paflage, would pome .np^r enough to the ihip for them to ¡ftrjke, though the
fea appeared to be quickened with thejn at a little djftai^cq, which was. imputed
to the copper bottppi.
Haying left Rio de. Janeiro on the 16th pf 0 #ober, tftey tyerp oyertakeu on
the 13th of November in latitude 43° 46’ fouth, loqgitude 6p,° 5’ by fo. hidden
and violent a f^iiajl, that the Dolphin'was laid on her beato suds* \Yhen it
was coming on they faw feveral hundreds of birds dying before it, which, ex^
preffed their terror by loud ihrieks: it lafted about twenty minutes, and then
gradually fubfided. Commodore Byron remarks,, that if this fquall,. whiqh came
on with lefs warning and more violence than any he had evef feen, had taken
them in the night, the ihip muft inevitably have been loft.
On the 2 ift pf November they arrived at Port Defire, on the ea{l coaft of
Patagonia. The country about the bay abounds with guanicpes, a creature
refembling a deer, but much larger, the height of fome of them being pot
lefs than thirteen hands; they are very fhy and very f\yift, They faw feyeral
hares as large as fawns: one that they foot weighed upwards of twenty^fix
pounds; and thefe were fo plenty, that With a good greyhound, the fhip’s company
might have lived upon hares two days in the week. Here are alfo tygers of
a large fize; and tyger cats. Uppn landing on an ifland in the bay, they found
it covered withfeals, many of which were larger than a bullock. Among the
birds was one very remarkable: the head refembled that of an eagle, except
that it had a large comb upon it; round the neck there was a white ruff, exactly
ffmilar to a .lady’s tippet; the feathers on the back wer£ as black as jet,
and as bright as that mineral could be rendered by the fineft poliih; the legs
were remarkably ftrong and large; the talons like thofeof an eagle; but not fo
fharp; and the wings, when they were extended, pneafured, from point to
point, no lefs than twelve feet*
There is a great variety of wild fowl, fuch as ducks, geefe, widgeon, &c.
and they found a neft of oftrich’s eggs; there is alfo fuch a pleritySof mufcles,
that a boat may be lpaded with them every time it is low water.i Wood is
very fcaree; there are however on fome parts of this coaft buihes, which, in
cafe
iñ cafe of ñéceflity, might produce a tolerable fupply of fuel. Good water Was
Vèfy hard tò bé found, but a t length they met with fome that Was tolerable.
No traces Of in h a b ita n t s Were to b e feen ; and th e c o u n t r y ap peared b arren an d P- 2r*
d e fo la te , in é v i í y d i r e c t io n , as fa r as th e e y e c o u ld - r e a c h . p. 17.
December the 5th they left this bay, and having fearched in vain for Pepys’ P- 23*
Ifland, laid down in Hailey’s Chart, in latitude 4 7 0 fouth, arrived on the 20th p. 26.
at the entrance of the Straits of Magellan. Here on going áíhore Commodore p. 27,
Byron found about five hundred of the natives, fome on foot, but the greater
part on horfeback, affembled to meet him. They behaved very civilly, and p. 29.
received fome prefents of beads ahd ribband, with ftrong expreflioris of pleáfiire.
The Chief* Who approached the Commodore, the reft feating thetafelves at his p. 28.
reijueft Oft the ground, Waá óf a gigantic feature, and feemed to realize the
tales of mpnfters in ahúman fti&pe: his height could not be lefs than feVen feet,
arid his bulk propottioháble. He had the ikin óf fòme wild beaft thrown over
his ftioulders; and Was painted fo as to riiàke a moft hideous appearance; round
one eye was a,circle of white, a circle of black furrOunded the other; and the
reft of his face was ftréàketl with paint of different colours. The others
were all painted nearly in the farne triariñer. The Women feemed to be própor-
tionably large; arid few of the men werp ìe-fs than thè Chief. Their teeth were
as white as ivory, remarkably even, and well fet; but except the flcins, which
they wore With the hair inwards, moft of them were naked; a few only having
upon their legs a kind of boot, With a fhort pointed ftick fattened to each heel,
which ferved as a fpur. Their horfes were not large, nor in good cafe, yet p
they appeared to be nimble and well broken. The bridle was a leathern thong,
with a fmall piece of wood' that ferved for a bit; and the faddle refembled
the pads that afe in ufe among the country people in England. Thè men.
rode aftride, and both men and women without ftirrüps, yet they galloped
fearlefsly over the ftones upon the ih ore; which were large, loofe, and foppery..
Proceeding on in—the Straits on the 24th, Commodore Byron landed at p. 35.
Sandy Point, where lie found plenty of wood, and very good water- Over
the Point there is a fine level country, the foil of which, to all appearance, is
very rich, being covered with flowers of. various kinds,, and berries almoft in- .
numerable g