pigafetta ’s voyage round the world. 313

1 he captain-general and myfelf were one day prefent at a lingular incident. Theyoung girls frequently came on board to barter their favours with the crew; one ofthe moff handfome among them on this occafion made a vifit with this intention toour velfel; but perceiving a nail about as long as my linger, and thinking herfelfunobferved, line feized it, and chofe a fingular place for its concealment. Was it trulyfor the purpofe of concealment: or was it for decoration fake ? This we could neverlearn*.

We Hayed thirteen days at this port; after which, refuming our courfe, we coaltedalong this country as far as thirty-four degrees forty minutes fouth where we found alarge river of frelh water. Here it is that cannibals refide, or anthropophagi. Oneof them of gigantic fize, and whofe voice was loud as the bellowing of a bull, ap-proached our veil'd for the purpofe of enheartening his comrades, who, apprehenfive°f injury from us, were withdrawing from the coall, and retiring with their effects tothe interior. That we might not lofe the opportunity afforded of feeing them at hand,a nd converfing with them, we landed about a hundred of our men, and purfued themtjuth an intention of catching one or another of the party : but they made fuch hugeitrides that even though we ran and jumped we were unable to cover any thing likea fimilar fpace.

This river contains feven fmall illands : in the largeft called Sta. Maria, preciousHones are found. It was formerly imagined that this was not a river, but a channelwhich communicated with the South Sea; but it was Ihortly found to be truly a river,which at its mouth is feventeen leagues acrofs. Here John de Solis, while on a voyage°f difcovery like us, was with fixty of his crew devoured by cannibals, in whom theyplaced too great confidence.

Coaffing conftantly along this land towards the antarftic pole, we Hopped at twoWands f, which we found peopled by geefe and fea-wolves alone. The former are foNumerous and fo little wild that we caught a fufficient Hore for the five Ihips in theipace of a fingle hour. They are black, and feem to be covered alike over every part°r the body, with Ihort feathers, without having wings with which to fly; in faft theyCann °t fly, and live entirely on fifli : they are fo fat that we were obliged to finge them,as we could not pluck their feathers. Their beak is curved like a horn.

he fea-wolves are of different colour, and nearly of the fize of a calf, with a headm uch like the head of that animal. Their ears are round and fliort, and their teethlong. They have no legs ; and their paws, which adhere to the body, fomewhate enable our hands, having alfo frnall nails. They are, however, web-footed like a^ c k. Were thefe animals capable of running they would be much to be dreaded forfeem very ferocious. They fwim with great fwiftnefs, and fubfiff on fifh.

St Pi ex P ei "i encec l a dreadful Horm between thefe illands, during which the lights ofm q St. Nicholas, and St. Clare were oftentimes perceived at the tops of the

a ts 5 inflantly as they difappeared the fury of the tempeff abated.

vefTels" ^' a l )re and Ramufio this incident is not mentioned, but inltead it is faid that at the inftant theby ^ a PPj oac hed the Ihore they landed fome pregnant Haves who were on board, and who left the fhip^igafe^? 1 e * ves ’. were their own midwives, and brought back the new born in their arms to the fhips.in the ™ ei l t ' ons no fuch matter ; nor does it wear the lead appearance of probability. We have feen

he talr» egln " in S of the chapter that Magellan gave the ftrifteft orders that no woman whatever Ihould‘ a jten on board. 6 6

e *7 ft°pped at Port Defire, where

Ill,

Li

0 f T —'t'l'cu ai x-ort jjenre, wnere are two illands, one called the Ifle of Penguins, the other theia n . . ,j° ns ', Pigafetta calls the former geefe, the latter wolves. The one is the aptenodita demerfa,e ot her the phocas urfina, Linn, commonly called feals, or fea-dogs.

XI * s s On

VOL.