14 CHILUE. 



sessed either a watch or a clock ; and an old man, 

 who was supposed to have a good idea of time, 

 was employed to strike the church bell by guess. 

 The anival of our boats was a rare event in this 

 quiet, retired corner of the world, and nearly all 

 the inhabitants came down to the beach to see us 

 pitch our tents. They were very civil, and offered 

 us a house ; and one man even sent us a cask of 

 cider as a present. In the afternoon we paid our 

 respects to the governor — a quiet old man, who, in 

 his appearance and manner of life, was scarcely 

 superior to an English cottager. At night heavy 

 rain set in, which was hardly sufficient to drive 

 away from our tents the large circle of lookers on. 

 An Indian family, who had come to trade in a 

 canoe from Caylen, bivouacked near us. They 

 had no shelter during the rain. In the morning I 

 asked a young Indian, who was wet to the skin, 

 how he had passed the night. He seemed per- 

 fectly content, and answered, " Muy bien, serior." 

 Dccemhcr \st. — We steered for the island of 

 Lemuy. I was anxious to examine a reported 

 coal-mine, which turned out to be lignite of little 

 value, in the sandstone (probably of an ancient 

 tertiary epoch) of which these islands are com- 

 posed. When we reached Lemuy we had much 

 diflficulty in finding any place to pitch our tents, for 

 it was spring-tide, and the land was wooded dovsm 

 to the water's edge. In a short time we were 

 surrounded by a large group of the nearly pure 

 Indian inhabitants. They were much surprised at 

 our arrival, and said, one to the other, " This is the 

 reason we have seen so many parrots lately ; the 

 cheucau (an odd, red-breasted little bird, which in- 

 habits the thick forest, and utters very peculiar 

 noises) has not cried * beware' for nothing." They 

 Avere soon anxious for barter. Money was scarcely 



