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years, almost all navigators, of whatever country, agree in affirming the existence of a race of giants upon the coast of Patagonia; and that during another century, the much greater number agree in denying the fact, treating their predecessors as idle fabulists, and imputing their reports either to the terror which the rude fierceness of a savage people inspired, or to the natural propensity of mankind to assume importance, by pretending to have seen wonderful things. That men have a strange propensity to the marvelous cannot be denied, nor that fear naturally magnifies its object; but though it be allowed that the accounts of the Patagonians have in some instances been exaggerated, it is certain, that all who have affirmed their stature to be gigantic, were not under the influence of fear; and it is very strange, that nations who have an hereditary hatred to each other, and an acknowledged opposition of interest, should agree in asserting an evident falsehood.
"In the first place, it is well known to have been an opinion long established, both in our ancient world and in America, that there was once a race of giants upon earth who distinguished themselves by violence and guilt.
"Barbenais was told by the inhabitants of South America, that a deluge having laid Peru under water, the Indians retired to the mountains till the flood should subside, and that when they came again down to the plain, they found there men of an enormous stature, who attacked them with great ferocity, killing many, and driving the rest to the caves of the rocks; but that having continued in their hiding places many years, they saw in the air a young man who destroyed the giants by thunderbolts, and thus restored to them the possession of their country. His guides also showed
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Voyaging Accounts |  |
© Derived from Volume I of the London 1773 Edition: National Library of Australia call no. FERG 7243, page ix, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
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