a country of South America, comprehending all that country extending from Chili Patagonia, and Paraguay to the utmost extremity of South America; that is, from 35° almost to 54° of latitude: being surrounded by the countries just mentioned, the South and North Seas, and the Straits of Magellan, which separate it from the island called Terra del Fuego, and extend about 116 leagues in length from sea to sea, but only from half a league to three or four in breadth.

This country had the name of Terra Magallanica, from Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese officer in the service of the Catholic king, who is reported to have sailed through the straits that also bear his name, from the North to the South Sea, in the year 1519.

The lofty mountains of the Andes, which are covered with snow a great part of the year, traversing the country from north to south, the air is said to be much colder than in the north under the same parallels of latitude. Towards the north, it is said to be covered with wood, and stored with an inexhaustible fund of large timber; whereas, to the southward, not so much as a single tree fit for any mechanical purpose is to be seen: yet there is good pasture, and incredible numbers of wild harnessed cattle and horses, which were first brought hither by the Spaniards, and have increased amazingly. Fresh water, we are told by some writers, is very scarce; but if that were really the case, it is difficult to conceive how the present inhabitants and such multitudes of cattle could subsist. The east coast is mostly low land, with few or no good harbours: one of the best is Port St Julian.

Patagonia is inhabited by a variety of Indian tribes; as the Patagons, from which the country takes its name; the Pampas, the Cojares, &c., of whom we know very little. Only it appears, from the accounts of former voyagers, lately confirmed by Commodore Byron and his crew, and the testimonies of other navigators, that some of them are of a gigantic stature, and clothed with skins; but it would seem that there are others who go almost quite naked, notwithstanding the inclemency of the climate. Some of them also, that live about the Straits, if we may credit the navigators who have passed that way into the South Sea, are perfect savages: but those with whom Commodore Byron and his people conversed, are represented as of a more gentle, humane disposition; only, like other savages, they live on fish and game, and what the earth produces spontaneously.

The Spaniards once built a fort upon the Straits, and left a garrison in it, to prevent any other European nation passing that way into the South Sea: but most of the men perished by famine, whence the place obtained the name of Port Famine; and no people have attempted to plant colonies here ever since.

About the middle of the Strait is a promontory called Cape Froiford, which is the most southerly on the continent of South America.

On the coasts of Patagonia lie a great number of islands, or clusters of islands. On the west coasts are the islands Maidre de Dios, Santa Trinidad, Santa Cruz, the isles of the Chumians and Huillans, the Sarmentos, and many others; to the number of 80 in all, as some say. Of those on the south coast, the most considerable are Terra del Fuego, and Staten Land. See these articles.

A vast deal has been said respecting the stature of the Patagonians, by people of different nations, and Patagonia, on various occasions. We shall insert the following letter from Mr Charles Clarke, who was on board Byron's ship in 1764, and gave this account to Dr Maty.

"We had not got above 10 or 12 leagues into the straits of Magellan, from the Atlantic Ocean, before we saw several people, some on horseback, some on foot, upon the north shore (continent), and with the help of our glasses could perceive them beckoning to us to come on shore, and at the same time observed to each other, that they seemed to be of an extraordinary size: However, we continued to stand on, and should have passed without taking the least farther notice of them, could we have proceeded; but our breeze dying away, and the tide making against us, we were obliged to anchor; when the Commodore ordered his boat of 12 oars, and another of six, to be hoisted out, manned and armed. In the first went the Commodore, in the other Mr Cummins, our first lieutenant, and myself. At our first leaving the ship, their number did not exceed 40; but as we approached the shore, we perceived them pouring down from all quarters, some galloping, others running, all making use of their utmost expedition. They collected themselves into a body just at the place we steered off for. When we had got within 12 or 14 yards of the beach, we found it a disagreeable flat shore, with very large stones, which we apprehended would injure the boats; so looked at two or three different places to find the most convenient for landing. They supposed we deferred coming on shore through apprehensions of danger from them; upon which they all threw open the skins which were over their shoulders, which was the only clothing they had, and consequently the only thing they could secret any kind of arms with, and many of them lay down close to the water's edge.—The Commodore made a motion for them to go a little way from the water, that we might have room to land, which they immediately complied with, and withdrew 30 or 40 yards; we then landed, and formed each man with his musket, in case any violence should be offered. As soon as we were formed, the Commodore went from us to them, then at about 20 yards distance: they seemed vastly happy at his going among them, immediately gathered round him, and made a rude kind of noise, which I believe was their method of singing, as their countenances bespoke it a species of jollity. The Commodore then made a motion to them to sit down, which they did in a circle, with him in the middle, when Mr Byron took some beads and ribbons, which he had brought for that purpose, and tied about the women's necks, with which they seemed infinitely pleased. We were struck with the greatest astonishment at the sight of people of such a gigantic stature, notwithstanding our previous notice with glasses from the ship. Their body was increased, by the time we got in there, to the number of 500, men, women, and children. The men and women both rid in the same manner; the women had a kind of belt to clothe their skins round the waist, which the men had not, as theirs were only flung over their shoulders, and tied with two little slips, cut from the skin, round the neck. At the time of the Commodore's motion for them to retire farther up the beach, they all Patagonia, all dismounted, and turned their horses loose, which were gentle, and stood very quietly. The Commodore having disposed of all his presents, and satisfied his curiosity, thought proper to retire; but they were vastly anxious to have him go up into the country to eat with them. That they wanted him to go with them to eat, we could very well understand by their motion, but their language was wholly unintelligible to us.

There was a very great smoke to which they pointed about a mile from us, where there must have been several fires; but some intervening hills prevented our seeing any thing but the smoke. The Commodore returned the compliment, by inviting them on board the ship; but they would not favour him with their company; so we embarked, and returned to the ship. We were with them near two hours at noon-day, within a very few yards, tho' none had the honour of shaking hands but Mr Byron and Mr Cummins; however, we were near enough, and long enough with them, to convince our senses, so far as not to be cavilled out of the very existence of those senses at that time, which some of our countrymen and friends would absolutely attempt to do. They are of a copper colour, with long black hair, and some of them are certainly nine feet, if they do not exceed it. The Commodore, who is very near six feet, could but just reach the top of one of their heads, which he attempted on tip-toes, and there were several taller than him, on whom the experiment was tried. They are prodigious stout, and as well as proportionally made as ever I saw people in my life. That they have some kind of arms among them, is, I think, indisputable, from their taking methods to convince us they had none at that time about them. The women, I think, bear much the same proportion to the men as our Europeans do; there was hardly a man there less than eight feet, most of them considerably more. The women, I believe, run from seven and an half to eight feet—Their horses were stout and bony, but not remarkably tall; they are, in my opinion, from 15 to 15½ hands. They had a great number of dogs, about the size of a middling pointer, with a fox nose. They continued on the beach till we got under way, which was two hours after we got on board. I believe they had some expectations of our returning again; but as soon as they saw us getting off, they betook themselves to the country.

"The country of Patagonia is rather hilly, though not remarkably so. You have here and there a ridge of hills, but no very high ones. We lay some time at Port Desire, which is not a great way to the northward of the Straits, where we traversed the country many miles round. We found fire-places in different places, which convinced us there had been people, and we suppose them to have been the Patagonians. The soil is sandy, produces nothing but a coarse harsh grass, and a few small shrubs, of which Sir John Narborough remarked, he could not find one of size enough to make the helve of a hatchet; which observation we found very just. It was some time in the winter we made this visit to our gigantic friends. I am debarred being so particular as I could wish, from the loss of my journals, which were demanded by their Lordships of the Admiralty immediately upon our return."

That the whole of this account is true, we cannot assert; but that the writer has been misled in some respects, and misinformed with regard to some of his facts, is at least probable: for Captain Wallis, who went out to the Straits of Magellan after Byron's return, gives a different turn to many of the observations; and with respect to the stature of the people, he differs very materially. We shall give the following epitome of his remarks on what occurred to him—He had three ships with him, which entered the Straits on the 16th December 1766, and came to an anchor in a bay south of Cape Virgin Mary, where they were immediately accosted by a whole troop of Patagonians, who made signs for them to come on shore. The Captain, having made previous dispositions for the security of his men in case of an attack, manned all the boats belonging to the three ships, and with a party of marines landed on the beach where those giants had assembled. The commanders of the three ships, and most of their officers, were of this party. On their leaping ashore, the Indians seemed to welcome them; and being by signs desired to retreat, they all fell back, and made room for the marines to form. When they were drawn up, Captain Wallis advanced, and by signs directed the Indians to seat themselves in a semicircle, which they readily understood and obeyed. He then distributed among them knives, scissors, buttons, beads, combs, and particularly ribbons, with which he complimented the women, who received them with a mixture of pleasure and respect. He then gave them to understand that he had still more valuable articles to bestow, and showed them axes and bill-hooks; but, at the same time, pointed to some gunstocks and ostriches, intimating that he expected some of those in return; but they either did not, or would not, understand him; so that no traffic took place.

The whole company that were assembled on this occasion, had each a horse, with a saddle and bridle. The saddle had a sort of stirrups, and the bridle was made of thongs of leather very well put together, for the purpose of guiding the horses. The women, as well as the men, rode astride. The men, in general wore each a wooden spur; but one of them had a large pair of Spanish spurs, bras stirrups, and a Spanish scimitar. Their horses were nimble and spirited, but small in proportion to their riders, seemingly not above 14 hands high. Their dogs were of the Spanish breed. The Captain, having purposely provided himself with measuring rods, found that the tallest man among them measured only five feet seven inches high; several were within an inch or two as tall; but the ordinary size was from five feet ten inches to six feet. It is pity that none of our voyagers thought of measuring the whole size of one of those gigantic men. They tell us, indeed, that they are well made, that they are proportionally large, and that they are robust and bony; but they give us no criterion to judge of their bulk, nor one instance of their extraordinary strength. As they are represented not only peaceable, but remarkably tractable, some trials might have been made of the weight they could have lifted, and how much they could exceed in that respect the strongest man in the ships. This, in a great measure, would have determined the point, which is yet left doubtful by the different relations that are given by the different voyagers. Patagonia who have seen these people, no two of them agreeing in the same description. All agree, however, that their hair is black, and harsh like bristles; that they are of a dark-copper colour, and that their features are rather handsome than ugly; that they clothe themselves decently with the skins of guanicoes; that they paint themselves variously; and there is reason to suspect, that by that variety they distinguish their tribes.

Those seen by Commodore Byron were painted round both eyes, no two of them alike; those seen by Captain Wallis had only a red circle round the left eye; and those seen by Bougainville had no circle round the eyes, but had their cheeks painted red. This may account for the different reports of voyagers concerning their stature: it is not impossible, nay, it is very probable, that they may vary in this particular, according to their tribes; as is seen in the Highlands of Scotland, where one clan of the Campbells is remarkably tall, and another of the Frasers remarkably short. Were it not for some such natural discrimination, there could not be so wide a difference in the descriptions of gentlemen, who, having no ends to serve either in falsifying one another's reports, or in imposing upon the public, cannot be supposed to mistake willfully.

One remarkable observation made by our voyagers must not be omitted; and that is, that though our people could distinguish but one word of their language, which the English pronounce chewow, and the French shawo, yet the Patagonians could repeat whole sentences after our men more distinctly than almost any European foreigner of that nation forever. This appears the more singular, as, among the islanders between the Tropics, it was hardly possible to make them articulate any of our words. Sydney Parkinson, in a specimen he has given us, says, that though the English remained at Otaheitee three months, the nearest the natives could approach the sound of Cooke was Toote; Banks, Opate; Solander, Tolano; Gore, Towara; Monkhoule, Mata; and so of the rest: whereas the Patagonians presently got by heart this sentence of invitation, Come ashore, Englishmen! which they showed they well understood, by repeating it afterwards whenever the ships came so near the shore as to be within call.

Another very remarkable particular is, that they had none of the characters of a ferocious people; there was no offensive weapon among them, except the scimitar already mentioned. The men, indeed, had a kind of sling, which they use in hunting, consisting of two round stones of about a pound weight each, connected together by a thong. These stones were fastened to the extremities of the thong; and, when they threw them, they held one stone in the hand, and swung the other about the head. "They are so expert in the management of this double-headed shot (says the writer of the voyage), that they will hit a mark not bigger than a shilling with both these stones at the distance of fifteen yards; but their method of availing themselves of their dexterity against the guanicoe and ostrich is, to fling the stones so as to entangle their legs, by which means they are retarded in their flight, and easily overtaken." Bougainville speaks of these slings as common among other Indian nations in South America; but we do not remember to have seen this assertion confirmed by any other voyager.

These people certainly dress differently as well as Patagonia paint differently; for the dress described by Bougainville is very unlike the dress of those seen by the English voyagers. Captain Wallis invited some of them on board his ship; but, among all the wonders that were shown them, none seemed to attract their notice so much as the looking-glasses: they looked in the glasses and at each other; they laughed and gazed, and gazed again and laughed; in short, there was no end to their merriment when in possession of this article of curiosity. They eat whatever was given them, but would drink nothing but water. In this they differ from all the tribes of Indians in North America, who are immoderately fond of spirituous liquors. They admired the European sheep, hogs, and poultry; but did not seem over-deficient of anything they saw except clothes. When the marines were exercised to entertain them, they appeared disconcerted; an old man among them made signs, by striking his breast, and tumbling down and lying as if he had been dead upon deck, that he knew the effect of their guns; and none of them seemed easy till the firing was over. When the Captain had satisfied his own curiosity, and, as he imagined, theirs, he gave them to understand, that he was going to fail, and that they must depart; which they were very unwilling to do. However, having given each of them a canvas bag, with some needles ready threaded, a knife, a pair of scissors, a few beads, a comb, and a looking-glass, he dismissed them, with great reluctance on their part, particularly on that of the old man's, who by very significant signs expressed his desire to stay till sunset.