70 INTERVIEW WITH THE NATIVES. [1839 



shilling, with both stones, at a distance of fifteen yards. It 

 is not customary to strike the guanaco or ostrich with them, 

 but they are thrown in such a manner that the cord is twisted 

 about the legs of the animal or bird, so as to prevent its run 

 ning away. 



As may well be presumed, there is little semblance of law 

 or authority among the Patagonian Indians. They nominally 

 live under various petty chiefs, but the latter in reality pos- 

 sess no power except that of might, and, in point of fact, 

 every individual is his own master. 



(4.) In passing through the straits of Le Maire, Captain 

 Long visited most of the harbors, and nearly two days were 

 spent in Good Success Bay, on the coast of Tierra del Fuego, 

 the best and largest of them all. While here, Captain Long, 

 accompanied by several officers, went ashore in three armed 

 boats, to hold communication with a party of natives, who 

 invited them to land by their cries and gestures. The natives 

 appeared friendly, and when the captain and his men landed, 

 they ran towards them, crying out, at the same time, — 

 " cuchillo ! cuchillo /" As this is the Spanish word for 

 knife, it was thought they were begging to be supplied with 

 that article ; but as they seemed to apply the term to every- 

 thing shown them, or rather continued its repetition almost 

 incessantly, it was found impossible to ascertain its real 

 meaning or application. In their dress and physiognomy 

 they resembled the Patagonians, and were supposed to belong 

 on the other side of the straits of Magellan ; they wore 

 guanaeo skins over their shoulders, and fillets were bound 

 around their heads. Some members of the party had san- 

 dals, also made of the gnanaco skin, on one foot. They were 

 provided with hows and arrows. — the latter having flint 

 heads; but they seemetl to depend principally on lish for 

 subsistence. All were exceedingly dirty, though well formed, 

 and most of them were troubled with a disease of the eye, — 

 occasioned, perhaps, by the dazzling reflection from the snow 

 during their long winters. 



It was evident that they had had intercourse before with 



