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

1835. * MINGa' CONVICTS — TOLTEN. 401 only, in sound but in meaning, to the Hebrew word mincha. Molina (p. 333) says that these people have a nasal g, which brings the two words to an identity of sound. The Hebrew term, I am told, means an offering or collection of fruits, liquors, &c. ; and the corresponding Huilli-che word means a a feast of which those partake who are about to unite in a work for the benefit of him who makes the ' minfja.' In the Appendix a few Greek, Latin, and Araucanian words are arranged so as to show the remarkable similarity existing between them. I was told by the Yntendente that some Englishmen had arrived in his district a few months before we came, whose character and business he did not understand. Rumours had reached his ears of their having escaped from one of our convict settlements, at the other side of the Pacific, and he was inclined to beUeve the report. Three of these men had married since their arrival, and all but one were industrious members of his community : indeed I saw two of them hard at work on a boat belonging to the Yntendente. Having however no proof of their delinquency, I did not deem my- self authorized to ask him to have them arrested and deli- vered up to me, in order that I might convey them to the senior British officer at Valparaiso. Afterwards I learned that these men, seven or eight in number, had escaped from Van Diemen's land in a very small vessel, and sailing always east- ward, had at last arrived on the coast near Valdivia, whence they were conducted by a fisherman into the port. Even- tually they were made prisoners by the ChiHan authorities, delivered up to our Commodore, and by him sent to England. I was informed that there is coal in many places about Val- divia ; but I did not see any. We sailed on the i^2d, after receiving, on all occasions, the kindest treatment from the residents. As we passed along the low coast about the river Tolten, numbers of Indians on horseback, and armed with lances, were seen riding along the shore, evidently watching our move- ments. This part of the coast is shoal, and at night would VOL. 11. D