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

322 PATAGONIANS — PORT FAMINE. Jan., Feb. 19th. Sailed, and, for once during our experience of these shores, found a heavy swell setting in from the east.* On the 20th we anchored again in Port Desire, and our first employment was to look for the rock whose top (Mr. May as- sured me with a grave face) we had knocked off with our keel. 22d. Both vessels sailed, and at sunset the Adventure parted company, steering for New Island in the Falklands. Lieute- nant Wickham was to make a connected survey of the coast of that archipelago, while the Beagle was in other places.-f- After giving some time to sounding and examining portions of ground in the neighbourhood of Cape Virgins and the eastern entrance of Magalhaens" Strait, we passed the First Narrow and anchored in Gregory Bay. There, of course, we had an interview with old Maria and her party. They received us kindly, but with some form, being assembled and seated on the ground near our landing place, with two men standing up in the midst of them, who looked immoveably grave and stupidly dignified. These men were acting as caciques, Maria said, the real chiefs being absent. They were stripped to the waist, and the upper parts of their bodies spotted with wliite paint. J The rest of the people were dressed as usual. An active barter commenced, but the portly actors in the middle did not take part in it, they remained in their solem- nity till we left them. On the 2d of February we anchored in Port Famine, and on the 10th, having obtained chronometric observations for which I went there, we sailed for the neighbourhood of the First Narrow and Lomas Bay (near Point Catherine). We often anchored thereabouts in the prosecution of our work. On the 17th, as we ran along the curious spit or bank of shingle that fronts San Sebastian Bay, I really could not tell, though I had been in that bay before, whether I had not been * I think that this easterly swell must have been caused by a south- east gale, though it came to us from the east. + Appendix, No. 18. J Much as a piece of new knotty wood is spotted with white lead before it receives a coat of paint.