The narrower channels are very shallow; the wider, rough and storm-tossed; and scarcely anything edible grows on the islands.

The Fuegians are as degraded a people as any on the face of the earth, with just intelligence enough to maintain themselves by hunting and fishing, by the help of dogs, which, it is said, they prize so much that they would rather, in time of scarcity, eat up an old mother than a dog; and they are churlishly inhospitable to strangers, although with an unusual facility for imitating their language, nor had any one ever attempted their conversion.
However, the master of the _Montgomery_, who had brought the Gardiners out to the Falkland Islands, hearing of the offer, undertook such a profitable expedition; but his schooner was utterly frail, had to be caulked and to borrow a sail, and, as he was losing no whales, Captain Gardiner refused to give more than 100_l._, a sufficiently exorbitant sum, for the passage of himself and a servant named Johnstone.

While the crazy vessel was refitting a Sunday intervened, during which he offered to hold a service, but only two men attended it, the rest were all absent or intoxicated.
The poor little ship put to sea, and struggled into the Straits of Magelhaen, drifting near the Fuegian coast.

Landing, the Captain lighted a fire to attract the attention of the natives, and some came down and shouted.

The English did not, however, think it safe to go further from the boat, and presently the Fuegians likewise kindled their fire, whereupon Gardiner heaped more fuel on his own, and continued his signals, when two men advanced, descending to the beach.