Partendone de qi ariuassemo fin a 49 gradi et mezo aL antarticho essendo linuerno le naui introrono in vno bon porto þ inuernarse quiui stesemo dui mesi senza vedere þsonna alguna. Vndi a linprouiso vedessemo vno homo de statura de gigante ɋ staua nudo nella riua deL porto balando cantando et butandose poluere Soura la testa. JL capitanio gñale mando vno deli nȓi a lui acio facesse li medesimi acti in segno de pace et fati lo conduce in vna Jzolleta dinanzi aL capo gñalle Quando fo nella sua et nȓa presentia molto se marauiglio et faceua segni cō vno dito alzato credendo venissemo daL ciello Questo erra tanto grande ɋ li dauamo a La cintura et ben disposto haueua La faza grande et depinta intorno de rosso et Jntorno li ochi de Jallo cō dui cori depinti in mezo de le galte. li pocqi capili ɋ haueua erano tinti de biancho. era vestito de pelle de animale cosi de Sotilmente insieme el qualle animalle a eL capo et orechie grande como vna mula iL colo et iL corpo como vno camello, le gambe de ceruo et La coda de caualo et nitrisse como lui ge ne sonno asaysimi in questa tera haueua a li piedi albarghe de le medesme pelle ɋ copreno li piedi a vzo de scarpe et nella mano vno archo curto et grosso. La corda alquando piu grossa di qelle deL lauto fata de le budelle deL medemo animale cō vno mazo de frece de canna non molto longue inpenade como le nostre þ fore pōte de pietra de fuoca biancha et negra amodo de freze turquesque facendole cō vn alta pietra. Lo capo genneralle li fece dare da mangiare et bere et fra le altre cose ɋ li mostrete li mostro vno spequio grande de azalle. quando eL vide sua figura grandamente se spauento et salto in drieto et buto tre o quato de li nosti homini þ terra da poy li dete Suonagli vno spequio vno petine et certi pater nosti et mando lo in tera cō 4 homini armati Vno suo compagnio ɋ may volse venire a le naue quando eL vite venire costui cō li nosti corse doue stauano li alti Se misseno in fila tuti nudi ariuando li nosti a essi comensorono abalare et cantare leuando vno dito aL ciello et mostrandoli poluere bianca de radice de erba posta in pigniate de tera ɋ la mangiasseno þche non haueuano altra cosa li nosti li feceno segnio douesseno vegnire a le naui et que li ajuterebenno portare le sue robe þ il que Questi homini subito pigliorono Solamente li sui archi et le sue femine cargate como asine portorono il tuto. queste nō sonno tanti grandi ma molto piu grosse quando le vedessimo grandamẽte stessemo stupefati anno le tete longue mozo brazo. sonno depinte et vestite como loro mariti sinon dinanzi a la natura anno vna pelessina ɋ la copre menavano quato de qƺsti animali picoli ligadi cō ligami amodo de caueza. Questa gente quanto voleno pigliare de questi animale ligano vno de questi picoli a vno spino poi veneno li grandi þ Jocare cō li picoli et essi stando asconsi li amazano cō Le freze. li nosti ne candussero a le naui dizidoto tra homini et femine et foreno repartiti de due parte deL porto açio pigliasseno de li dicti animalj.
Deli a 6. Jorni fu visto vno gigante depinto et vestito de la medisima sorta de alguni ɋ faceuano legnia haueua in mano vno archo et freze acostandose a li nosti pima se tocaua eL capo eL volto et eL corpo et iL simile faceua ali nosti et dapoy leuaua li mani aL ciello. Quando eL capo gñale Lo sepe. Lo mando atore cō Losquifo et menolo in qella Jzola che era neL porto doue haueuano facta vna casa þ li fabri et þ meter li alcune cose de le naue. costui era piu grande et meglio disposti de li alti et tanto trata bile et gratioso. saltando balaua et quando balaua ogni volta cazaua li piedi Soto tera vno palmo. Stete molti giorni cō nui tanto qeL batisassemo chiamandolo Johannj cos chiaro prenuntiaua Jesu pater noster aue maria et Jouani como nui se non cō voce grocissima. poi eL capo gñale li dono vna camiza vna camisota de panno braguesse di pano vn bonet vn spequio vno petine sonagli et altre cose et mandolo da li sui ge li ando molto alegro et cōtento eL giorno seguente costui porto vno de quelli animali grandi aL capo gñale þ il que li dete molte cose acio ne portasse de li alti ma piu noL vedesemo pensasemo li Suoi lo hauessero amazato þ haueȓ conuersato cō nuy.
Passati 15 giorni vedessemo quato de questi giganti senza le sue arme þ che le aueuano ascosse in certi spini poi li dui che pigliassemo ne li insegniaro ogni vno era depinto diferentiatamente JL capo genneralle retenne duy li piu Joueni et piu disposti cō grande astutia þ condurli in spagnia Se alta mente hauesse facto facilmente hauerebenno morto alguni de nui. La stutia ɋ vzo in retenerli fo questa ge dete molti cortelli forfice speqi sonagli et christalino hauendo questi dui li mani pienne de le detti cose iL capo gñale fece portare dui para de feri ɋ se meteno a li piedi mostrando de donnarli et elli þ essere fero li piaceuāo molto ma non sapeuano Como portarli et li rincresceua lassarli nō haueuano oue meteȓ qelle merce; et besogniauali tenerli co le mani la pelle ɋ haueuāo intorno li alti duy voleuano ajutarli ma iL capo nō volse vedendo ɋ li rincresciua lassiare qelli feri li fece segnio li farebe ali piedi et queli portarebenno via essi risposero cō la testa de si Subito aduno medesimo tempo li fece metere a tucti dui et quando linquiauāo cō lo fero ɋ trauersa dubitauano ma sigurandoli iL capo pur steteno fermi a vedendose poi de lingano Sbufauano como tori quiamando fortemente setebos ɋ li ajutasse agli alti dui apena potesimo ligarli li mani li mandassemo a terra cō noue homine açio guidasseno li nosti doue staua La moglie de vno de qelli haueuano presi perche fortemẽte cō segni la lamentaua açio ella intendessemo. Andando vno se desligo li mani et corse via cō tanta velocita ɋ li nȓi lo perseno de vista ando doue staua La sua brigata et nō trouo vno de li soi ɋ era rimasto cō le femine þ che era andato a la caza subito lo ando atrouare et contoli tuto eL fatto Lalto tanto se sforsaua þ desligarse ɋ li nosti lo ferirono vn pocho sopa la testa et sbufando conduce li nȓi doue stauāo le loro donne. gioan cauagio piloto capo de questi nō volse tore la donna qella sera ma dormite yui þ che se faceua nocte li alti duy veneno et vedendo costui ferito se dubitauāo et nō disero niente alhora ma ne lalba parloro a le donne subito fugiteno via et coreuāo piu li picoli ɋ li grandi lassando tute le sue robe dui se trasseno da parte tirā do ali nȓi frece. lalto menaua via qelli soi animaleti þ cazare et cosi cōba tendo vno de qelli passo la cossa cō vna freza a vno deli nȓi il qalle subito mori quando visteno questo subito corseno via li nȓi haueuano squiopeti et balestre et may nō li poterono ferire quando questi combateuāo may stauano fermi ma saltando de qua et della. li nosti se pelirono Lo morto et brasarono tute le robe ɋ haueuano lassata Certamente questi giganti Coreno piu Cauali et Sonno gelosissimi de loro mogliere.
Quando questa gente se sente malle aL stomacho in loco de purgarse se metẽo nela golia dui palmi et piu duna firza et gomitano coloro þde misquiade cō sangue þɋ mangiano certi cardi Quando li dole eL capo Se danno neL fronte vna tagiatura neL trauerso et cussi nele brace ne le gambe et in ciascuno locho deL corpo cauandosse molta sangue. vno de qelli hauiuāo pre si ɋ staua nela nȓa naue diceua como qeL sangue nō voleua stare iui et þ qello li daua passione anno li capeli tagliati cō la quierega amodo de frati ma piu longui cō vno cordonne di bambaso intorno lo capo neL qalle ficano le freze quando vano ala caza ligano eL Suo membro dentro deL corpo þ lo grandissimo fredo. Quando more vno de questi apareno x ho dudice demonj balando molto alegri in torno deL morto tucti depinti ne vedeno vno soura altri asay piu grande gridando et facendo piu grā festa cosi como eL demonio li apare de pinto de qella Sorte se depingeno quiamano eL demonio magior setebos ali alti cheleulle anchora costui ne disse cō segni hauere visto li demonj con dui corni in testa et peli longui ɋ copriuano li piedi getare focho þ La boca et þ iL culo JL capo gñale nomino questi populi patagoni tutti se vestino de la pelle de qello animale gia deto nō anno case senon trabacque de la pelle deL medesimo animale et cō qelli vano mo di qua mo di la como fanno li cingani viueno de carne cruda et de vna radice dolce ɋ la quiamāo chapae ogni vno de li dui ɋ pigliassemo mangiaua vna sporta de biscoto et beueua in vna fiata mezo sechio de hacqua et mangiauāo li sorgi senza scorti carli.
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Leaving that place, we finally reached 49 and one-half degrees toward the Antarctic Pole. As it was winter, the ships entered a safe port to winter. We passed two months in that place without seeing anyone. One day we suddenly saw a naked man of giant stature on the shore of the port, dancing, singing, and throwing dust on his head. The captain-general sent one of our men to the giant so that he might perform the same, actions as a sign of peace. Having done that, the man led the giant to an islet into the presence of the captain-general. When the giant was in the captain-general's and our presence, he marveled greatly, and made signs with one finger raised upward, believing that we had come from the sky. He was so tall that we reached only to his waist, and he was well proportioned. His face was large and painted red all over while about his eyes he was painted yellow; and he had two hearts painted on the middle of his cheeks. His scanty hair was painted white. He was dressed in the skins of animals skilfully sewn together. That animal has a head and ears as large as those of a mule, a neck and body like those of a camel, the legs of a deer, and the tail of a horse, like which it neighs, and that land has very many of them. His feet were shod with the same kind of skins which covered his feet in the manner of shoes. In his hand he carried a short, heavy bow, with a cord somewhat thicker than those of the lute, and made from the intestines of the same animal, and a bundle of rather short cane arrows feathered like ours, and with points of white and black flint stones in the manner of Turkish arrows, instead of iron. Those points were fashioned by means of another stone. The captain-general had the giant given something to eat and drink, and among other things which were shown to him was a large steel mirror. When he saw his face, he was greatly terrified, and jumped back throwing three or four of our men to the ground. After that he was given some bells, a mirror, a comb, and certain Pater Nosters. The captain-general sent him ashore with 4 armed men. When one of his companions, who would never come to the ships, saw him coming with our men, he ran to the place where the others were, who came [down to the shore] all naked one after the other. When our men reached them, they began to dance and to sing, lifting one finger to the sky. They showed our men some white powder made from the roots of an herb, which they kept in earthen pots, and which they ate because they had nothing else. Our men made signs inviting them to the ships, and that they would help them carry their possessions. Thereupon, those men quickly took only their bows, while their women laden like asses carried everything. The latter are not so tall as the men but are very much fatter. When we saw them we were greatly surprised. Their breasts are one-half braza long, and they are painted and clothed like their husbands, except that before their privies [natura] they have a small skin which covers them. They led four of those young animals, fastened with thongs like a halter. When those people wish to catch some of those animals, they tie one of these young ones to a thornbush. Thereupon, the large ones come to play with the little ones; and those people kill them with their arrows from their place of concealment. Our men led eighteen of those people, counting men and women, to the ships, and they were distributed on the two sides of the port so that they might catch some of the said animals.
Six days after the above, a giant painted and clothed in the same manner was seen by some [of our men] who were cutting wood. He had a bow and arrows in his hand. When our men approached him, he first touched his head, face, and body, and then did the same to our men, afterward lifting his hands toward the sky. When the captain-general was informed of it, he ordered him to be brought in the small boat. He was taken to that island in the port where our men had built a house for the smiths and for the storage of some things from the ships. That man was even taller and better built than the others and as tractable and amiable. Jumping up and down, he danced, and when he danced, at every leap, his feet sank a palmo into the earth. He remained with us for a considerable number of days, so long that we baptized him, calling him Johanni. He uttered [the words] «Jesu,» «Pater Noster,» «Ave Maria» and «Jovani» [i.e., John as distinctly as we, but with an exceedingly loud voice. Then the captain-general gave him a shirt, a woolen jerkin [camisota de panno], cloth breeches, a cap, a mirror, a comb, bells, and other things, and sent him away like his companions. He left us very joyous and happy. The following day he brought one of those large animals to the captain-general, in return for which many things were given to him, so that he might bring some more to us; but we did not see him again. We thought that his companions had killed him because he had conversed with us.
A fortnight later we saw four of those giants without their arms for they had hidden them in certain bushes as the two whom we captured showed us. Each one was painted differently. The captain-general kept two of them – the youngest and best proportioned – by means of a very cunning trick, in order to take them to Spagnia. Had he used any other means [than those he employed], they could easily have killed some of us. The trick that he employed in keeping them was as follows. He gave them many knives, scissors, mirrors, bells, and glass beads; and those two having their hands filled with the said articles, the captain-general had two pairs of iron manacles brought, such as are fastened on the feet. He made motions that he would give them to the giants, whereat they were very pleased since those manacles were of iron, but they did not know how to carry them. They were grieved at leaving them behind, but they had no place to put those gifts; for they had to hold the skin wrapped about them with their hands. The other two giants wished to help them, but the captain refused. Seeing that they were loth to leave those manacles behind, the captain made them a sign that he would put them on their feet, and that they could carry them away. They nodded assent with the head. Immediately, the captain had the manacles put on both of them at the same time. When our men were driving home the cross bolt, the giants began to suspect something, but the captain assuring them, however, they stood still. When they saw later that they were tricked, they raged like bulls, calling loudly for Setebos to aid them. With difficulty could we bind the hands of the other two, whom we sent ashore with nine of our men, in order that the giants might guide them to the place where the wife of one of the two whom we had captured was; for the latter expressed his great grief at leaving her by signs so that we understood [that he meant] her. While they were on their way, one of the giants freed his hands, and took to his heels with such swiftness that our men lost sight of him. He went to the place where his associates were, but he did not find [there] one of his companions, who had remained behind with the women, and who had gone hunting. He immediately went in search of the latter, and told him all that had happened. The other giant endeavored so hard to free himself from his bonds, that our men struck him, wounding him slightly on the head, whereat he raging led them to where the women were. Gioan Cavagio, the pilot and commander of those men, refused to bring back the woman that night, but determined to sleep there, for night was approaching. The other two giants came, and seeing their companion wounded, hesitated, but said nothing then. But with the dawn, they spoke to the women, [whereupon] they immediately ran away (and the smaller ones ran faster than the taller), leaving all their possessions behind them. Two of them turned aside to shoot their arrows at our men. The other was leading away those small animals of theirs in order to hunt. Thus fighting, one of them pierced the thigh of one of our men with an arrow, and the latter died immediately. When the giants saw that, they ran away quickly. Our men had muskets and crossbows, but they could never hit any of the giants, [for] when the latter fought, they never stood still, but leaped hither and thither. Our men buried their dead companion, and burned all the possessions left behind by the giants. Of a truth those giants run swifter than horses and are exceedingly jealous of their wives.
When those people feel sick at the stomach, instead of purging themselves, they thrust an arrow down their throat for two palmos or more and vomit [substance of a] green color mixed with blood, for they eat a certain kind of thistle. When they have a headache, they cut themselves across the forehead; and they do the same on the arms or on the legs and in any part of the body, letting a quantity of blood. One of those whom we had captured, and whom we kept in our ship, said that the blood refused to stay there [i.e., in the place of the pain], and consequently causes them suffering. They wear their hair cut with the tonsure, like friars, but it is left longer; and they have a cotton cord wrapped about the head, to which they fasten their arrows when they go hunting. They bind their privies close to their bodies because of the exceeding great cold. When one of those people die, x or twelve demons all painted appear to them and dance very joyfully about the corpse. They notice that one of those demons is much taller than the others, and he cries out and rejoices more. They paint themselves exactly in the same manner as the demon appears to them painted. They call the larger demon Setebos, and the others Cheleulle. That giant also told us by signs that he had seen the demons with two horns on their heads, and long hair which hung to the feet belching forth fire from mouth and buttocks. The captain-general called those people Patagoni. They all clothe themselves in the skins of that animal above mentioned; and they have no houses except those made from the skin of the same animal, and they wander hither and thither with those houses just as the Cingani do. They live on raw flesh and on a sweet root which they call chapae. Each of the two whom we captured ate a basketful of biscuit, and drank one-half pailful of water at a gulp. They also ate rats without skinning them.
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