114 RIO NEGRO. 



the morning of the 22d, at daylight, the natives appeared on the beach, 

 shouting to them to land. Lieutenant-Commandant Long delayed 

 his departure for a few hours, and landed with a number of the 

 officers. As the boats approached the shore, the natives began their 

 shouting, and advanced towards them on their landing without fear, 

 exhibiting a pleasant air, and apparently with every feeling of confi- 

 dence : they were all unarmed. An old man, who was the chief, came 

 forward to salute them, first by patting his own breast several times, 

 and then that of each individual of the party, making use of the word 

 cu-char-lie, dwelling on the first syllable, and accenting the last, in a 

 whining tone of voice. The meaning of cu-char-lie it was impossible 

 to divine, for it was used for every thing. After this ceremony, they 

 returned to the thicket, and brought forth their bows and arrows. 

 These people were admirable mimics, and would repeat all kinds of 

 sounds, including words, with great accuracy : the imitation was often 

 quite ridiculous. They were naked, with the exception of a guanacoe 

 skin, which covered them from the shoulders to the knees. 



Mr. Agate's drawing of one of these Patagonians, faces the first 

 page of this chapter. 



The party of natives were seventeen in number, and with a few ex- 

 ceptions they were above the European height. The chief, who was 

 the oldest man among them, was under fifty years of age, and of 

 comparatively low stature ; his son was one of the tallest, and above 

 six feet in height. They had good figures and pleasant-looking 

 countenances, low foreheads and high cheek-bones, with broad faces, 

 the lower part projecting ; their hair was coarse and cut short on the 

 crown, leaving a narrow border of hair hanging down ; over this they 

 wore a kind of cap or band of skin or woollen yarn. The front teeth 

 of all of them were very much worn, more apparent, however, in the 

 old than in the young. On one foot they wore a rude skin sandal. 



Many of them had their faces painted in red and black stripes, with 

 clay, soot, and ashes. Their whole appearance, together with their 

 inflamed and sore eyes, was filthy and disgusting. They were thought 

 by the officers more nearly to approach to the Patagonians than any 

 other natives, and were supposed to be a small tribe who visit this 

 part of Terra del Fuego in the summer months ; they were entirely 

 different from the Petcherais, whom we afterwards saw at Orange 

 Harbour. 



None of their women or children were seen, but they were thought 

 to be not far distant in the wood, as they objected to any of our 

 people going towards it, and showed much alarm when guns were 

 pointed in that direction. They seemed to have a knowledge of fire- 



