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afterwards, placing his hands to the fire, as if to warm them,
and looking upwards, he uttered a few words, apparently of
invocation: then, looking at us, pointed upwards, and exclaimed,
with a tone and gesture of explanation, ‘ Pecheray,
Pecheray.’ After which, they cut off some hair from several
of the officers who were present, and repeated a similar ceremony.
From this fact, one might suppose the word to be connected
with their ideas of divine worship; but we had heard it used
for so many opposite things, that I could not consider it of
so much importance as some of the officers were inclined to
think it.
The next day a party ascended the Mountain de la Cruz,
to deposit a pewter plate, on which were cut the names of the
ship and officers. At the summit they found the pile of stones
made by Captain Fitz Roy, which they left undisturbed ; hut
made another, in which a bottle was placed, containing the
little Spanish coin, and copies, on vellum, of the memorials we
had formerly taken from it, also several Fnglish coins, and
some medals. The bottle was corked, covered with resin, and
enveloped in sheet lead. Our party returned in the evening,
having been seven hours in going up and descending.
The next day I obtained an angular measurement of the
Mountain de la Cruz, with a theodolite, having measured
a base of 2,608 feet, which gave for its elevation 2,364 feet,
74 feet more than Captain Fitz Roy’s barometrical determination.
During the day several Fuegian families had arrived, and,
by the evening, ten canoes, containing altogether about sixty
natives, were collected. I landed to visit them, for I had never
before seen so many assembled. We entered all the wigwams
hut one, which was said to be occupied by a woman in labour.
In the opening stood her husband, painted all over with a red
ochrous earth, and his head and breast ornamented with the
white down of birds. The other Fuegians called him ‘ Pecheray
;’ and appeared to consider him, while in the character he
had assumed, as a being superior to themselves.
Hence, there evidently is something of a superstitious nature
connected with the word; but our frequent attempts to find
out its precise meaning, were unsuccessful. On repeating this
expression to a group of natives, one of them immediately
coughed up a piece of blubber, which he had been eating, and
gave it to another, who swallowed it with much ceremony, and
with a peculiar guttural noise ; then, looking up, and pointing
with his finger to the skies, solemnly pronounced the talismanic
‘ Pecheray.’ This word is also used in pointing to the sun.
On the 10th April, I went to Charles Islands, and surveyed
them. There is very good anchorage for a small vessel, in eighteen
fathoms, at the north end of the passage which separates
them ; and at the bottom, or elbow, under the eastern island,
in thirteen or fourteen fathoms. The next day, a fresh arrival
in two canoes increased the number of Indians to eighty; rather
a formidable body for a small vessel to encounter. They conducted
themselves, on the whole, very peaceably, but seemed
determined that our curiosity should not be gratified by finding
out the contents of the ‘ tabooed’ wigwam. It was always
guarded by the ‘ Pecheray,’ who seemed ready and determined
to dispute all access to it, by means of a heavy club. One of
the midshipmen, however, with a little coaxing, persuaded the
man to let him put his head in ; but those who were inside,
having received their lesson, threw ashes in his face, and nearly
blinded him. After this, seeing they were determined on the
point, I desired that no further attempt should be made to
ascertain what was really going on inside the wigwam.
We sailed the next day (11th), not without some apprehension
that the Adelaide might meet this large concourse of Indians
before they separated ; as Port Gallant was a place rarely passed
by vessels without stopping, and the natives being all housed
behind a point of land, could not be seen until too late.
We were abreast of Cape Froward at noon ; in the evening
we anchored in French Bay, and next day (13th) reached Port
Famine. As I purposed remaining until the Adelaide should
arrive, the tents were set up, the boats landed for repair, and
the transit instrument was set up, in the hope that a comet