Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

CONFIDENCE — STATURE — WANDERINGS. 145 usually broad and prominent : all the features, indeed, are large, excepting the eyes. The expression of their countenances is open and honest (compared with other savages), and their intrepid, contented look is rather prepossessing. The unhe- sitating manner in which, unarmed, they trust themselves among strangers whom they never before saw, or venture on board ship, even under sail in the offing (if they can obtain a pas- sage in the boat), and go voluntarily from place to place with their white acquaintances, is very remarkable. Of the stature and bulk of these Indians I have already spoken. It appears to me that those who now live on the northern side of Maffalhaens"' Strait are descendants of the Pata- gonians whose size excited so much surprise and discussion and that, occasionally, individuals have exceeded the common height. Speaking of Cangapol, whose chief resort was the vicinity of the river Negro, though he and his tribe were rest- less wanderers, Falkner says — " This chief, who was called by the Spaniards the ' Cacique bravo,' was very tall and well pro- portioned. He must have been seven feet and some inches in height, because, on tiptoe, I could not reach to the top of his head. I was very well acquainted with him, and went some journeys in his company. I do not recollect ever to have seen an Indian that was above an inch or two taller than Cangapol. His brother, Sausimian, was but about six feet high. The Patagonians are a large-bodied people ; but I never heard of that gigantic race which others have mentioned, though I have seen persons of all the different tribes of southern Indians." In another place he says, " there is not a part of all this extremity of the continent that some of these wandering nations do not travel over frequently."" Of their wanderings, many persons besides myself and those with me can bear witness. Patago- nians, who were personally known by officers of the Beagle, were seen by them at the Spanish (now the Buenos Ayrean) settlement, Del Carmen, near the mouth of the river Negro, in September 1832; and by Mr. Low, at their usual abode, near the Strait of Magalhaens, in February 1833. The individual who was then most noticed, a half-breed Indian woman, named VOL. II. L