1834.] STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 221 



although rapid, turbulent, and unconfined by any apparent limits, 

 yet seem to follow, like a river in its bed, a regularly determined 

 course. 



During our previous visit (in January), we had an interview 

 at Cape Gregory with the famous so-called gigantic Patagonians, 

 who gave us a cordial reception. Their height appears greater 

 than it really is, from their large guanaco mantles, their long 

 flowing hair, and general figure : on an average, their height is 

 about six feet, with some men taller and only a few shorter; and 

 the women are also tall; altogether they are certainly the tallest 

 race which we anywhere saw. In features they strikingly resemble 

 the moi'3 northern Indians whom I saw with Rosas, but they have 

 a wilder and more formidable appearance : their faces were much 

 painted with red and black, and one man was ringed and dotted 

 with white like a Fuegian. Capt. Fitz Roy offered to take any 

 three of them on board, and all seemed determined to be of the 

 three. It was long before we could clear the boat; at last we got 

 on board with our three giants, who dined with the Captain, and 

 behaved quite like gentlemen, helping themselves with knives, 

 forks, and spoons : nothing was so much relished as sugar. This 

 tribe has had so much communication with sealers and whalers, 

 that most of the men can speak a little English and Spanish ; and 

 they are half civilized, and proportionally demoralized. 



The next morning a large party went on shore, to barter for 

 skins and ostrich-feathers; fire-arms being refused, tobacco was 

 in greatest request, far more so than axes or tools. The whole 

 population of the toldos, men, women, and children, were arranged 

 on a bank. It was an amusing scene, and it was impossible not to 

 like the so-called giants, they were so thoroughly good-humoured 

 and unsuspecting : they asked us to come again. They seem to 

 like to have Europeans to live with them ; and old Maria, an im- 

 portant woman in the tribe, once begged Mr. Low to leave any one 

 of his sailors with them. They spend the greater part of the year 

 here ; but in summer they hunt along the foot of the Cordillera : 

 sometimes they travel as far as the Rio Negro, 750 miles to the 

 north. They are well stocked with horses, each man having, 

 according to Mr. Low, six or seven, and all the women, and even 

 children, their one own horse. In the time of Sarmiento (1580), 

 these Indians had bows and arrows, now long since disused ; they 

 then also possessed some horses. This is a very curious fact, 



