5 or
journey diftant, through an unfrequented wood, in which they might probably be be-wildered till night; and being equipped only for a journey of a few hours, they hadnot provifions left fufficient to afford the company a Angle meal.
On the 17th, in the morning, at day-break, nothing prefented itfelf to view allaround but fnow, the trees being equally covered with it as the ground ; and the blaftsof wind were fo violent and frequent, that their journey was rendered impratlicable,and there was much reafon to dread perilhing with cold and famine. However, atabout fix in the morning they were flattered with a dawn of hope of being delivered,by difcovering the fun through the clouds, which gradually diminifhed. Previous totheir fetting out, meflengers were difpatched to the unhappy negroes, who returnedwith the melancholy news of their death.
About ten o’clock in the morning they fet out on their journey to the fln’p, and inabout three hours, to their great aftoniflnnent and fatisfaftion, they found themfelvesupon the Ihore, much nearer to the fltip than their molt fanguine expectations couldhave flattered them. When they took a retrofpeft of their former route from the fea,they found that inftead of afcending the hill in a direct line, they had made a circlealmoft round the country. The congratulations every one on board exprefled at theirreturn, can better be imagined than exprefled.
On the 20th, Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander made another excurfion into the coun-try. After walking for fome time, they arrived at a l'mall town, confiding of about adozen miferable huts, conftructed without art or regularity, in the form of a fugarloaf, with a place left open, which anfwered the double purpofe of a door and chim-ney. Their bows and arrows were conftructed with neatnefs and ingenuity : they weremade of wood highly polifhed ; and the point, which was either glafs or flint, was fittedwith much fkill. Mr. Banks obferved glafs and flint amongft them unwrought, withc loth, canvafs, rings, buttons, &c. it was therefore judged, that they travelled attimes to the north, as no fhip had touched at this part of Terra del Fuego for fomeyears.
They did not feem to have any form of government among them, nor did thereappear any kind of fubordination. Thefe people appeared upon the whole to be the°ut-cafts of human nature, whofe lives were pafled in wandering in a forlorn mannerover dreary waftes ; their only food was fhell-filh, deftitute of every convenience arifingfrom the rudeft art, or even an implement to drefs their food. Such were thefe peo-ple, who neverthelefs appeared content; fo little does refinement or luxury promotehappinefs.
The generality of writers, who have defcribed the ifland of Terra del Fuego, haveJ*eprefented it as covered with fnow, and deftitute of wood. In this, however, theyare evidently miftaken, and their error muft have arifen from having vifited it in theWinter feafon, when it poffibly is covered with fnow. The crew of the Endeavour per-ceived trees when they were at a confiderable diftance from the ifland, and on theirnearer approach, they found the fea coaft and the fides of the hills clothed with anagreeable verdure. The fummit of the hills are barren, but the valleys are rich, anda brook is to be found at the foot of almoft every hill ; the water has ayeddifh tinge,but is not ill tailed, and was fome of the beft the captain took in during his wholevoyage.
ihurfday, January 26th, Captain Cook weighed anchor, and the weather beingVei 7 calm, Mr. Banks failed in a fmall boat to (hoot birds, when he killed fome fheer-Waters and albatroflfes 5 the latter were larger than thofe caught to the north of the
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