Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
versed some more in sign language, then the commodore ordered a
return to the boats and the encounter was over.
It is intriguing that Byron never committed himself to a meas-
urement of these people; all the statements in his journal were
vague: '. . . one of the most extraordinary men for size I had ever seen
till then'; 'these people . . . in size come the nearest to giants I believe
of any people in the world'. 11 In a private letter to Lord Egmont he
was a little more specific but, strangely, quoted a second-hand obser-
vation: 'Our people on board who were looking at us through their
glasses said we looked like mere dwarfs to the people we were gone
amongst.' 12 It is as though he was providing his superiors with the
kind of information they could develop and use in the way that best
suited their purposes. Apparently the British government had reas-
on to encourage the spread of fanciful tales about 'Patagonian giants',
probably as a means of deflecting attention from their real interests
in the region. Whatever the official motivation, returning members
of the expedition and pirate authors soon cashed in on popular in-
terest to publish wildly inaccurate accounts - and pictures - of a race
of people varying from eight to twelve feet in height. This created a
contentious debate in scholarly circles and did little to enhance the
reputation of Foul-Weather Jack. 13
But that was all in the future when Dolphin and Tamar entered
the Straits on 21 December. Byron devoted two weeks to an explor-
ation of the eastern end of the straits, noting anything that might be
of value to future settlers on the Falklands and to ships visiting them
- tides, winds, anchorages, vegetation, animal and bird life, etc:
Here is great plenty of wild celery and many herbs that must be
excellent for seamen after a long voyage . . . here are abundance of
ducks, geese, teal, snipes, etc - I thank God our ship's company are all
extremely healthy; this cold air has given them such voracious appet-
ites that they could eat three times their allowance . . . 14
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