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At work at the wall. About 11 o'clock a.m. two good looking Lagoon Indians came to the station, one of them called himself Lareas, a chief. They said Wesail had had a fall from his horse and that one of his children was unwell but that he would be here shortly; that Centurion (San Leon) was four or five days off, northwards of Possession Bay. The Chilean soldier recognised these two men as some that he had seen with the Patagonians four days from Port Famine. They had treated him kindly and he had slept in the tent of one of them.

They were very much superior in appearance and manners to the Indians we had previously had about us. Their weapons were a bow and arrows. Soon after noon we saw another party approaching the station. These were nine individuals advancing abreast of each other, four of them were very tall and one of these was the only person on horseback; another of the tall ones advanced quickly before his companions and, as he approached the station, elevated his hand above his head and gave us to understand that Wesail was coming in this party.

We therefore left our working and went to meet this great man who greeted us with a shake of the hand. He is not very tall but very broad and muscular and well proportioned; indeed I could perceive none of that disproportion, which writers mention, between the trunk and limbs of these people. They had left their wives, children and tents, behind them; some of them were provided with bows and arrows and others carried bolas at their waists. All of them were covered from head to feet, each with a skin mantle which only exposed their head, neck, shoulders and legs. Wesail had sundry ornaments which sufficiently distinguished him, such as a curious band round his head - this had been given him at Port Famine; at the small of his back he carried a handsome dirk in a silver-plated sheath and on his left hip a large steel, such as English butchers use to sharpen their knives; at his waist were also his bolas and smoking apparatus. On his alighting, he sent the two legs and thighs of an ostrich into our kitchen, as a present Captain Gardiner thought, but as these were the only provisions they had with them, probably he did not intend them for a gift, at any rate he soon claimed them again. We were just ready for dinner so we invited him to join us, which he readily did, reflecting great credit on the cooking of the fried potatoes but sparing the salt pork a little. During dinner two of his party sat within the door, the others wistfully eyeing our operations while they crowded round the outside; to all of them we gave some biscuit which they needed no second invitation to take and eat.

Wesail's manners and care of his people at this time made a decidedly favourable impression on me. He spoke Spanish so that Captain Gardiner could converse with him but little was interpreted to me. From his looks and actions I judged him to be a polite man rather than a barbarian, an intelligent, thoughtful patriotic chief, the father of his people. Captain Gardiner made our views, wishes and intentions known to him, to all of which he cordially and readily assented and then turned to his people and seemed to repeat to them what had been said, when it was quite evident that they acquiesced as heartily. After dinner he began to examine the things in the house: a cloth cap was the first thing he appeared to covet. Captain Gardiner gave it to him but it was too little, next he asked for a hat. I offered him mine which was hanging in sight, but although this fitted him it did not please; perhaps, as it was a light one, he might think it not a good one. I therefore took another from my leather hat case, making a fuss in unlocking the case and brushing it up. This process seemed to decide the fate of the hat, it was accepted and returned to my care to be forthcoming on demand, whenever he wanted it upon state occasions. He also kept the cap for his son.

In the evening we again fed him and his people, as their tents had not yet arrived. The tall man, who, at Wesail's coming had been sent forward to apprise us of it, was now sent on horseback with a message to those whom they had left behind. This man seemed to be Wesail's particular friend and to act as his Aide-de-camp ; when he was about to set out for the encampment, Wesail asked Captain Gardiner for some biscuit to send to the children. Captain Gardiner understood him to mean his own children and accordingly gave the man on horseback two biscuits, which Wesail did not think enough and expressed his belief that Captain Gardiner having given them to his, Wesail's friend, intended them for that friend's own children and wished Captain Gardiner to give him (Wesail) some to send to his children. This Captain Gardiner thought an imposition and refused to give any more, saying he intended those he had given for Wesail's children according to his request. Wesail persisted, as there were so few and they were given to his friend, that friend should keep them for his own children and again requested some for himself to send to his children; and upon being refused, turned away in a bad humour, saying it was bad to be refused a biscuit to send to his children; upon this Captain Gardiner saw the necessity of yielding and consequently he gave the man some more.

This was the beginning of our trouble with Wesail and his people. At night Captain Gardiner told Wesail he could sleep with us in the house and his people could sleep in that used as our kitchen. To this he assented and lay down for a while but soon got up saying he did not like to stay in the house; upon his going out, his people also left their dormitory for the open air. They were quiet all night.