274 INDIANS. 



population of South America. Respecting those 

 nations inhabiting the Pampas and Patagonia, 

 Falkner, I believe, is the best authority, who 

 was forty years in the country. He divides 

 them first into Moluches and Puelches, and 

 subdivides these into many other tribes. The 

 superior physical powers of some of the In- 

 dians of South America are attested by the 

 old Spanish writers, who speak of their labours 

 in the mines with surprise and admiration, 

 though they sunk under them at last. The con- 

 trast which they must then have presented, 

 to the enervated and indolent colonist from 

 Spain, may have given rise to exaggeration. 

 The Indians of the more southern latitudes are 

 a very powerful and muscular race. There is, 

 no doubt, good reason for asserting that a 

 finer race of men does not exist than the 

 Pampas Indians ; and it would be curious to 



