30th January 1834

St of Magellan
A large party went on shore to barter for mantles &c. The whole population of the Toldos were arranged on a bank, having brought with them Guanaco skins, ostrich feathers &c &c. The first demand was for fire-arms & of course not giving them these, tobacco was the next; indeed knives, axes &c were of no esteem in comparison to tobacco. It was an amusing scene & it was impossible not to like these mis-named giants, they were so throughily good-humoured & unsuspecting. An old woman, well known by the name of Santa Maria, recognized Mr Rowlett as belonging formerly to the Adventure & as having seen him a year & a half ago at the R. Negro, to which place a part of this tribe had then gone to barter their goods. Our semi-civilized friends expressed great anxiety for the ship to return & one old man wanted to accompany us. Got under weigh & beat up to Elizabeth island & there came to an anchor. Some Patagonians, near Peckets harbor made three large fires, as did also the Fuegians on the more distant Southern shore. Which signs of their proximity we are sorry to see.

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