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

Jan. 1827. patagonian Indians. 17 good horses. The woman, who appeared to be about fifty years of age, was seated astride upon a pile of skins, hung round with joints of fresh guanaco meat and dried horse-flesh. They were all wrapped in mantles, made chiefly of the skins of guanacoes, sewed together with the sinews of the same animal. These mantles were large enough to cover the whole body. Some were made of skins of the ' zorillo,' or skunk, an animal like a pole-cat, but ten times more offensive ; and others, of skins of the puma. The tallest of the Indians, excepting the old man, who did not dismount, was rather less than six feet in height. All were robust in appearance, and with respect to the head, length of body, and breadth of shoulders, of gigantic size ; therefore, when on horseback, or seated in a boat, they appeared to be tall, as well as large men. In proportion to the parts above- mentioned, their extremities were very small and short, so that when standing they seemed but of a moderate size, and their want of proportion was concealed by the mantle, which enve- loped the body entirely, the head and feet being the only parts exposed. When Mr. Cooke landed, he presented some medals * to the oldest man, and the woman ; and suspended them round their necks. A friendly feeling being established, the natives dismounted, and even permitted our men to ride their horses, without evincing the least displeasure, at the free advantage taken of their good-nature. Mr. Cooke rode to the heights, whence he had a distinct view of the Second Narrow, and Elizabeth Island, whither, he explained to the Indians who accompanied him, we were going. Mr. Cooke returned to the ship with three natives, whom he had induced to go with us to Elizabeth Island ; the others were to meet them, and provide us with guanaco meat, to which arrangement the elders of the family had, after • Previous to the expedition quitting; England, I bad provided myself with medals, to give away to the Indians witli whom we might commu- nicate, bearing on one side the figure of Britannia, and on the reverse •• George 1V^" "Adventure and Beagle," and " 1826." VOL. I. C