celery we found in the woods; and having finished the day with prayer, we again took our repose by sleep.

Forcibly convinced that we ought not to suffer the Captain to share the duty of watching, I begged him that he would allow us to divide it entirely among ourselves, which, after some trouble and entreaty, he at length consented to do. At two o'clock I was called to take my post. The morning was fine and quite light, and everything around wore a pleasing aspect. The two hours I now spent, I trust I shall never forget. I felt the precious influence of the Spirit of grace and love upon my heart, and never were my impressions of divine truths so forcible; never did I feel more sensibly the vanity and littleness of all human things, save as they bear reference to the eternal and invisible kingdom of God. I was much affected by the thought, that what the poor natives of these islands were to us, so thousands and tens of thousands of the inhabitants of so-styled civilised lands were in God's sight-savages in their enmity against a just and good and holy God. I clearly saw that I had not so much danger to dread at the hands of these poor wretched natives, as at the hands of polished and civilised people: those would only assault my body, and rob me of a few earthly comforts, whilst the latter, by their influence and example, would rob me of an everlasting salvation. My heart, by the reflection, was drawn out in behalf

I

of my native land, and, alas! I felt that there was spiritual wickedness in high places, and corruption working at the very core of human society. The blessing of God's presence in a holy frame of mind, with great joy, was felt as I never felt before in like manner. The time very quickly passed away, very differently from the night before. Afterwards, whilst in bed, I was greatly led out in spirit to praise and bless God.

"The following day, Sunday, was spent very happily and profitably. I was engaged most of the day with my Bible, and in close communion with God, blessed in the sense of his presence and favor. During the morning services, just as we commenced them, the three natives we had hitherto seen came again and either sat or stood at our tent door. There they remained, for the most part very quietly, whilst we were engaged in worship, little thinking how nearly they themselves stood concerned in what we were doing. All things went on very quietly, and nothing occurred to disturb us until late in the afternoon, when we were startled at the mournful yelling cry of some of the women, from their canoes, like the prolonged howl of a dog. The Fuegians, who were with us at the time, immediately pricked up their ears, and making signs to us which we understood to mean that we were not to follow them, they departed in haste, and proceeded up to the head of Banner Cove, toward the outlet leading to Banner Roads.

Soon we perceived, by the help of our glasses, that some strangers were joining them. We noticed that our Fuegians took their spears with them before they went to meet them, and we imagined that the women might at first apprehend that the strangers were their foes.

"In the course of a few hours appeared the new-comers, who, we afterwards had reason to conclude, were from Navarin Island, and of the Yacuna tribe. We were immediately sensible that they were altogether a different people from the others. Their faces were quite blackened over, and they were sturdy and audacious in their bearing, and, as we soon found, impudent and uncontrollable. Unlike the former, they were ready to resent every refusal of their importunate demands, and resisted our endeavours to keep them in check, looking at us with a most contemptuous and malign expression, and, by their demeanor, plainly bespeaking mischief. They were very well made, and, but for the diabolical passions expressed in their countenances, really good-looking men. Like the others, they had the crown of the head cropped close, and the fore part like a circlet of long hair hanging over the face. Like the others, too, they were perfectly naked, except the guanaco skin, which hung loosely over their shoulders and back, and which they occasionally folded together around their arms. Each wore a necklace made of small shells. With five of these men around

us, prying into everything, the other three having now put on a less pacific deportment, and almost entering our tent by force, our situation was not agreeable. It required all our vigilance to watch their motions; and, from their whispering together, and their bold attempts to look into our tents, we suspected that they were concocting some plan of attack. However, after a time, they left us, Captain Gardiner having very plainly expressed his wish to that effect. After this-and upon the conclusion of a very profitable service, during which, as has always been our custom on the Sunday evening, Captain Gardiner read a very excellent and encouraging sermon, and I read from the Scriptures and prayed-we set the watch and retired to bed.

"It had been agreed that, on the least occasion of alarm, a railway whistle, provided for the purpose, should be blown. Accordingly, a little before four o'clock on Monday morning, we were startled by its shrill sound, and were out of bed and dressed in an instant. The cause of the alarm was the coming of the two black-faced natives. It was raining heavily and a very disagreeable morning, and we were a little uncomfortable at so early an intrusion. The Captain and Mr Maidment, together with poor Bryant, who was on watch for the time, 'encountered them, I returning in after a while, as did the Captain also. Mr Maidment and Bryant being left, had a great deal of trouble with them

One of them had the audacity to push the former quite off his seat, although he is a much bigger made man than the native himself. They also would have taken off Bryant's boots, had they not been forcibly resisted. After remaining two hours, they grew tired and left us. But in the course of the morning, whilst Mr Maidment and I were out in the boat with Captain Cooper, the same men with some others again visited our tents, and so determined was their conduct, and so utterly contemptuous, all but bordering upon open hostility, that it was quite manifest we could no longer stay on shore, and Erwin came from Captain Gardiner with a message to Captain Cooper, asking him for hands to assist him, as he would at once strike the tents, and have all our things on board the boats. This was the original intention of Captain Gardiner; but he was anxious, while the boats were being got ready, and whilst the vessel was staying with us, to try an establishment on the land, so as to see what disposition the natives would evince. I was already firmly persuaded that the thing was impracticable, and was convinced that to prolong our stay another night would be attended with the loss of our property, and perhaps of our lives. I had only intimated these my apprehensions to Captain Gardiner, but did not press my opinion. I was therefore glad when I heard his determination to abandon the land, and take to our boats. For that purpose, last evening (Monday) all our