22 



Patagonlar*. 

 Orange Harbour. 



TERRA DEL FUEGO. 



P.ita(i»ii tab*. 

 Orange Ilorbuur, 



Lieutenant-Commandant Long delayed his depar- 

 ture for a few hours, and landed with a number of 

 the officers. As the boats approached the- shore, 

 the natives renewed their shouting, and advanced 

 towards them on their landing without fear, exhi- 

 biting a pleasant air, and apparently with every 

 feeling of confidence: they were all unarmed. An 

 old man 3 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 cm chxr-lit, dwelling on the 

 first syllable, and accenting the last, in a whining 

 tone of voice. The meaning of cu-ehar-lie it was 

 impossible to divine, for it was used for every 

 tbiug. After this ceremony they returned to the 

 thicket, and brought forth their 'bows and arrow s. 

 These people were admirable mimics, and would 

 repeat all kinds of wounds, including words, with 

 great accuracy: the imitation was often quite ridi- 

 culous. Thoy were naked, with the exception of 

 a guanaeoo-skin, which covered them from the 

 hhoulders to the knees. 



The party of natives were seventeen in number, 

 and with a few exceptions they were above ihe 

 European height. The chief, who was the oldest 

 man among them, was under fifty yenrs of oge, 

 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 counte- 

 nance^ low foreheads, and high check-hones, with 

 broad faces, the lower part projecting; (heir hair 

 was coarse, and cut short on the crown, having a 

 narrow border of hair hanging down; owr 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 in- 

 flamed and sore eyes, was filthy and disgusting. 

 They were thought by the officera more nearly to 

 approach to the Patagonians than any other na- 

 tives, and were supposed to bo a small tribe who 



visit this part of Terra del Fuego in the summer 

 months; they were entirely different from the 

 Petchemis, whom wo afterwards saw at Orange 

 Harbour. 



None of i heir women or children were seen, but 

 they were thought to bo 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-arms, which they called 

 tu, or spirit; and kn't-x«, which they frequently 

 uttered with gestures, was thought to indicate 

 their (ireat .Spirit, or God. 



They had little apparent curiosity, and nothing 

 seemed to attract or cauBO then surprise; their 

 principal characteristic seemed to be jealousy. 

 Though they are a simple race, they are not want- 

 ing in emitting ; and it was with great difficulty 

 that they could be prevailed upon to part with 

 their bows and arrows in trade, which they how- 

 ever did, after asking permission from their chief: 

 (his was always necessary for them to obtain before 

 closing a bargain. They have had communication 

 frequently before with Europeans; pieces of many 

 articles of European manufacture were seen in 

 their possession, such as glass-beads, &c. They 

 refused tobacco, whiskey, bread, or meat, and were 

 only desirous of getting old iron, nails, and pieces 

 of hoop-iron. 



Their food consists principally of fish and shell- 

 fish. Their fishing apparatus is made of the dorsal 

 fin of a fish, tied to a thin slip of w halebone, in the 

 form of a barb ; this serves as a good hook, and 

 with it they obtain a supply of this food. Their 

 anus consisted altogether of bows and arrows. 

 The natives had the common dog, which they 

 seemed to prize much. 



Mr. Rich employed his time in botanical re- 

 searches: the prominent plants were bcrbcrcs, 

 wiuterin, vacciiiium, audromoda, cotnposiUe, (some 

 woody,) cruciferuf, umbellifene, ice. A number of 

 these were just putting forth their flowering buds. 

 Scurvy-grasses and wild celery abound, d. 



On the I7th of February, as bt-fore stated, the 

 Relief was joined by the rest of the squadron. 



CHAPTER V. 

 TERRA DEL FUEGO. SOUTHERN CRUISE. 



oft A SfiK IIAannVR— FLAX OF THS »QOADROX't OPERATION— SATIVEB— TJIKI* APPEARANCE— T1IETR HUT*— THEIR 



talekt roa Mimrar — vi»it to met* nuTB— their root— departure or romromi— whale sjur-uj.K.uT 

 of wavki— nam atono^'t ulasd— o'briem'h and a i p l a x d'* iilakds — palmer'* lasd— advex-turk ihlet* 



— (EA-OVLL ORDERED TO UXTU RX — RETURN OF THE I'OHPOI »E— ELEP II AST I.UASn- OOOD SUCCKS* HAT — BOAT 

 DETAINED— ATTEMVT TO E — ACCIDENT — FURTHER ATTESIFT Til RELIEVE THE FARTV — PUR roll] COM- 

 PELLED TO PUT TO tBA— CAPS CT. Dl EGO- RETURN TO GOOD tOCCEfl B A Y— V ARTY JOIN — TltEl R TRABCACUOXR 



LEAVE GOOD BCCCECI BAY— KAHIAH BAT— NATIVES— ORASOE n ARBOU R— »EA«CLL— DECEPTION tfLAVD TEM- 

 PER AT'JH K—V KIT TD CRATER — FORCE ur W7SD— ARRIVAL AT ORAXOE HARBOUR — IIENT IS IEARCH OP Ul SHI 

 — LO«l OP Tn AT BOAT— RETURN OP SilAUULL— AGAIN lAXLB POR WOLLAITOX'* I»LAJi D— B A1LV l«L-\ND— 

 ARRIVAL ap rLTINO-PIBH. 



OrtANar. KMtBOOB is on the western side of Nassau | Lho naked rock is every where broken into a 

 Bay, separated and protected from it by Bum( jagged outline, with no creeping plants to soften or 

 Island. It is nearly land-locked, and is the safest take oil' its harshness. Ecci v thing has a bleak 

 harbour on the co:oit. The hills on each side, afUr and wintry appearance, and is "in excellent keeping 

 several undulations, rise into conical peaks, and ' with the climate; yet the scenery about it is pleatT 



