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

April 1828. fuegians. 135 of the Saxe Cobourg's crew, those staves were seen in the pos- session of the Indians. A fine morning (11th) induced us to leave this quiet ancho- rage, to examine the openings of the south shore ; and in the afternoon, the anchor was dropped in a convenient place, on the west side of the western inlet, named by us Warrington Cove. While crossing the bay from Point Elvira, the north extremity of Cayetano Island, several ' smokes' were observed on the low land, at the bottom of the inlet ; and after we anchored two canoes visited us, containing six men, four women, and two or three children. They approached very cautiously, and could not be induced to come alongside. At last the men landed, and invited us to communicate with' them. I therefore went on shore with two or three officers, and remained with them half an hour, during which they gradually lost the distrust they had at first evinced ; but each man still carried a number of pebbles in the corner of his wrapper, ready to repel any attack we might make upon them ; from the knowledge we have since obtained of their character, I think it probable that they had lately committed some act of aggression on a seal- ing-vessel, and were afraid of retaliation. Our conduct tended to assure them of our friendship ; and, shortly after we left the shore, they came alongside in their canoes, and were very fami- liar, eagerly bartering their necklaces and baskets. In their way to us they had probably landed their more valuable goods, such as otter and seal-skins, as well as their weapons and dogs, without which they never go far. The natives of this part are considered by the sealers to be the most mischievously inclined of any in the Strait, or Tierra del Fuego. The appearance of our visitors was certainly against them ; but they did not commit themselves during our two or three days' communication, by any act which could make us complain, or cause suspicion of their honesty and friendship. We, however, kept too good a look-out, to enable them to take advantage of our seeming good-nature. Among bushes behind the high beach were three wigwams, but the Indians had no intention of remaining with us for the