192 SAGACITY. 



time that he would depart as soon as the wind became fair. 

 An old Indian, then, in a very ceremonious and mysterious 

 manner, gave Low what he understood to be a charm, with 

 strict injunctions not to look at it until next morning ; when, 

 at sunrise, there would be a fair wind, and the vessel might 

 sail. Notwithstanding the old man^s orders, he was no sooner 

 out of sight than Low opened the mysterious packet, which 

 appeared to contain human hair, mixed with the scrapings of 

 the shaft of an arrow. 



Next morning, however, at sunrise, a fair (easterly) wind 

 sprung up, and the vessel sailed. How the old man foreknew 

 the change — whether he judged by the sky, the tides, or other 

 indications, did not transpire ; but this was by no means a 

 singular instance of extraordinary accuracy shown by the 

 natives in foretelling changes of weather. 



The sagacity and extensive local knowledge of these people 

 is very surprising ; Niqueaccas was so well acquainted with 

 all the coast between 47° and the Strait of Magalhaens, that, 

 upon being taken to a high hill, immediately after landing from 

 a cruise, in which they had been far out of sight of land, he 

 pointed out the best harbours and places for seal then visible ; 

 and in one direction, a long way off (pointing towards Eyre 

 Sound, then far out of sight), he said there were great numbers 

 of fur seals. The boy Bob also described that same place, when he 

 was with Mr. Low at the Galapagos Islands. On a calm day, 

 while there was nothing going on, he made a chart with chalk 

 upon the vessel's deck, reaching from the windlass to the taff- 

 rail, and Mr. Low has since felt quite certain that the boy 

 meant Eyre Sound, though at that time these interior waters on 

 the west coast of Patagonia had not been explored by any 

 white man. 



Niqueaccas was always anxious and timid about taking the 

 Adeona through a passage where he knew danger existed, and 

 proportionably pleased when the dangers were safely passed, 

 and the vessel anchored in a safe position. 



The boy Bob, when only ten years old, was on board the 

 Adeona at sea. As the vessel approached land, Low asked 



