Byron's Narrative of the Loss of the Wager: With an account of the great distresses suffered by himself and his companions on the coast of Patagonia from the year 1740 till their arrival in England 1746 — John Shaqi
Byron's Narrative of the Loss of the Wager: With an account of the great distresses suffered by himself and his companions on the coast of Patagonia from the year 1740 till their arrival in England 1746Byron, John
History
Byron's Narrative of the Loss of the Wager: With an account of the great distresses suffered by himself and his companions on the coast of Patagonia from the year 1740 till their arrival in England 1746
Byron, John
Chiloé (Chile); Patagonia (Argentina and Chile); Wager (Ship)
In the morning my curiosity led me to visit the neighbouring wigwams,
in which were only one or two men; the rest of the inhabitants were all
women and children. I then proceeded to enquire after Captain Cheap and
our Indian guide, whom I found in the wigwam they at first occupied:
the authority of the cacique had procured the Captain no despicable
entertainment. We could not learn what business the men, whose wives
and children were here left behind, were gone out upon; but as they
seldom or never go upon fishing-parties (for they have no hunting here)
without their wives, who take the most laborious part of this pursuit
upon themselves, it is probable they were gone upon some warlike
expedition, in which they use bows and arrows sometimes, but always
the lance. This weapon they throw with great dexterity and force, and
never stir abroad without it. About this time their return was looked
for; a hearing by no means pleasant to me; I was, therefore, determined
to enjoy myself as long as they were absent, and make the most of the
good fare I was possessed of; to the pleasure of which I thought a
little cleanliness might in some measure contribute; I therefore went
to a brook, and taking off my shirt, which might be said to be alive
with vermin, set myself about to wash it; which having done as well
as I could, and hung on a bush to dry, I heard a bustle about the
wigwams; and soon perceived that the women were preparing to depart,
having stripped their wigwams of their bark covering, and carried it
into their canoes. Putting on, therefore, my shirt just as it was, I
hastened to join them, having a great desire of being present at one of
their fishing parties.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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