THE NATIVES OFFENDER 



241 



At the moment when it disappeared it diffused a light so re- 

 splendent that Pigafctta was almost blinded and gave himself 

 up for lost; but, he adds, "the wind ceased momentaneously." 

 Passing the equinoctial line and losing sight of the polar star, 



Magellan steered south-southwest," and in the middle of De- 

 cs 7 



cember struck the coast of Brazil. His men made excellent 

 bargains with the natives. For a small comb they obtained two 

 geese ; for a piece of glass, as much fish as would feed ten men ; 

 for a ribbon, a basket of potatoes, — a root then so little known 

 that Pigafetta describes it as resembling a turnip in appearance 

 and a roasted chestnut in taste. A pack of playing-cards was 

 a fortune, for a sailor bought six fat chickens with the king of 

 spades. The fleet remained thirteen days at anchor, and then 

 pursued its way to the southward along the territory of the can- 

 nibals who had lately devoured de Solis. Stopping at an island 

 in the mouth of a river sixty miles wide, they caught, in one 

 hour, penguins sufficient for the whole five ships. Magellan 

 anchored for the winter in a harbor found in south latitude 49° 

 and called by him Port Julian. Two months elapsed before the 

 country was discovered to be inhabited. At last a man of 

 gigantic figure presented himself upon the shore, capering in 

 the sands in a state of utter nudity, and violently casting dust 

 upon his head. A sailor was sent ashore to make similar ges- 

 tures, and the giant was thus easily led to the spot where Ma- 

 gellan had landed. The latter gave him cooked food to eat and 

 presented him, incidentally, with a large steel mirror. The 

 savage now saw his likeness for the first time, and started back 

 in such fright that he knocked over four men. He and several 

 of his companions, both men and women, subsequently went on 

 board the ships, and constantly indicated by their gestures that 

 they supposed the strangers to have descended from heaven. 

 One of the savages became quite a favorite : he was taught to 

 pronounce the name of Jesus and to repeat the Lord's prayer, 

 and was even baptized by the name of John by the chaplain. 



