BURNEY’S DISCOVERIES IN THE SOUTH SEA. 7 
sight of which he started back so suddenly 
4s to overturn four Spaniards who were be- 
hind him. ‘“ This man,” says Pigafetta, 
** was so tall that our heads scarcely came 
up to his waist, and his voice was like that 
of a bull.” More of the natives shewed 
themselves on the shore near the ships, 
making signs that they wished to come on 
board ; and, says a Spanishauthor, ‘ greatly 
marvelling to see such large ships, and suc 
fittlemen.’ A boat was sent, and they were 
taken to the Capitana. ‘The description 
iven by Herrera of the size of these people, 
as more the appearance of truth than that 
given by Pigafetta. Herrera says, the least 
of the men was larger and taller than the 
stoutest man of Castile They had bows 
and arrows, and were clothed in clokes made 
of the skins of some animal neatly sewed 
together. A kettle of pottage was made 
with biscuit for them, sufficient to have satis- 
fied twenty Spaniards, which six Indians 
entirely cat up. When they had finished 
their meal, and satisfied their curiosity, they 
desired to go, anda boat carried them to the 
shore. 
> «The next day, two of the natives brought 
some venison (which was the flesh of the 
animal whose skin served them fer clothing), 
In return they received each a present of a 
red jacket, with which they were much 
yore The day after, one of the Indians 
rought more venison ‘I'he same man visited 
them several days following. He was taught 
te pronouncé the Lord's prayer, and at length 
was christened by the name of Juan Gigante,” 
__ English sailors would certainly have 
christened this man LittleJohn, or rather 
indeed have given him the name without 
the ceremony. The account of this in- 
terview in Harris has many cycumstan- 
ces not to be found in Captain Burney ; 
we transcribe it on this account, and also 
because itis an admirable specimen of 
narrative, such as our forefathers wrote, 
when men regarded what they were to 
write, and not how they should write it. 
“ At last to put an end to the soli- 
tude, a certain giant of the neighbouring 
parts came up to give themavisit; a 
brisk, jolly, frolicksome fellow, very 
merrily disposed, singing and dancing all 
the way ashe came. Being got to the 
haven, he stood there and threw dust 
upon his head; which they observing 
sent some ashore to him, who making 
the like signs of peace, upon that assur- 
ance he came along with them to the 
ship, without any thing of fear or scru- 
ple. His bulk and stature was such as 
would easily allow him the character 
of a giant ; the head of one of their mid- 
dle-sized men reached but to his waist, 
aud he was propostignably big, His 
body was formidably painted all over, 
especially his face; there were a couple 
of stags drawn, one upon each cheek, 
and great red circles about his eyes, his 
colours were otherwise mostly yellow, 
only his hair was done with white. 
* For hisapparel, he had the skin of 2 
certain beast, clumsily sewed together ; 
but a beast as strange as that was that 
wore it; every way unaccountable, nei- 
ther mule, horse, nor camel, but some- 
thing of every one, the ears of the first, 
the tail of the second, and the shape and 
body of the last. "T'was an entire suit, 
all of one piece from head to foot; as his 
breast and back were covered with it 
above, so his very legs and feet were 
wrapped up in the same beneath. The 
arms that he brought with him were a 
stout bow and arrows, the string of the 
former was a gut, or sinew, of that 
monstrous beast, and the latter instead 
of iron heads, were tipped with sharp 
stones. 
«“ The admiral made him eatand drink, 
and he enjoyed himself very comfortably 
a shipboard, till he happened to peep ina 
great looking-glass that was given him 
among other trifles. This put him into 
a fright that he could not easily recover 
from : the dismal face he-saw there, star- 
ed him quite out of all countenance and 
courage, and he started back with such 
violence, that he tumbled a coupie of the 
men that stood by him to the ground. 
This was a sign that he was thoroughly 
and effectually frightened; but no doubt, 
the thing that appeared to him, will be 
thought sufficient to do it, if the forego- 
ing description be well considered. A 
pair of great stags with branched horns 
and the flaming circles drawn about the 
eyes: what hobgeblin couldhave a worse 
look then this? a damon’s face in a viz- 
zard mask, witha set of long teeth, and 
a nose of half a yard, could not have 
more power over the imagination, and . 
give a mana worse shock of a sudden, 
than such a sight.” 
It is remarkable that so many circum. 
stances should appear in this account, 
which are not noticed in the volume be- 
fore us, for Captain Burney is in general 
so excellently minute that he leaves no- 
thing to be gleaned from his documents. 
Harris’s narrative is * taken out of 
Anthony Pigafetta,” of course either 
from the abridged translation made by 
order of Louisa of Savoy, or from the 
version in Ramusio, The present author 
a followed the copy lately discovered 
+ 
