Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.1): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

FORMER ACCOUNTS OF PATAGONIANS. 99 a heap of stones, describe the skeletons as measuring ten or eleven feet in length, " the skulls of which we could put on our heads in the manner of helmets ! The Nodales did not see any people on the northern side of the Strait ; those with whom they communicated were natives of Tierra del Fuego, of whose form no particular notice is taken. Sir John Narhorough saw Indians at Port San Julian, and describes them as " people of a middling stature : well-shaped. * * * Mr. Wood was taller than any of them.'" He also had an interview with nineteen natives upon Elizabeth Island, but they were Fuegians. In the year 1741, Patagonian Indians were seen by Bulkley and his companions. They were mounted on horses, or mules, which is the first notice we have of their possessing those animals. Duclos de Guyot, in the year 1766, had an interview with seven Patagonian Indians, who were mounted on horses equipped with saddles, bridles, and stirrups. The shortest of the men measured five feet eleven inches and a quarter English. The others were considerably taller. Their chief or leader they called ' Capitan.' Bougainville, in 1767, landed amongst the Patagonians. Of their size he remarks : " They have a fine shape; among those whom we saw, not one was below five feet ten inches and a quarter (English), nor above six feet two inches and a half in height. Their gigantic appearance arises from their pro- digiously broad shoulders, the size of their heads, and the thickness of all their limbs. They are robust and well fed : their nerves are braced and their muscles strong, and sufficiently hard, Sec." This is an excellent account ; but how different is that of Commodore Byron, who says, " One of them, who afterwards appeared to be chief, came towards me ; he was of gigantic stature, and seemed to realise the tales of monsters in a human shape : he had the skin of some wild beast thrown over his shoulders, as a Scotch Highlander wears his plaid, and was painted so as to make the most hideous appearance I H 2