258 A HISTORY OF 



effort. This account, with a variety of other circumstances, has been 

 confirmed by succeeding travellers: Herrara, Sebald Wert, Olivei 

 Van Noort, and James le Maire, all correspond in affirming the fact, 

 although they differ in many particulars of their respective descrip- 

 tions. The last voyager we have had, that has seen this enormous 

 race, is Commodore Byron. I have talked with the person who first 

 gave the relation of that voyage, and who was the carpenter of the 

 Commodore's ship ; he was a sensible, understanding man, and I 

 believe extremely faithful. By him, therefore, I was assured, in the 

 most solemn manner, of the truth of his relation ; and this account 

 has since been confirmed by one or two publications ; in all which 

 the particulars are pretty nearly the same. One of the circumstances 

 which most puzzled me to reconcile to probability, was that of the 

 horses, on which they are described as riding down to the shore. We 

 know the American horse to be of European breed ; and, in some 

 measure, to be degenerated from the original. I was at a loss, there- 

 fore, to account how a horse of not more than fourteen hands high, 

 was capable of carrying a man of nine feet ; or, in other words, an 

 animal almost as large as itself. But the wonder will cease, when we 

 consider, that so small a beast as an ass, will carry a man of ordinary 

 size tolerably well ; and the proportion between this and the former 

 instance is nearly exact. We can no longer, therefore, refuse our as- 

 sent to the existence of this gigantic race of mankind ; in what man- 

 ner they are propagated, or under what regulations they live, is a 

 subject that remains for future investigation. It should appear, how- 

 ever, that they are a wandering nation, cnanging their abode with the 

 course of the sun, and shifting their situation, for the convenience of 

 food, climate, or pasture.* 



This race of giants are described as possessed of great strength ; 

 and, no doubt they must be very different from those accidental giants 

 that are to be seen in different parts of Europe. Stature, with these, 

 seems rather their infirmity than their pride ; and adds to their burden, 

 without increasing their strength. Of those I have seen, the generality 

 were ill-formed and unhealthful ; weak in their persons, or incapable 

 of exerting what strength they were possessed of. The same defects 

 of understanding that attended those of suppressed stature, were found 

 ir those who were thus overgrown : they were heavy, phlegmatic, 

 stupid, and inclined to sadness. Their numbers, however, are but 

 few ; and it is thus kindly ordered by Providence, that as the middle 

 is the state best fitted for happiness, so the middle ranks of mankind 

 are produced in the greatest variety. 



However, mankind seems naturally to have a respect for men of 

 extraordinary stature ; and it has been a supposition of long standing, 

 that our ancestors were much taller, as well as much more beautiful, 

 than we. This has been, indeed, a theme of poetical declamation 

 from the beginning ; and man was scarce formed, when he began to 

 deplore an imaginary decay. Nothing is more natural than this pro 

 gross of the mind, in looking up to antiquity with reverential wonder 

 Having been accustomed to compare the wisdom of our fathers with 



* Later voyagers have not confirmed this account, in some particular*. 



