Somerville, and the shrieking maid to the
boat. The corners of her mouth drooped and tears trembled on her
eyelashes. She sought furtively for a handkerchief. Knowing exactly
what troubled her, Courtenay turned to Christobal.
"This island ought to be inhabited," he said. "Can you tell me what
sort of Indians one finds in this locality?"
Christobal frowned perplexedly. During many previous voyages to Europe
he had invariably traveled on the mail steamers of smaller draft which
use the sheltered sea canal formed by the Smyth, Sarmiento, and Messier
channels, the protected water-way running for hundreds of miles to the
north from the western end of the Straits of Tierra del Fuego, and, in
some of its aspects, reminding sailors of the Clyde and the Caledonian
Canal.
"I fear I do not know much about them," he said. "Behind those hills
there one sees a few Canoe Indians; I have heard that they are somewhat
lower in the social scale than the aborigines of Australia."
"Are they?" said Courtenay. He looked Christobal straight in the eyes,
and the doctor returned his gaze as steadily.
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