Chap. V. ANTIENT iM E T A P H Y S I CS. 139 



jrreat men, which meafured betwixt twelve and thirteen feet. 

 This fkeleton he was bringing to Europe ; but, happening to 

 be catched in a great llorm, and having aboard a Spanifh bifliop, 

 (the Archbifhop of Lima), who was of opinion that the ftorm 

 vvas caufed by the bones of this Pagan which they had on board, and 

 having perfuadcd the crew that this was the cafe, the Captain was 

 obliged to throw the fkeleton over board. The bifliop died foon 

 after, and was thrown over board in his turn. I could have 

 wifhed that he had been thrown over board focner, and then 

 the bones of the Patagonian would have arrived fafe in Prance ; 

 though, I am perfuaded, they would not have made Buffon al- 

 ter his opinion, but he would have dill maintained that it was only 

 an accidental variety of the individual, not any difference of the 

 race *. 



But, fuppofe I fhould agree with him in rejeding all thefe rela- 

 tions of modern travellers upon the credit of his philofophy, what 

 fliall we fay of the accounts of more antient travellers agreeing fo 

 perfedly with them ? Particularly, how can I difbelieve what the 

 author of Magellan's Voyage has told us, of his pafTing five months 

 with them at Port St Julian, in Paragonia ? The author of this voy- 

 age is one Pigafdta f, a companion of Magellan in the voyage ; 



S 2 ^ for 



♦^Thls fa(^ is related hy Dom Pernety, ATdBc of the Abbacy of Burgel, who has 

 written a diflVrt ition upon America and the Americans, by way of Anlw r to the 

 Recherchei Philofnrhiques fur les Americains, the author of which maintains li^at 

 thv n .! wes of imerjca are a degenerate race of men, both in Mind and Body. What 

 the author relates, page 119 he fiys he had from M. Guyot himfelt ; and h.- <ays 

 farther, (page 117.) that th.s M, Guyot, and another Fi nch Captain of a fh p he 

 names M <k la Gyrau^ia s, brought from Patagonia to P ris the arms and drefs of a 

 Patagonian. which they gave in a prefent to M Derbouin, Fermier General de. 

 Poftes de France, in whofc pofTeflion the author fays he ia»v them. 



t Harns'i Coiled. Vol. i. p. 13. 



