The Virginia Gazette

An officer of his Majesty's ship the Dolphin has just published an account of the voyage of the said ship round the world, under the command of the Hon. Commodore Byron, containing an account of the several places, people, plants, animals, &c. seen on the voyage; a description of the Straits of Magellan, and of the gigantick people called Patagonians; also an account of seven islands, lately discovered in the South Seas. The following short extract from this long desired work may be agreeable to our readers,

On the 22d of December, 1764, at 6 o'clock in the morning, they saw the extremes of Terra del Fuego, extending from south east by south to the south west by south, at four or five leagues distance. At eight they discovered a good deal of smoke issuing forth from different quarters, and perceived a number of people on shore. back.

"We anchored (says our author) at fourteen fathoms on the north shore, and saw Cape Virgin Mary, which appeared over the low neck of land to the east north east, and Point Possession to the west by south. We were then about a mile from land, and no sooner came to an anchor than the people on shore hollowed to us, and moved their hands; on which we immediately hoisted out all our boats, well manned and armed.

"When we had rowed within twenty yards of the shore we lay on our oars, and observed that great numbers of them surrounded the beach, and by their countenances seemed equally desirous of having us land. After the most amicable signs which we were capable of understanding, or they of giving, a signal was made to them to retire backwards.

"As soon as the Indians had retired from the beach, the Commodore leaped on shore, followed by his officers and men, whom he drew up in a posture of defence. Immediately at our landing they came about us to the number of 200 or more, looking at us with evident marks of surprise, and, as it should seem, at the great disproportion of our stature.

"After many amicable signs, which appeared equally agreeable to both parties, our Commodore, who had the precaution to carry with him on shore a great number of trinkets, such as strings of beads, ribands, and the like, distributed them with great freedom, giving each of them some. He made the Indians sit down on the ground, that he might put the strings of beads, &c. round their necks; and such was their extraordinary size that, in this situation, they were almost as high as the Commodore when standing.

"They were now so delighted with the different trinkets, which they had an opportunity of viewing as they hung round their necks, that the Commodore could scarcely restrain them from caressing him, especially the women, whose large and masculine features corresponded with the enormous size of their bodies. Their middle stature seemed to be about eight feet, their extreme nine and upwards.

66 Their clothes consisted of the skins of guanacoes, or Peruvian sheep, which reach from their shoulders down to their knees; and their hair was long and black, hanging down behind. The faces of the women were painted most extravagantly, and their stature equally surprising with that of the men. We saw some of their infants in their mother's arms whose features, considering their age, bore the same proportion.

"These people frequently looked towards the sun with an air of adoration, and made motions with their fingers, in order to make us sensible of any particular circumstance they wanted us to understand. They appeared to be of an amiable and friendly disposition, and seemed to live in great unanimity among themselves. After we had been with them a short time, they made signs for us to go with them to the smoke which we saw at a distance, and at the same time pointed to their mouths, as if they intended to give us some refreshment; but their number being at present greatly superior to ours, and it being not improbable that greater multitudes might come upon us unawares from the inland country, our Commodore, who was equally remarkable for his prudence and his bravery, thought it not advisable to venture any further from the water-side.

"By the observations we made from the mast head, and from the smoke we saw rising from different quarters, these Patagonians seemed to have no huts, but to be entirely exposed, without so much as a tree of a moderate growth to shelter them. Indeed the soil is in general sandy, and the hills, which are very high, are interspersed with vallies that, to all appearance, are barren; for we here found neither water nor trees, but only a few shrubs.

"Those who surrounded us on the shore were before our landing on horseback, but on seeing us make up to them they dismounted, and left their horses at some distance. These horses seemed to be about 16 hands high, and very swift; but bore no proportion to the size of their riders, and seemed to be but in poor condition.

"At length, after making signs that we would depart, with the most plausible promises, by our gestures, of returning to them again from the ship, we left these Patagonian Indians, who were so distressed and afflicted at our leaving them that we heard their cries for a considerable time."

This voyage, among other curious and useful particulars, fully confirms and establishes the truth of there being a nation or people of monstrous bulk, and that are in general from 9 to 10 feet high. What use Divines may make of this we know not, but it certainly proves what is recorded in Scripture, and even in Heathen authors, that there was, and still is, a race of giants.