crew from each fhip, and having made figns for the Indians to fit down, he gave them combs, buttons, knives, fciffars, beads, &c. and pleased the women greatly by the diftribution of fome ribbands. He then intimated that he fhould be glad to accept fome guanicoes and oftriches, in exchange for bill-hooks and hatchets, which he fhewed them; but they were either really or defignedly ignorant of his meaning. The tallest among these people was fix feet feven inches, feveral others were from one to two inches fhorter; but the general height was from five feet ten to fix feet. They were muscular and well made, but their hands and feet very small, in proportion to the reft of their bodies. They were dreffed in the skin of the guanico, with the hairy fide to their bodies; and fome of them wore a square piece of cloth, made of the hair of the guanico, and a hole being cut to admit the head through, it reached down to the knees: they wore likewife a kind of bufkin from the middle of the leg to the inftep, which was alfo conveyed under the heel, but the reft of the foot was bare: their hair, which was ftrait and coarfe, was tied back with a cotton ftring; and their complexion was the dark copper. They rode on horses about fourteen hands high, and had dogs of the Spanish kind; both men and women rode aftride, and the men were furnished with wooden fpurs: fome of the men had their arms painted, the faces of others were variously marked, and others

again had the left eye enclosed by a painted circle. Their arms were two round ftones, enclofed with leather, one of which was fastened at each end of a string eight feet in length and one ftone being held in the hand, the other was fwung round the head with great force for fome time, and then discharged at any mark they chose to strike. They likewife catch guanicoes and oftriches by means of this cord, which is thrown fo, that the weight twists round and hampers the legs of the intended prey. Some of them were obferved to devour the paunch of an oftrich raw, having only turned the infide outwards, and fhook off fome of the filth.

These people, who are great talkers, were often heard to fay Ca-pi-ta-ne, on which they were fucceffively addreffed in Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and French; but they had no knowledge of either of thofe languages. When they shook hands with any of the crew, they always faid chevow; and they were amazingly ready in learning English words, and pronounced the fentence "Englishmen come on shore". with great facility.

As they seemed defirous of going on board, the Captain took eight of them into the boats, on which they inftantly began finging for joy; but when they came into the fhip, they expreffed no kind of furprize at the novelties they beheld, till a looking glafs being obferved, they acted many antic geftures before it, occafionally

walking

walking to and from it, talking with earnestness, and laughing immoderately. They would drink nothing but water, but they eagerly ate every article of the fhip's provifions. They were highly pleased with fome turkies and guineahens which were on board, nor did the hogs and sheep escape their attention. One of them making figns that he should be glad of fome cloaths, the Captain gave him a pair of fhoes and buckles, and prefented the reft with a little bag each, in which he put new fix-pences and halfpence, with a ribband paffed through a hole in them, to hang round their necks: the remaining contents of the bag were, a looking-glafs, a comb, fome beads, a knife, a pair of fciffars, fome twine, and a few flips of cloth: being offered fome tobacco, they smoked a few minutes, but did not feem to like it. The marines being exercifed before them, they were terrified at the firing of the muskets, and one of them falling down, fhut his eyes, and lay without motion, as if to intimate that he knew the deftructive nature of those weapons.

It was with difficulty that they were at length. prevailed on to go on fhore; and one of them would not leave the fhip till he had fung a long kind of prayer, and even petitioned to stay till evening, by pointing to the fun, and then moving his hand round to the western horizon. As foon as they were in the boat they began to fing, and did not ceafe till they reached the hore, where

I

where many of their companions preifed eagerly to be taken into the boat, and were highly affronted at being refused.

This day they turned into the Streight of Magellan with the flood-tide, and faw many people on horfeback hunting the guanicoes, which ran up the country with prodigious fwiftnefs. The natives lighted fires oppofite the ships, and in the morning about 400 of them, with their horfes feeding near them, were obferved in a valley. This being the fpot where Mr. Byron faw the Patagonians, fome officers were fent towards the fhore, but with orders not to land, as the fhips were too far off to affift them in cafe of necefiity. When they came near the land, many of the natives flocked towards them, among whom were women and children, and fome of the very men they had feen the preceding day: thefe waded towards the boat, frequently calling out, "Englishmen come on fhore;" and were with difficulty restrained from getting into the boat, when they found the crews would not land. Some bread, tobacco, and toys were diftributed, but not an article of provifions could be obtained in return.

On the 23d the tide was fo violent, that the fhips were driven three feveral ways; but in the evening they were fafely anchored. On Christmas-day they procured a quantity of celery from Elizabeth Island, which being boiled with portable foup and wheat, the crews break

fafted

fafted on it feveral days. Many huts were found on this island, and two dogs were feen; but the Indians had quitted it for the prefent. Many high mountains were obferved, which, though it was then the midst of fummer, were, in a great degree, covered with fnow.

On the 26th they anchored in Port Famine Bay, and the fick were fent on fhore, where a tent was erected for their reception, as was another for the accommodation of the fail-makers, and thofe who landed to get wood. On the 28th the empty water-cafks were landed; and on this day great quantities of fish were catched, among which were smelts. When they arrived here, many of the people were very bad with the fcurvy; but by the plentiful ufe of vegetables, and bathing in the fea, they all recovered in a very fhort time.

All hands were now employed in repairing and storeing the fhips; and thousands of young trees were carefully taken up with the mould about them, to be carried to Falkland's Inlands, which produce no timber.

On the 17th of January, 1765, the Mafter of the Dolphin, who had been in search of anchoring-places, returned with an account, that he had found fuch as were proper for the purpofe; and this day the Prince Frederick failed for Falkland's Inlands.

They failed on the 18th, and came to an anchor the next day, half a mile from the fhore, oppofite

I 2