204 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



a few days previously. "We obtained a fine panoramic view 

 of the country on all sides of us, as well as of the opposite 

 coast of Fuegia ; and after the surveyors had obtained the 

 angles they wished, and a large beacon had been erected, 

 we descended, and, having lunched at the edge of the stream 

 already mentioned, began the return journey of ten or twelve 

 miles. 



It was dusk when we approached our camp, and one of 

 the men left in charge, coming to meet us, informed us 

 that a party of about thirty Patagonians had arrived some 

 hours previously, and encamped on one of the high banks in 

 our vicinity, and that some of the officers left on board the 

 vessel had landed to communicate with them. On reaching 

 the spot, a few minutes later, we found a striking group of 

 these people, consisting of men, women, and children, 

 assembled round our camp fire, some watching the cooking 

 of our dinner with curiosity, while others were engaged in 

 prying about the tents. They had brought two freshly- 

 killed ostriches with them, and these they handed over to 

 us in exchange for biscuit, etc. The chief in command, 

 Cacimiero Biwa by name, was a tall, very strongly-made 

 man, of about forty-five or more, and his flowing robe of 

 guanaco-skins caused him to appear of great size. He spoke 

 no English, but talked Spanish fluently, and explained to 

 Captain Mayne that if we would remain on shore during 

 next day he would take us out on a guanaco-hunt. This 

 proposal was agreed to after some deliberation, and the chief 

 then asked how many horses we would like, saying that he 

 could give us twenty or thirty readily, as he had between 

 forty or fifty with him. He was, however, informed that 

 eight or nine would be sufficient. He then gave us a 

 great deal of miscellaneous information about his people 



