94 



Cordovans Vol/ age of Discoveiy 



the infToite multitude of pains and uneasiness which too high 

 a state of refinement never fails to produce. Thej enjoy 

 strength and health, the fruit of their temperance; aad 

 they are ignorant of tl'ie banefsil effects of luxury. They 

 }X)ssess a wide field for the satisfaction of their lindted desires, 

 which are in proportion to the scanty and confined state of 

 their ideas. As the soil they inhabit produces spontaneously 

 their necessary food, they are relieved from numberless and 

 various laboursj passing their days in tranquillity indolence^ 

 and repose, the love of which seems to be tbeir ruling passion, 

 and the cerrain result of all circumstances attending their state 

 of life, and by no means that of natural stupidity, or inapt- 

 ness for exertion, as many have asserted, but of which we 

 discovered no proof : for the philosopher will not attribute 

 to stupidity the high value they set on a string of glass beads, 

 or other trifles of the same sort ; but rather to the desire im- 

 planted by nature in the human mind, of orrramenting himself, 

 that he may become more agreeable in the eyes of those 

 around him ; which desire, when well considered, is much more 

 excusable in these Patagonians than in the European is that of 

 diamonds and pearls, and other precious jewels, which are only 

 acquired often by immense labours and dangers; w^hereas the 

 Patagonian, without any toil or hazard, procures his ornaments 

 when they fall in his way, by exchanging for them the surplus 

 of those things which he already possessi^s, but which he does 

 not immediately want. 



The happy situation of these Patagonians is still greatly en- 

 hanced, in our opinion, when we compare them with their 

 neighbours, the inhabitants of the mountainous parts of the 

 strait, on whom we now^ proceed to make some remarks. 



Of the Indians of the Straii of Magellanes. 



The other class of inhabitants of this strait consists of a very 

 small number of men, who, according to all accounts, can be 

 compared only with the wretched beings who dwell on the 

 western shores of New Holland. 



Notwithstanding our long and continual intercourse with 

 these natives, both in Port Famine and in Port Galan, w^e 

 were not able to collect any certain information respecting the 

 religion or civil constitution of the different tribes or families^ 

 which we examined; for, instead of fixing tbeir attention on 

 the signs we cirected to them expressive of our desires, they 

 only, by way of answer, repeated back to us the very same 



