ANTHROPOLOGY. 



55 



shall proceed to a description of Basilio Huaylas, of enormous 

 stature, who was brought from the city of Ica to Lima, in 

 the month of May 1792, to be exhibited as a spedlacle to the 

 inhabitants. 



Before, however, we touch on the subjedl of this giant, 

 whom we have seen, it will not be foreign to our purpose to 

 cite the following extradt of a letter from Santa Fe de Bogota, 

 relative to another prodigy of the same description. *' His 

 Excellency the Viceroy of this kingdom (New Granada) has 

 embarked for Spain a labourer in the mines, named Pedro 

 Cano, aged twenty-one years, who, until the age of fifteen 

 years, grew moderately, but who has, since that epoch, at- 

 tained the gigantic stature of seven feet, five inches, three lines 

 and a half, Spanish measure. Such was the poverty of this 

 Indian in his primitive condition, that he had never worn 

 shoes; but on his arrival at Santa Fe, decency required that 

 he should be furnished with a pair, which measured half a 

 yard in length." 



To proceed to Basilio Huay las. This Indian, a native of 

 the province of Castro-Virreyna, aged twenty-four years, is 

 pretty nearly of the same stature with the giant Pedro Cano. 

 His height is seven Castillian feet, two inches, and a few lines. 

 His limbs are out of all due proportion : from the waist up- 

 ward they are monstrous. The head occupies about one- 

 third ; the shoulders have a breadth of five-sixths of an ell ; 

 and the arms are so long, that when our giant stands ere6t, 

 the points of the fingers touch the knees. From the waist 

 downward, the limbs are of smaller proportions. The right 

 leg is an inch shorter than the left ; a defeat which is said to 

 have arisen from a blow which Huaylas received in his in- 



■ fancy. 



