ANIMALS. 4-SS 



of best hedth : but at length he died, after enduring great 

 agonies, in the twenty-second year of his age. 



Opposite to this accidental diminution of the human race, is 

 that ,of its extraordinary magnitude. Concerning the reality of a 

 ration of giants, there have been many disputes among the 

 learned. Some have affirmed the probability of such a race; 

 und others, as warmly have denied the possibility of their exis- 

 tence. But it is not from any speculative reasonings, upon a 

 subject of this kind, that information is to be obtained ; it is 

 not from the disputes of the scholar, but the labours of the en- 

 terprising, that we are to be instructed in this inquiry. Indeed, 

 nothing can be more absurd, than what some learned men have 

 advanced upon this subject. It is very unlikely, says Grew, that 

 there should either be dwarfs or giants ; or if such, they cannot 

 be fitted for the usual enjoyment of life and reason. Had man 

 been born a dwarf, he could not have been a reasonable crea- 

 ture : for to that end, he must have a jolt head, and then he 

 would not have body and blood enough to supply his brain with 

 spirits ; or if he had a small head, proportionable to his body, 

 there would not be brain enough for conducting life. But it is 

 still worse with giants j and there could never have been a na- 

 tion of such, for there would, not be food enough found in any 

 country to sustain them ; or if there were beasts sufficient for 

 this purpose, there would not be grass enough for their mainten- 

 ance. But what is still more, add others, giants could never be 

 able to support the weight of their own bodies ; since a man of 

 ten feet high, must be eight times as heavy as one of the ordi- 

 nary stature ; whereas he has but twice the size of muscles to 

 support such a burden : and, consequently, would be overloaded 

 with the weight of his own body. Such are the theories upon 

 this subject; and they require no other answer, but that ex- 

 perience proves them both to be false r dwarfs are found capable 

 of life and reason ; and giants are seen to carry their own 

 bodies. We have seen several accounts from mariners, that a 

 nation of giants actually exists ; and mere speculation should 

 never induce us to doubt their veracity. 



Ferdinand Magellan was the first who discovered this race of 

 people along the coast towards the extremity of South America. 

 Magellan was a Portuguese, of noble extraction ; who havii'g 

 long behaved with great bravery, under Albuquerque, the con- 



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