6 THROUGH THE HEART OF PATAGONIA 



some such outlet existed. As early as 1428, a map of the world, 

 described by one Antonio Galvao as "most rare and excellent," 

 showed the Straits of Magellan under the name of the " Dragon's 

 Tail." This map, being carefully kept in the treasuries of Portugal, 

 was, it may fairly be presumed, known to Magellan. Also there 

 were two globes, made in Nuremberg shortly before he sailed, 

 in which the channel between the great seas was clearly indicated. 



For all that, the existence of a passage was far from being 

 an established fact, but Magellan undauntedly continued his voyage 

 down the Patagonian coast in search of it. He reached the 

 harbour now known as San Julian on March 31, 1520, and there 

 proposed to winter. 



Almost at once the famous mutiny against his authority broke 

 out, headed by those who desired to turn back, and who had 

 no faith in the existence of the strait. One of the rebel captains 

 was stabbed upon his own deck, a second executed ashore and 

 a third marooned. The commander of the fourth ship, the 

 Santiago, was a friend of Magellan's, who stood by his leader 

 throughout the troubled time. 



Weeks passed by, the winter settled down upon them with 

 great severity, and yet no sign of native inhabitants had been 

 perceived upon the shore. The Captain-General sent out an ex- 

 pedition to go thirty leagues into the interior, but the men returned 

 with a disheartening account of the country, which they described 

 as impassable, barren of the necessities of life, and, as far as their 

 experience went, entirely devoid of inhabitants. But one day not 

 long after, a native appeared upon the beach who cut antics 

 and sang while he tossed sand upon his head. This man was success- 

 fully lured on board of Magellan's ship. He was dressed in skins, 

 with clumsy boots of the same material, which last fact is supposed 

 by some authorities to have led Magellan to call the people the 

 Patagaos, or big feet. Pigafetta, an Italian who accompanied the 

 exploring fleet, wrote an account of this Patagonian's appearance.- 

 " So tall was this man that wr came up to the level of his waist- 

 belt. He was well enough made, and had a broad face, painted red, 

 with yellow circles round his eyes, and two heart-shaped spots on 

 his cheeks." He further says the man was armed with a bow and 



