These People, To Whom Magellan Gave The Name Of Patagons,
Are So Strong, That When One Only Was Attempted To
Be made prisoner of
by nine Spaniards, he tired them all; and, though they got him down,
and even bound
His hands, he freed himself from his bonds, and got away,
in spite of every endeavour to detain him. Besides capar, the name of
a root already mentioned, and which likewise they applied to the bread
or ship's biscuit given them by the Spaniards, the only words reported
of their language are ali water, amel black, cheiche red,
cherecai red cloth; and Setebos and Cheleule are the names of two
beings to whom they pay religious respect, Setebos being the supreme,
and Cheleule an inferior deity.
The haven in which they remained there five months, was named by
Magellan, Port St Julian, of which and the surrounding country they took
solemn possession for the crown of Spain, erecting a cross as a signal
of sovereignty. But the principal reason of this long stay was in
consequence of a mutiny which broke out, not only among the common men,
but was even joined or fomented rather by some of the captains,
particularly by Don Luis de Mendoza, on whom Magellan had placed great
reliance. On this occasion Magellan acted with much spirit; for, having
reduced the mutineers to obedience, he brought their ringleaders to
trial for plotting against his life; hanged Don Luis de Mendoza and a
few others of the most culpable; leaving Don Juan de Carthagena and
others, who were not so deeply implicated, among the Patagons.
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