Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.3)

Dec. 1834. castro. 339 The arrival of our boats was a rare event in this quiet, retired corner of the world ; and nearly all the inhabitants came down to the beach to see us pitch our tents. They were very civil, and offered us a house ; and one man even sent us a cask of cider as a present. In the afternoon we paid our respects to the governor ; — a quiet old man, who, in his appearance and manner of life, was scarcely superior to an English cottager. At night heavy rain set in, which was hardly sufficient to drive away from the tents the large circle of lookers on. An Indian family, who had come to trade in a canoe from Caylen, bivouacked near us. They had no shelter during the rain. In the morning, I asked a young Indian, who was wet to the skin, how he had passed the night. He seemed perfectly content, and answered, " Muy bien, senor." December 1st. — We steered for the island of Lemuy. I was anxious to examine a reported coal-mine, which turned out to be lignite of little value, in the sandstone (probably of an ancient tertiary epoch) of which these islands are com- posed. When we reached Lemuy we had much difficulty in finding any place to pitch our tents, for it was spring tide, and the land was wooded down to the water's edge. In a short time we were surrounded by a large group of the nearly pure Indian inhabitants. They were much surprised at our arrival, and said one to the other, " This is the reason we have seen so many parrots lately ; the cheucau (an odd red-breasted little bird, which inhabits the thick forest, and utters very peculiar noises) has not cried 'beware' for nothing." They were soon anxious for barter. Money was scarcely worth any thing, but their eagerness for tobacco was something quite extraordinary. After tobacco indigo came next in value ; then capsicum, old clothes, and gunpowder. The latter article was required for a very innocent purpose each parish has a public musket, and the gunpowder was wanted for making a noise on their saint or feast days. The people here live chiefly on shell-fish and potatoes. At certain seasons they catch also, in " corrales" or hedges z 2