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

July 1828. RETURN OF THE BEAGLE. 151 ships the officers and crew under him had suffered ; and I was alarmed at the desponding tone of his conversation. He told me that the Beagle had been up the western coast as high as Cape Tres Montes, in latitude 47°, had surveyed the Gulf of Pefias and other portions of the coast, particularly Port Henry, at Cape Three Points, the entrance of the Gulf of Trinidad, and Port Santa Barbara, at the north end of Campana Island. During the survey of the Gulf of Peiias they had experienced very severe weather, both stormy and wet, during which the Beagle"'s crew were incessantly employed, and had consequently suffered greatly. Captain Stokes seemed not to have spared himself He appeared much gratified by my visiting him, and before we parted he was for a time restored to his usual energy, detailing the circumstances of the voyage, and con_ versing upon the plan of our future operations with considerable animation. The return of the Beagle cheered our ship's company, and on the SOth the Adelaide came back, with a large quantity of guanaco meat, which had been procured from the Patagonian Indians at Peckett's Harbour. When the Adelaide anchored there, about thirty natives appeared on the shore. Mr. Tarn landed, and communicated our wants, saying that he would give tobacco and knives for as much guanaco meat as they could procure ; with them was the Fuegian, who seemed to be a leading man, and to have become one of t he most active of the party. He was the principal spokes- man, and upon commencing thehunt he pointed to thesnow upon the ground, and called it ' bueno' (good), because it would show the traces of the animals, and the direction they had taken. Mr.Wickham thus described to me the manner in which they hunted : Two men ascended a hill, placed themselves one at each end of its summit, and stood motionless for some time, on the look-out. As soon as guanacoes were seen, their position and movements were communicated, by signs, to the men in the valley, who were thus enabled to approach their game un- awares. The guanacoes are taken with the bolas, which entangle their legs and throw them down. As soon as they are killed.