AY) Pe PORE EN © a FT axe ONG? 
iftence of thefe tall people: but let it be obferved, that out of 
the fifteen firft voyagers who paffed through the Magellanic 
ftreights, not fewer than nine are undeniable witneffes of the 
fact we would eftablith. 
In the prefent century I can produce but two evidences of 
the exiftence of the tall Patagonians. ‘The one in 1704, when 
the crew of a fhip belonging to St. Malces, commanded by 
captain Harrington, faw feven of thefe giants in Gregory bay. 
Mention is alfo made of fix more being feen by captain Carman, 
a native of the fame town; but whether in the fame voyage my 
authority is filent *. 
Bur as it was not the fortune of the four other voyagers +, 
who failed through the ftreights in the 17th century, to fall in 
with any of this tall race, it became a fafhion to treat as fabu- 
lous the account of the preceding nine, and to hold this lofty 
race as the mere creation of a warm imagination. 
In fuch a temper was the public, on the return of Mr. Byroz 
from his circumnavigation, in the year1766. I-had not-the 
honor of having perfonal conference with that gentleman, 
therefore will not repeat the accounts I have been informed he 
had given to feveral of his friends; I rather chufe to recapitulate 
that given by Mr. Clarke [, in the Philofophical Tranfastions for 
1767, p. 75. Mr. Clarke was officer in Mr. Byron’s thip, 
landed with him in the ftreights of Magel/an, and had for-two 
" Frezier’s Voy. 84. 
ft Sir John Narborcuch, in 16703; Bartholomew Sharp, in 1680; De Gennes, 
in 1696 ; and Beauche/ne Gouin, in 1699. 
} This able officer commanded the Di/covery in captain Cook’s laft voyage, 
and died of Kamt/chatha, Auguf? 22,1779. 
hours 
