May 1827. PATAGONIANS—GREGORY BAY. 85 
water Bay, where we passed the night. At last, on the 8th, 
accompanied by the Beagle, we proceeded on our course with 
a strong south-westerly breeze, which carried us quickly up to 
Cape Negro, when it blew so hard that I anchored off Laredo 
Bay. At this anchorage we certainly felt the air much, colder 
and sharper than at Port Famine, arising from our being in 
a more exposed situation, and from the approach of winter, as 
well as from the severe south-west gale which was blowing. 
After the gale had abated, we proceeded with fair weather 
and a light breeze to the Second Narrow, when the wind fell ; 
but the tide being in our favour, we passed rapidly through. 
On a hill near us we observed three or four Patagonian Indians 
standing together, and their horses feeding close to them. 
A fire was soon kindled, to attract our notice, to which signal 
we replied by showing our colours; and had we not already 
communicated with these people, we should certainly have 
thought them giants, for they ‘loomed very large” as they 
stood on the summit of the hill. This optical deception must 
doubtless have been caused by mirage: the haze has always 
been observed to be very great during fine weather and a hot 
day, arising from rapid evaporation of the moisture so abun- 
dantly deposited, on the surface of the ground, in all parts of 
the Strait. 
As soon as the Patagonians found they were noticed, they 
mounted and rode along the shore abreast of us, being joined 
by other parties, until the whole number could not have been 
less than forty. Several foals and dogs were with them. Having 
anchored in Gregory Bay, where I intended remaining for two 
days to communicate with them, I sent up a rocket, burnt a 
blue-light, and despatched Lieutenant Cooke on shore to ask 
for a large supply of guanaco meat, for which we would pay 
in knives and beads. The boat returned on board immediately, 
bringing off four natives, three men and ¢ Maria” ‘This 
rather remarkable woman must have been, judging by her 
appearance, about forty years old: she is said to have been 
born at Assuncion, in Paraguay, but I think the place of her 
birth was nearer Buenos Ayres. She spoke broken, but intel- 
