyarekilledbybeingheldoversmokeandthuschoked；heimitatedtheirscreamsasajoke，anddescribedthepartsoftheirbodieswhichareconsideredbesttoeat。Horridassuchadeathbythehandsoftheirfriendsandrelativesmustbe，thefearsoftheoldwomen，whenhungerbeginstopress，aremorepainfultothinkof；wearetoldthattheythenoftenrunawayintothemountains，butthattheyarepursuedbythemenandbroughtbacktotheslaughter-houseattheirownfiresides！
　　CaptainFitzRoycouldneverascertainthattheFuegianshaveanydistinctbeliefinafuturelife。Theysometimesburytheirdeadincaves，andsometimesinthemountainforests；wedonotknowwhatceremoniestheyperform。JemmyButtonwouldnoteatland-birds，because“eatdeadmen“：theyareunwillingeventomentiontheirdeadfriends。Wehavenoreasontobelievethattheyperformanysortofreligiousworship；thoughperhapsthemutteringoftheoldmanbeforehedistributedtheputridblubbertohisfamishedparty，maybeofthisnature。Eachfamilyortribehasawizardorconjuringdoctor，whoseofficewecouldneverclearlyascertain。Jemmybelievedindreams，thoughnot，asIhavesaid，inthedevil：IdonotthinkthatourFuegiansweremuchmoresuperstitiousthansomeofthesailors；foranoldquartermasterfirmlybelievedthatthesuccessiveheavygales，whichweencounteredoffCapeHorn，werecausedbyourhavingtheFuegiansonboard。ThenearestapproachtoareligiousfeelingwhichIheardof，wasshownbyYorkMinster，who，whenMr。Bynoeshotsomeveryyoungducklingsasspecimens，declaredinthemostsolemnmanner，“Oh，Mr。Bynoe，muchrain，snow，blowmuch。”
　　Thiswasevidentlyaretributivepunishmentforwastinghumanfood。Inawildandexcitedmannerhealsorelated，thathisbrother，onedaywhilstreturningtopickupsomedeadbirdswhichhehadleftonthecoast，observedsomefeathersblownbythewind。HisbrothersaidYorkimitatinghismanner，“Whatthat？”andcrawlingonwards，hepeepedoverthecliff，andsaw“wildman“pickinghisbirds；hecrawledalittlenearer，andthenhurleddownagreatstoneandkilledhim。Yorkdeclaredforalongtimeafterwardsstormsraged，andmuchrainandsnowfell。Asfaraswecouldmakeout，heseemedtoconsidertheelementsthemselvesastheavengingagents：itisevidentinthiscase，hownaturally，inaracealittlemoreadvancedinculture，theelementswouldbecomepersonified。Whatthe“badwildmen“