To ifte Strait of Magelhn, S7 



wKatevei* tliey heard of these remote regions. Gomara not 

 only copied Pagifeta, but added many other absurdities, col- 

 lected IVom other quarters. 



Nothing can be farther from our intention than to wish to bring 

 into ridicule these historians of aci^nou ledged merit ; we only- 

 mention these things, to show how easily they might be induced 

 to give credit to the gigantic stature of the Patagonians. Who- 

 ever is at all acquainted with the writers of the sixteenth cen- 

 tury, knows well thiit tfiat was not the age of philosophy. Eru- 

 dition, indeed, abounded in it; but criticism arose in the fol- 

 lowing cer^tury. Notwithstanding, those authors who possessed 

 a superior degree of judgment and discrimination, did not em- 

 brace that opinion, as was the case with Acosta ; who, although 

 he repeats the stories of the giants said to have been found in 

 various parts of America, does not mention the Patagonians as 

 such, although4t came within the limits of his historv: and though 

 he has allotted a separate chapter of his work to give an account 

 of the Strait of Magellan. The famous Camoens likewise, who 

 might, in his poem, with such propriety, have represented that 

 nation as of prodigious stature, has, however, simply related 

 the m-atter-of-fact. 



It is also highly noticeable, that, of the great number of writers 

 ■who gave credit to this fable, not one Spanish mariner or navi- 

 gator is to be found, who, as an eye-witness, has given the 

 smallest support to such an imposition. 



The English traveller Cavendish is the first who, with other 

 falsehoods, allowed 18 inches to the foot of the Patagonians, in 

 which he is followed by Hawkins and Knivet. But those who 

 have added the most to their bulk, were the Dutch navigators; 

 and Sebaldus Veert even goes so far as to say, that t[)ey were of 

 a height to fill men with horror; that they used to pluck up 

 whole trees by the roots, &c. <kc. : and he has been followed, 

 but with some moderation, by Noort, Spill^erg, at)d Le 

 Maire. The adventurers of St. Maloes likewise bear testi- 

 mony to the tallness of the Patagonians; but other travellers 

 and those undoubtedly of more credit, such as the English 

 Winter and Narborough, the Dutch admiral S. Hermite, and 

 the French M, Froger, have refuted these impostures ; and also 

 such as have made no mention at all of that people, are evidently 

 against the vulgar opinion, as they never would have omitted a 

 matter of such note and singularity. But, after all, the oreat 

 stature of the Patagonians remained problematical, having 

 many supporters on each side ; although the assertors of the 

 gigantic size of that people were far from being agreed amongst 



