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

314 PECHERAYS MOUNTAIN DE LA CRUZ. 1830. afterwards, placing his hands to the fire, as if to warm them, and looking upwards, he uttered a few words, apparently of invocation : then, looking at us, pointed upwards, and ex- claimed, with a tone and gesture of explanation, ' Pecheray, Pecheray.'' After which, they cut off some hair from several of the officers who were present, and repeated a similar cere- mony. From this fact, one might suppose the word to be connected with their ideas of divine worship ; but we had heard it used for so many opposite things, that I could not consider it of so much importance as some of the officers were inclined to think it. The next day a party ascended the Mountain de la Cruz, to deposit a pewter plate, on which were cut the names of the ship and officers. At the summit they found the pile of stones made by Captain Fitz Roy, which they left undisturbed ; but made another, in which a bottle was placed, containing the little Spanish coin, and copies, on vellum, of the memorials we had formerly taken from it, also several English coins, and some medals. The bottle was corked, covered with resin, and enveloped in sheet lead. Our party returned in the evening, having been seven hours in going up and descending. Tlie next day I obtained an angular measurement of the Mountain de la Cruz, with a theodolite, having measured a base of 2,608 feet, which gave for its elevation 2,364 feet, 74 feet more than Captain Fitz Roy's barometrical determi- nation. During the day several Fuegian families had arrived, and, by the evening, ten canoes, containing altogether about sixty natives, were collected. I landed to visit them, for I had never before seen so many assembled. We entered all the wigwams but one, which was said to be occupied by a woman in labour. In the opening stood her husband, painted all over with a red] ochrous earth, and his head and breast ornamented with the| white down of birds. The other Fuegians called him ' Peche- ray ;' and appeared to consider him, while in the character hej had assumed, as a being superior to themselves.