100 THE CAUCAES INDIANS. [1823 



is the continental shore, skirts a fine fertile country, not destitute of 

 inhabitants ; but I believe it has never been visited with reference to 

 commercial objects. 



June 20th. — Having critically inspected the main coast on the north 

 side of Cape Corso, in the Campana Channel, we landed on the island 

 of Campana on Friday, the 20th of June, at four, P. M. After taking 

 a few fur-seals on the south cape of this island, we proceeded along 

 its western shore, keeping the boats abreast of the vessel, close in to 

 the land, searching occasionally for fur-seals, of which we discovered 

 very few. 



June 26th. — On Thursday we arrived at Port St. Barbara, on the 

 extreme north point of Campana Island. This is a safe and convenient 

 harbour, without the least danger or difficulty in entering, as you carry 

 in seven fathoms of water, and anchor in from three to nine ; the bot- 

 tom consisting of mud, sand, and clay. The lagoon runs in south- 

 half- west, about four miles, and the west side affords the best anchorage. 

 The entrance of this port is in lat. 48° 7' S., long. 75° 8' W. ; varia- 

 tion per azimuth 18° 24' easterly. 



The extreme south point of this island, where we first landed, is 

 called Cape M'Intyre ; and twelve leagues farther north is Cape Nixon, 

 which we so named in honour of two of our owners. It has a bold 

 bluff shore of ragged rocks, bearing north-west-by-north from the 

 former. The course from Cape Nixon to Cape St. Barbara is north- 

 half-west. 



Seventeen leagues north of the last-mentioned cape are the Guay- 

 aneco Islands ; a group, of which the north point is in lat. 47° 31' S., 

 long. 75° 4' W. The course from St. Barbara, north-by-west, dis- 

 tant about twelve leagues. Among this cluster are many fine har- 

 bours ; the land is low, and very fertile, clothed with heavy timber, 

 grass, clover, <fec. The islands which form the north part of this 

 group are much frequented by hair-seals. A variety of scale and 

 shell-fish also may be had here with more sport than labour. 



On one of these islands we had an interview with the Caucaes 

 tribe, who had come hither from the continent on a fishing excursion. 

 These Indians have a very dark, swarthy complexion, are of middling 

 stature, and extremely courteous in their demeanour to strangers. 

 Their dress and general appearance are similar to those of the Poyas, 

 a number of whom we saw at a distance in the Gulf of Trinidad, and 

 whose location is on the continent, in lat. 50° 0' S. We also saw, 

 under similar circumstances, at Cape Corso, some of the Huilles, who 

 reside in about the forty-eighth degree of south latitude. These three 

 distinct tribes, I have no doubt, have all descended from one common 

 stock, — their dress, canoes, and occupations being the same. 



With the character, manners, customs, and habits of the Caucaes 

 we had a better opportunity of becoming acquainted. Their dress is 

 made of the same materials as that of the Indians on the Strait of 

 Magellan ; but the shape of it is more in the fashion of the eastern 

 Patagonians. The skins are sewed together in the form of a large 

 square blanket, in the centre of which is a hole just large enough for 

 the head to pass through. This cloak or mantle they call poncho. 



