Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.1): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

May 1827. patagonians — gkegory bay. 85 water Bay, where we passed the night. At last, on the 8th, accompanied by the Beagle, we proceeded on our course with a strong south-westerly breeze, which carried us quickly up to Cape Negro, when it blew so hard that I anchored off Laredo Bay. At this anchorage we certainly felt the air much colder and sharper than at Port Famine, arising from our being in a more exposed situation, and from the approach of winter, as well as from the severe south-west gale which was blowing. After the gale had abated, we proceeded with fair weather and a light breeze to the Second Narrow, when the wind fell but the tide being in our favour, we passed rapidly through. On a hill near us we observed three or four Patagonian Indians standing together, and their horses feeding close to them. A fire was soon kindled, to attract our notice, to which signal we replied by showing our colours ; and had we not already communicated with these people, we should certainly have thought them giants, for they " loomed very large" as they stood on the summit of the hill. This optical deception must doubtless have been caused by mirage : the haze has always been observed to be very great during fine weather and a hot day, arising from rapid evaporation of the moisture so abun- dantly deposited, on the surface of the ground, in all parts of the Strait. As soon as the Patagonians found they were noticed, they mounted and rode along the shore abreast of us, being joined by other parties, until the whole number could not have been less than forty. Several foals and dogs were with them. Havmg anchored in Gregory Bay, where I intended remaining for two days to communicate with them, I sent up a rocket, burnt a blue-light, and despatched Lieutenant Cooke on shore to ask for a large supply of guanaco meat, for which we would pay in knives and beads. The boat returned on board immediately, bringine off four natives, three men and ' Maria.' This rather remarkable woman must have been, judging by her appearance, about forty years old : she is said to have been born at Assuncion, in Paraguay, but I think the place of her birth was nearer Buenos Ayres. She spoke broken, but intel-