Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2- Appendix): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

106 APPEN'DTX. the Patagonian's head ; and Mr. Clarke is certain that there were several taller than him on whom the experiment was made, for there were about five hundred men, women, and children. They seemed very happy at the landing of our people, and expressed their joy by a rude sort of singing. They were of a copper colour, and had long lank hair, and faces hideously painted. Both sexes were covered with skins, and some appeared on horseback and others on foot. A few had on their legs a sort of boot, with a sharjD-pointed stick at the heel, instead of a spur, llieir bridles were made of thong, the bit wood ; the saddle as artless as possible, and without stir- rups. The introduction of horses into these parts by the Europeans introduced, likewise, the only species of manufacture they appear to be acquainted with. All their sldU seems to extend no farther than these rude essays at harness, and to equip themselves for cavaliers. In other respects they would be in the same state as our first parents, just turned out of paradise, clothed in coats of skins ; or, at best, in the same condition in which Caesar found the ancient Britons ; for their dress was similar, their hair long, and their bodies like those of our ancestors, made terrific by M'ild painting. Tliese people, by some means or other, had acquired a few beads and bracelets ; otherwise, not a single article of European fabric B.p- peared among them. These they must have gotten by the inter- course with the other Indian tribes ; for had they any intercourse with the Spaniards, they never would have neglected procuring knives, the stirrups, and other conveniences, which the people seen by Mr. Wallis had. I should have been glad to have closed, in this place, the relations of this stupendous race of mankind, because the two following accounts, given by gentlemen of character and abihties, seem to contradict great part of what had been before advanced, or at least ser\'e to give scoffers room to say, that the preceding navigators had seen these people through the medium of magnifying glasses, instead of the sober eye of observation. But before I make my remarks on what has been before related, I shall proceed with the other navigators, and then attempt to reconcile the different ac- counts. In 1767 Captain Wallis, of the Dolphin, and Captain Philip Carteret, of the Swallow slooj), saw and measured with a pole several of the Patagonians who happened to be in the Straits of