24 SPORTING ADVENTURES 



most point of South America, and a magnificent 

 headland. 



Soon afterwards we had our first introduction 

 to the inhabitants of these desolate regions ; a 

 canoe-full of Indians came off from the Fuegian 

 shore, bringing with them some arrows and 

 other trash, which they wished to exchange for 

 rum or tobacco, the only English words which 

 they seemed to have acquired. 



Notwithstanding the extreme cold they were 

 almost naked, their sole covering being a 

 guanaco robe about their loins. These wretches 

 are probably about the lowest in the scale of 

 humanity, and would seem to supply the missing 

 link between man and monkey; they subsist 

 chiefly on seals, whales' blubber, or whatever 

 garbage they can find along the shore. 



Passing through Crooked Reach, we anchored 

 in a lovely little harbour called Playa Parda 

 Cove. This small port, though perfectly land- 

 locked and secure, is so confined as to be only 

 fit for small vessels. It is a picturesque spot, 

 surrounded by lofty and inaccessible mountains, 



