320 SLINGS—FIRING—CUNNING. April 1830. 
are the very reverse. Had we attempted to land on the last 
occasion, I do not think we should have effected our object, 
without receiving some severe contusions from their stones, 
which they sling with such extraordinary precision and foree : 
so much so, that I consider the sling, in their dexterous hands, 
to be equal to a musket in ours. Indeed, with many of us, a 
native would have had the advantage. It has been too much 
the practice, when obliged to fire upon them, to fire over their 
heads; by which proceeding the savages are led to consider 
our weapons as so uncertain in their effect, that they become 
much depreciated in their estimation. It would be almost pre- 
ferable to inflict a slight wound, in order to show the nature of 
our arms, and as a warning against further hostilities. 
When the Uxbridge, sealer, was at anchor in a harbour in 
the Magdalen Channel, some Indians, who were on board, 
angry at being ordered out of the vessel at sunset, threw stones 
at the person who was walking the deck, as they returned to 
the shore. Several muskets were fired over their heads, at 
which they expressed neither fear nor concern ; but paddled 
leisurely away, and the next morning came off again to the 
vessel, as if nothing had happened. At Port Famine, Duclos 
Guyot had a skirmish with natives, the particulars of which 
are described in Dom Pernetty’s History (ii. 653). Three of 
the Indians were killed, and three of the French were severely 
wounded. It may be here remarked, that the chief’s name, 
according to M. Duclos Guyot, was ‘ Pach-a-chui, which is 
not unlike ‘ Pecheray ;’ the women were called ‘ Cap, cap,’ 
probably a mistake for ‘ Cab, cab;’ which evidently means 
‘no, no! for it was an expression we frequently used, and 
was never misunderstood. Their cunning is sufficiently proved 
by the theft of the Adelaide’s boat, in St. Simon’s Sound 
(page 142). 
The absence of the Fuegians permitted us to move about a 
little; and among other places, we visited their late encamp- 
ment at Rocky Bay, our approach to which was offensively 
indicated by a most sickening smell. On our way, I found two 
fossils ; one was very interesting, bearing the appearance of a 
