bunch of yarn, which fell over their foreheads, and was tied behind with the finews or tendons of fome animals. Many of both fexes were painted on different parts of their bodies with red, white, and brown colours, and had also three or four perpendicular lines pricked across their cheeks and nofes. The women had a small string tied round each ancle, and each wore a flap of fkin faftened round the middle. They carried their children upon their backs, and were generally employed in domeftic labour and drudgery.

Mr. Banksand Dr. Solander, attended by their fervant, fet out from the fhip on the 16th, with a defign of going into the country as far as they could that day, and return in the evening. Having entered a wood, they afcended a hill through a pathlefs wilderness till the afternoon. After they had reached what they took for a plain, they were greatly disappointed to find it a swamp, covered with birch, the bushes interwoven and fo inflexible that they could not be divided: however, they ftepped over them, but were up the ancles in boggy ground. Before they had got over this swamp, an accident happened that greatly difconcerted them. Mr. Buchan, one of the draughtfmen whom Mr. Banks had taken with him, fell into a fit. It was abfolutely neceffary to kindle a fire, and fuch as were moft fatigued remained to affift him; but Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, and Mr. Monkhouse proceeded, and attain the spot they had in view, where they found a great variety of plants that gratified their curiofity. On returning to their company amidst the fnow which fell in great abundance, they found Mr. Buchan much recovered. They had previously fent Mr. Monkhouse and Mr. Green back to him, and thofe that remained with him, in order to bring them to a hill which was conjectured to lie in a better tract for returning to the wood, and which was accordingly fixed on as a place of rendezvous.

Dr. Solander having often paffed over mountains in

cold

cold countries, was fenfible, that extreme cold, when joined with fatigue, occasions a drowsiness that is not eafily refifted; be therefore entreated his friends to keep in motion, however disagreeable it might be to them. His words were--Whoever fits down will fleep, and whoever fleeps will wake no more.-Every one feemed accordingly armed with refolution; but on a fudden, the cold became fo very intenfe as to threaten the moft dreadful effects. It was now very remarkable, that the Doctor himself, who had fo forcibly admonished and alarmed his party, was the first that infifted to be fuffered to repofe. In fpite of the moft earnest entreaties of his friends, he lay down amidst the snow, and it was with difficulty that they kept him awake. One of the black fervants also became weak and faint, and was on the point of following this bad example. Mr. Buchan was therefore detached with a party to make a fire at the first commodious fpot they could find. Mr. Banks and four more remained with the doctor and Richmond the black, who with the utmoft difficulty were perfuaded to come on: and when they had traverfed the greatest part of the swamp, they expreffed their inability of going any farther. When the black was told if he remained there he would foon be frozen to death, his reply was, that he was fo much exhaufted with fatigue, that death would be a relief to him. Dr. Solander faid he was not unwilling to go, but that he must first take fome fleep, ftill perfifting in acting contrary to the opinion which he himself had delivered to the company. Thus refolved they both fat down fupported by fome bushes, and in a fhort time fell asleep. Intelligence came from the advanced party, that a fire was kindled about a quarter of a mile farther on the way. Mr. Banks then awakened the Doctor, who had already almost loft the use of his limbs, though it was but a few minutes fince he fat down; neverthelefs he confentend to go on, but

every measure taken to relieve the black proved ineffectual. He remained motionlefs, and they were obliged to leave him to the care of a failor, and the other black fervant, who appeared to be the least hurt by the cold, and they were to be relieved as foon as two others were fufficiently warmed, to fill their places. The Doctor with much difficulty, was got to the fire; and as to thofe who were fent to relieve the companions of Richmond, they returned without having been able to find them. What rendered the mortification ftill greater was, that a bottle of 1um (the whole stock of the party) could not be found, and was judged to have been left with one of the three that were miffing.

A fall of fnow continuing for near two hours, there now remained no hopes of feeing the three abfent perfons again. At one o'clock a great fhout was heard at a distance, which gave inexpreffible fatisfaction to every one prefent. Mr. Banks and four others went forwards and met the failor, who had juft ftrength enough to walk. He was immediately fent to the fire, and they proceeded to feek the other two. They found Richmond upon his legs, but incapable of moving them; the other black was lying fenfelefs upon the ground. Our endeavour to bring them to the fire were fruitlefs; nor was it poffible to kindle one upon the fpot, on account of the fnow; fo that their remained no alternative, but to leave the two unfortunate negroes to their fate. Brifcoe, another fervant to Mr. Banks, in particular, began to lose his fenfibility. At laft they reached the fire, and paffed the night in a very disagreeable manner.

The party that fet out from the fhip, confifted of twelve; two of these were already judged to be dead, it was doubtful whether the third would be able to return on board, and Mr. Buchan, a fourth, feemed to be threatened with a return of his fits.

At day-break on the 17th, nothing prefented it

felf

felf to the view all round but fnow, which covered alike the trees and the ground; and the blafts of wind were fo frequent and violent, that their journey feemed to be rendered impracticable, and they had reafon to dread perishing with cold and famine. About fix in the morning, they were flattered with hope of being delivered, by discovering the fun through the clouds, which gradually diminished. Before their fetting out meffengers were difpatched to the unhappy negroes; but returned with the news of their death.

Hunger prevailing over every other confideration, induced our travellers to divide the fmall remainder of their provisions, and to fet forward on their journey about ten in the morning. To their great aftonishment and fatisfaction, in about three hours. they found themselves afhore, and much nearer to the ship than their most fanguine expectations could have fuggested. When they looked back upon their former rout from the fea, they found, that instead of afcending the hill, in a direct line, they had made a circle almost round the country. On their return, these wanderers received fuch congratulations from those on board, as can more easily be imagined than expreffed.

Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander went on fhore again on the 20th of this month, landing in the bottom of the bay, where they collected a number of fhells and plants hitherto unknown. After having returned from dinner, they went to vifit an Indian town, about two miles up the country, the access to which on account of the mud, was difficult. When they approached the town, two of the nativés came out to meet them, who began to fhout in their ufual manner. They afterwards conducted Mr. Banks and the doctor to their town. This town was inhabited by a tribe of about fifty men, women, and children. Their bows and arrows were conftructed with neat

ness and ingenuity, being made of wood highly per lifhed; and the point which was either glafs or flint, very fkilfully fitted. The natives here did not fhew any surprize at the fight of firearms, but appeared to be well acquainted with their ufe. It is likely that the spot on which the Doctor and Mr. Banks met them, was not a fixed habitation, as their houfes did not feem as if they were erected to ftand for any long time, and they had no boats or canoes about them. They did not appear to have any form of government or any ideas of fubordination. They feemed to be the very outcafts of men, and a people that paffed their lives in wandering in a forlorn manner over dreary waftes, their dwelling being a thatched hovel, and their clothing scarcely sufficient to keep them from perishing with cold, even in these climates. Their only food was fhell-fish, which on any one Spot muft foon be exhausted; nor had they the rudest implement of art, not even fo much as was neceffary to dress their food. Those who can be happy in fuch a fituation, can only be fo, because they have not a due feeling of their mifery.

We obferved in this place fea-lions and dogs, and no other quadrupeds; nevertheless it is probable there are other kinds of animals in the country. A great variety of plants were found by the Doctor and Mr. Banks.

On Sunday, Jan. 22, having got in our wood and water, we failed out of the bay, and continued our course through the Streight; and in paffing this, notwith ftanding the defcription which fome voyagers have given of Terra del Fuego, we did not find that it had, agreeable to their reprefentations, fuch a forbidding afpect. Nine miles weft ward of Cape St. Diego, the low point that forms the north entrance of the Streight of Le Maire, are three hills, called the Three Brothers; and on Terra del Fuego is another hill, in the form of a fugar loaf, which ftands on the