112 HISTORY OF 



Molucca Islands, upon one of which he was slain. 

 It was in his voyage thither that he happened to 

 winter in St Julian's Bay, an American harbour, 

 forty -nine degrees south of the Line. In this 

 desolate region, where nothing was seen but ob- 

 jects of terror, where neither trees nor verdure 

 drest the face of the country, they remained for 

 some months without seeing any human creature. 

 They had judged the country to be utterly unin- 

 habitable, when one day they saw approaching, 

 as if he had been dropt from the clouds, a man of 

 enormous stature, dancing and singing, and put- 

 ting dust upon his head, as they supposed, in 

 token of peace. This overture for friendship w r as, 

 by Magellan's command, quickly answered by the 

 rest of his men ; and the giant approaching, tes- 

 tified every mark of astonishment and surprise. 

 He was so tall that the Spaniards only reached 

 his waist ; his face was broad, his colour brown, 

 and painted over with a variety of tints ; each 

 cheek had the resemblance of a heart drawn upon 

 it ; his hair was approaching to whiteness j he 

 was clothed in skins, and armed with a bow. Be- 

 ing treated with kindness, and dismissed with 

 some trifling presents, he soon returned with 

 many more of the same stature, two of whom the 

 mariners decoyed on shipboard : Nothing could 

 be more gentle than they were in the beginning ; 

 they considered the fetters that were preparing 

 for them as ornaments, and played with them like 

 children with their toys ; but when they found 

 for what purpose they were intended, they in- 

 stantly exerted their amazing strength, and broke 



