316 TROUBLESOME NUMBER OF FUEGIANS. 1830. 
might be visible, which we had seen in our passage from Con- 
cepcion to the Strait ; but the weather was at first too cloudy, 
and afterwards the comet itself was too faint to be discerned.* 
On the 21st, nine canoes arrived in the bay, containing a 
large party of Fuegians, principally those who frequent the 
Magdalen Channel, and probably the sea-coast. They had 
generally shown themselves disposed to be mischievous, and I 
determined upon preventing their encamping near us; for 
their presence would greatly impede our watering and wood- 
ing parties, by distracting the attention of the people. I, there- 
fore, went to meet them at the watering-place, under Point 
St. Anna, where they had landed, near one of our boats which 
was on the beach. Among them we only recognised three who 
had visited us before, and those three were brought to our 
remembrance by their former nrisconduct. I had always made 
it a rule to treat them kindly, with the view of obtaining their 
good-will ; but I found it was the wrong way to gain their 
respect, for it only made them expect more from me, the con- 
sequence of which was, that when we separated, neither party 
was pleased with the other. I used on this occasion a more dic- 
tatorial tone than I had hitherto done; for, seeing several with 
slings in their hands, and a collection of large, round pebbles 
wrapped up in the corner of their mantles, I desired them to 
throw the stones away, which they did not hesitate to do. The 
Indians were now all landed, and evidently presuming upon 
their numerical strength, upwards of eighty being assembled, 
began to make themselves very familiar. 
I thought it best to check their advances, by desiring them 
not to visit the side of the bay where our tents stood, but to 
go round Point St. Anna, to an adjoining cove. They seemed 
to understand me perfectly, and soon afterwards embarked, 
while I returned on board. The natives, however, landed again, 
in the middle of the bay, at the north side, and there encamped. 
Next morning, the men of the tribe visited our tents, but 
found them surrounded by a rope I had caused to be fixed, 
* The same comet was seen at the Mauritius; and its orbit calculated. 
See Ast. Soc. Proceedings, and Phil. Journal. 
