Poi andando a cinquanta dui gradi aL medesimo polo trouassemo neL giorno delle vndici millia vergine vno streto eL capo deL qalle chiamāo capo dele vndici millia vergine þ grandissimo miracolo Questo streto e longo cento et diece legue ɋ sonno 440 millia et largo piu et mancho de meza legua ɋ va a referire in vno alto mare chiamato mar pacificho circundato da mōtagnie altissime caricate de neue nō li poteuamo tro uare fondo sinon con lo proise in tera in 25 et 30 braza et se non era eL capitanio gennerale nō trouauamo Questo strecto percħ tuti pensauamo et diceuamo como era serato tuto intorno. ma iL capitano gñale ɋ sapeua de douer fare la sua nauigatiōe þ vno streto molto ascoso como vite nela thesoraria deL re de portugaL in vna carta fata þ qella exelentissimo huomo martin de boemia Mando due naui Sto. anthonio et la conceptiōe ɋ cossi le quiamauano auedere ɋ era neL capo de la baia noi cō le altre due naue la capitania Se chiamaua trinitade Laltra la victoria stessemo ad aspectarle dento ne la baya La nocte ne souravenne vna grande fortuna ɋ duro fino al alto mezo Jorno þ il que ne fu forza leuare lanchore et lassiare andare de qua et dela per la baia a le altre due naui li era trauersia et nō poteuāo caualcare vno capo ɋ faceua la baya quasi in fine þ voler veniȓ a noi si que li era forsa adare in seco pur acostandose aL fine de La baya pensando de essere persi viteno vna boca picola ɋ no [pasaua: crossed out in original MS.] pariua boca ma vno Cantone et como abandonadi se cazaronno dentro si que perforza disco perseno el streto et vedendo ɋ nō era cantone ma vno streto de tera andarono piu inanzi et trouoro no vna baya. poi andando piu oltra trouorono vno alto stretto et vnalta baya piu grande ɋ le due pime molto alegri subito voltoȓo Jndrieto þ dirlo aL capitanio gñale noi pensauamo fosseno perse prima þ La fortuna grande. Lalta perche eranno passati dui giorni et nō aparauāo et ancho per certi fumi ɋ faceuano duy deli sui mandati in tera þ auisarne et cosi stando suspesi vedemo venire due naui cō le velle pienne et cō le bā dere spiegate verso de noi. essendo cosi vicine subito scaricorono molte bom barde et gridi poy tuti insieme rengratiando ydio et la vergine maria anda semo acercare piu inanzi.
Essendo entrati in questo streto trouassemo due bocque vna aL Siroco laltra aL garbino iL capitanio gñale mando la naue sancto anthonio insieme cō la concitione þ vedere se qella boca ɋ era verso sirocho haueua exito neL mare pacifico la naue sancto anthonio noL volse aspectare la conceptiōe þ ɋ voleua fugire þ retornare in Spagnia como fece iL piloto de questa naue Se chiamaua stefan gomes Loqalle hodiaua molto lo Capo gennerale þɋ inanzi Se facesse questa armata costui era andato da Lo imperatoȓ þ farse dare algune carauele þ discourire terra ma þ la venuta deL Capo gennerale sua magesta nō le li dete þ questo se acordo cō certi spagniolli et nella nocte seguente pigliarono lo capo de la sua naue el qalle era germano deL capo gñale et haueua nome aluaro de meschita Lo ferirono et Lo messeno in feri et cosi lo condussero in spagnia in questo naue. era lalto gigante ɋ haueuamo prezo ma quanto entro neL caldo morse. La Conceptiōe þ nō potere seguire questa La aspectaua andando fugi þ lo medesimo [porto: crossed out in original diqua et dela sto. anto a la nocte torno indrieto et se MS.] strecto nuy eramo andati a descourire lalta bocha verso eL garbin trouando pur ogni hora eL medesimo [porto: crossed out in original MS.] streto ariuassemo a vno fiume qeL chiamassemo eL fiume delle sardine þche apresso de questo ne eranno molte et cosi quiuy tardassemo quatro Jorni þ aspectare le due naue in questi giorni mādasemo vno batello ben fornito þ descoprire eL capo de lalto mare venne in termi ne de tre Jorni et dissero como haueuano [haueuano: doublet in original MS.] veduto eL capo et eL mare amplo eL capitanio gennerale lagrimo þ allegreza et nomino qeL capo Capo dezeado perche laueuano Ja grā tempo disiderato. Tornasemo indrieto þ sercar le due naue et nō trouassemo sinō la conceptiōe et domandandoli doue era lalta. rispose Johan seranno ɋ era capo et piloto de questa et ancho de qella ɋ se perse ɋ nō sapeua et ɋ may nō Laueua veduta dapoy que ella entro ne la boca la Cercassemo þ tuto lo streto fin in qella boca doue ella fugite. il capo gennerale mando indrieto la naue victoria fina aL principio deL streto auedere se ella era iui et non trouandola metesse vna bandera in cima de alguno mōticello cō vna letera in vna pigniatella ficada in tera apresso la bandera acio vedendola trouasseno la lȓa et sapasseno lo viagio ɋ faceuamo þ che cussi era dato le ordine fra noi Quando se smariuamo le naue vna de lalta. se misse due bandere cō le lȓe luna avno mōticello nela prima baya lalta in vna Jzoleta nella terza baya doue eranno molti Loui marini et vcceli grandi. JL capo gñale lespeto cō lalta naue apresso eL fiume Jsleo et fece metere vna croce in vna Jzoleta zirca de questo fiume eL qalle era fra alte montagnie caricate de neue et descendeneL mare apresso Lo fiume de le sardine. Se nō trouauamo questo streto eL capo. gñale haueua deliberato andare fino a setanta cinqƺ gradi aL polo artāticho [sic] doue in taL altura aL tempo de la estate nō ge e nocte et se glie ne he poche et cossi neL inuerno Jorno. açio ɋ vȓa IlLma. sa iL creda quando eramo in questo strecto le nocte eranno solamẽte de tre hore et era neL mese doctobȓ La terra de questo strecto amā mancha era voltata aL siroco et era bassa chiamassemo aquesto streto eL streto patagoni cho ĩ Lo qaL se troua ogni meza lega Segurissimi porti hacque exelentissime Legnia sinon di cedro peschie sardine missiglioni et appio erba dolce ma gene anche de amare nasce atorno le fontane del qalle mangiassimo assay Jorni þ nō haueȓ alto credo nō sia aL mondo el piu bello et meglioȓ streto como equesto. Jn questo mar occeanno Se vede vna molto delecteuoL caza de pesci sonno tre sorte de pessi Longui vno brazo et piu ɋ se chiamano doradi, albacore et bonniti, li qalli sequitano pesci ɋ volanno chiamattj colondrini Longui vno palmo et piu et sonno obtini aL mangiare. Quando qelle tre sorte trouāo alguni de questi volanti Subito li volanti saltanno fora de lacqua et volano fin ɋ anno le alle bagniate piu de vno trar de balestra in tanto ɋ questi volano li alti li corenno indrieto socta hacqua a La sua ombra nō sonno cussi presto cascati ne lacqua ɋ questi subito li piglianno et mangiano cosa in vero belissima de vedere.
Vocabuli de li giganti pataghoni
AL capo | her. | aL ochio | other. | AL nazo | or | Alle cillie | occhecheL | ALe palpebre | SechechieL | Ali bussi deL nazo | oresche | ALa boca | xiam | Ali Labri | Schiahame | Ali denti | phor. | ALa linga | SchiaL | AL mento | Sechen | A li pelli | archiz | AL volto | cogecheL | Ala golo | ohumez | ALa copa | Schialeschin | ALe spalle | pelles. | AL gomedo | CoteL | ALa man | chene | ALa palma de Laman | Caimeghin | AL dito | Cori | Ale orechie | Sane | Soto eL broço | Salischin | Ala mamela | othen | AL peto | ochij | AL corpo | gecheL | AL menbro | sachet | Ali testiculi | Sacancas | Ala natura de le donne | Jsse | AL vzar cō esse | Jo hoi | ALe cosse | chiane | AL genochio | tepin | AL chulo | Schiaguen | Ale culate | hoij | AL brazo | maz | AL polso | holion | A le gambe | coss | AL piede | thee | AL calcagno | tere | ALa chauequie deL pie | perchi | Ala sola deL pie | caotscheni | Ale onguie | Colim | AL core | thoL | AL gratare | gechare | Al homo sguerco | Calischen | AL giuane | Calemi | AL hacqua | holi | AL fuoco | ghialeme | AL fumo | giaiche | Al no | ehen | AL si | Rey | AL oro | pelpeli | ALe petre lazure | Secheg | AL solle | Calexcheni | Alle stelle | settere. | AL mare | Aro | AL vento | oni | ALa fortuna | ohone | AL pesse | hoi | AL mangiare | mechiere | ALa scutella | elo | ALa pigniata | aschanie | AL demandare | ghelhe | Vien qui | hai si | AL gardar | chonne | AL andar | Rey | AL Combater | oamaghce | Ale freze | Sethe | AL Cane | holL | AL lupo | Ani | AL andare longi | Schien | ALa guida | anti | ALa neue | theu | AL courire | hiani | AL Seruzo ucelo | hoihoi | A li sui oui | Jani | Ala poluere derba che mangiāo | Capac. | AL odorare | os | AL papagalo | cheche | ALa gabiota ucelo | Cleo | AL misiglioni | Siameni. | AL panno rosso | Terechae. | AL bonet | AicheL | Al colore nego. | AineL | AL rosso | taiche | AL gialo | peperi | AL coçinare | yrocoles | ALa cintura | Catechin | AL ocha | cache | AL diauolo grande | Setebos | Ali picoli | cheleule |
Tucti questi vocabuli se prenuntiano in gorgha þche cussi li prenũtiauāo Loro.
Me disse questi vocabuli queL gigante ɋ haueuamo nella naue per ɋ domandandome Capac çioe pane che chusi chiamano quela radice ɋ vzanno Loro þ panne et oli çioe hacqua Quando eL me vite scriuer questi nomi domandandoli poi de li alti cō la penna in mano me Jntendeua vna volta feci la croce et la basai mostrandoglila Subito grido setebos et fecemi segno Se piu facesse la croce me intrarebe neL corpo et farebe crepare Quando questo gigante staua male domando la croce abrassandola et basandola molto Se volse far Xpiano inanzi la sua morte eL chiamasemo paulo Questa gente Quando voleno far fuoco fregano vno legnio pontino cō vno alto in fine ɋ fanno Lo fuocho in vna certa medola darbore ɋ fra questi dui legni.
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Then going to fifty-two degrees toward the same pole, we found a strait on the day of the [feast of the] eleven thousand virgins [i.e. October 21], whose head is called Capo de le Undici Millia Vergine [i.e., cape of the Eleven Thousand Virgins] because of that very great miracle. That strait is one hundred and ten leguas or 440 millas long, and it is one-half legua broad, more or less. It leads to another sea called the Pacific Sea, and is surrounded by very lofty mountains laden with snow. There it was impossible to find bottom [for anchoring], but [it was necessary to fasten] the moorings on land 25 or 30 brazas away. Had it not been for the captain-general, we would not have found that strait, for we all thought and said that it was closed on all sides. But the captain-general who knew where to sail to find a well-hidden strait, which he saw depicted on a map in the treasury of the king of Portugal, which was made by that excellent man, Martin de Boemia, sent two ships, the «Santo Anthonio» and the «Conceptione» (for thus they were called), to discover what was inside the cape de la Baia [i.e., of the Bay]. We, with the other two ships, [namely], the flagship, called «Trinitade,» and the other the «Victoria,» stayed inside the bay to await them. A great storm struck us that night, which lasted until the middle of next day, which necessitated our lifting anchor, and letting ourselves drift hither and thither about the bay. The other two ships suffered a headwind and could not double a cape formed by the bay almost at its end, as they were trying to return to join us; so that they thought that they would have to run aground. But on approaching the end of the bay, and thinking that they were lost, they saw a small opening which did not [exceed: crossed out in original MS.] appear to be an opening, but a sharp turn [cantone]. Like desperate men they hauled into it, and thus they discovered the strait by chance. Seeing that it was not a sharp turn, but a strait with land, they proceeded farther, and found a bay. And then farther on they found another strait and another bay larger than the first two. Very joyful they immediately turned back to inform the captain-general. We thought that they had been wrecked, first, by reason of the violent storm, and second, because two days had passed and they had not appeared, and also because of certain [signals with] smoke made by two of their men who had been sent ashore to advise us. And so, while in suspense, we saw the two ships with sails full and banners flying to the wind, coming toward us. When they neared us in this manner, they suddenly discharged a number of mortars, and burst into cheers. Then all together thanking God and the Virgin Mary, we went to seek [the strait] farther on.
After entering that strait, we found two openings, one to the southeast, and the other to the southwest. The captain-general sent the ship «Sancto Anthonio» together with the «Concitione» to ascertain whether that opening which was toward the southeast had an exit into the Pacific Sea. The ship «Sancto Anthonio» would not await the «Conceptione,» because it intended to flee and return to Spagnia – which it did. The pilot of that ship was one Stefan Gomes, and he hated the captain-general exceedingly, because before that fleet was fitted out, the emperor had ordered that he be given some caravels with which to discover lands, but his Majesty did not give them to him because of the coming of the captain-general. On that account he conspired with certain Spaniards, and next night they captured the captain of their ship, a cousin of the captain-general, one Alvaro de Meschita, whom they wounded and put in irons, and in this condition took to Spagnia. The other giant whom we had captured was in that ship, but he died when the heat came on. The «Conceptione,» as it could not follow that ship, waited for it, sailing about hither and thither. The «Sancto Anthonio» turned back at night and fled along the same [port: crossed out in original MS.] strait. We had gone to explore the other opening toward the southwest. Finding, however, the same [port: crossed out in original MS.] strait continuously, we came upon a river which we called the river of Sardine [i.e., Sardines], because there were many sardines near it. So we stayed there for four days in order to await the two ships. During that period we sent a well-equipped boat to explore the cape of the other sea. The men returned within three days, and reported that they had seen the cape and the open sea. The captain-general wept for joy, and called that cape, Cape Dezeado [i.e., Desire], for we had been desiring it for a long time. We turned back to look for the two ships, but we found only the «Conceptione.» Upon asking them where the other one was, Johan Seranno, who was captain and pilot of the former ship (and also of that ship that had been wrecked) replied that he did not know, and that he had never seen it after it had entered the opening. We sought it in all parts of the strait, as far as that opening whence it had fled, and the captain-general sent the ship «Victoria» back to the entrance of the strait to ascertain whether the ship was there. Orders were given them, if they did not find it, to plant a banner on the summit of some small hill with a letter in an earthen pot buried in the earth near the banner, so that if the banner were seen the letter might be found, and the ship might learn the course that we were sailing. For this was the arrangement made between us in case that we went astray one from the other. Two banners were planted with their letters – one on a little eminence in the first bay, and the other in an islet in the third bay where there were many sea-wolves and large birds. The captain-general waited for the ship with his other ship near he river of Isleo, and he had a cross set up in an islet near that river, which flowed between high mountains covered with snow and emptied into the sea near the river of Sardine. Had we not discovered that strait, the captain-general had determined to go as far as seventy-five degrees toward the Antarctic Pole. There in that latitude, during the summer season, there is no night, or if there is any night it is but short, and so in the winter with the day. In order that your most illustrious Lordship may believe it, when we were in that strait, the nights were only three hours long, and it was then the month of October. The land on the left-hand side of that strait turned toward the southeast and was low. We called that strait the strait of Patagonia. One finds the safest of ports every half legua in it, water, the finest of wood (but not of cedar), fish, sardines, and missiglioni, while smallage, a sweet herb (although there is also some that is bitter) grows around the springs. We ate of it for many days as we had nothing else. I believe that there is not a more beautiful or better strait in the world than that one. In that Ocean Sea one sees a very amusing fish hunt. The fish [that hunt] are of three sorts, and are one braza and more in length, and are called dorado, albicore, and bonito. Those fish follow the flying fish called colondrini, which are one palmo and more in length and very good to eat. When the above three kinds [of fish] find any of those flying fish, the latter immediately leap from the water and fly as long as their wings are wet – more than a crossbow's flight. While they are flying, the others run along back of them under the water following the shadow of the flying fish. The latter have no sooner fallen into the water than the others immediately seize and eat them. It is in fine a very amusing thing to watch.
Words of the Patagonian giants
for Head | her |
for Eye | other |
for Nose | or |
for Eyebrows | occhechel |
for Eyelids | sechechiel |
for Nostrils | oresche |
for Mouth | xiam |
for Lips | schiahame |
for Teeth | phor |
for Tongue | schial |
for Chin | sechen |
for Hair | archiz |
for Face | cogechel |
for Throat | ohumez |
for Occiput | schialeschin |
for Shoulders | pelles |
for Elbow | cotel |
for Hand | chene |
for Palm of the hand | caimeghin |
for Finger | cori |
for Ears | sane |
Armpit | salischin |
for Teat | othen |
for Bosom | ochij |
for Body | gechel |
for Penis | sachet |
for Testicles | sacancas
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for Vagina | isse |
for Communication with women | jo hoi |
for Thighs | chiane |
for Knee | tepin |
for Rump | schiaguen |
for Buttocks | hoij |
for Arm | maz |
for Pulse | holion |
for Legs | coss |
for Foot | thee |
for Heel | tere |
for Ankle | perchi |
for Sole of the foot | caotscheni |
for Fingernails | colim |
for Heart | thol |
for to Scratch | gechare |
for Cross-eyed man | calischen |
for Young man | calemi |
for Water | holi |
for Fire | ghialeme |
for Smoke | giaiche |
for No | ehen |
for Yes | rey |
for Gold | pelpeli |
for Lapis lazuli | secheg |
for Sun | calexcheni |
for Stars | settere |
for Sea | aro |
for Wind | oni |
for Storm | ohone |
for Fish | hoi |
for to Eat | mechiere |
for Bowl | elo |
for Pot | aschanie |
for to Ask | ghelhe |
Come here | hai si |
for to Look | chonne |
for to Walk | rey |
for to Fight | oamaghce |
for Arrows | sethe |
for Dog | holl |
for Wolf | ani |
for to Go a long distance | schien |
for Guide | anti |
for Snow | theu |
for to Cover | hiani |
for Ostrich, a bird | hoihoi |
for its Eggs | jani |
for the powder of the herb which they eat | capac |
for to Smell | os |
for Parrot | cheche |
for Birdcage | cleo |
for Misiglioni | siameni |
for Red Cloth | terechae |
for Cap | aichel |
for Black | ainel |
for Red | taiche |
for Yellow | peperi |
for to Cook | yrocoles |
for Belt | catechin |
for Goose | cache |
for their big Devil | Setebos |
for their small Devils | Cheleule |
All the above words are pronounced in the throat, for such is their method of pronunciation.
That giant whom we had in our ship told me those words; for when he, upon asking me for capac, that is to say, bread, as they call that root which they use as bread, and oli, that is to say, water, saw me write those words quickly, and afterward when I, with pen in hand, asked him for other words, he understood me. Once I made the sign of the cross, and, showing it to him, kissed it. He immediately cried out «Setebos,» and made me a sign that if I made the sign of the cross again, Setebos would enter into my body and cause it to burst. When that giant was sick, he asked for the cross, and embracing it and kissing it many times, desired to become a Christian before his death. We called him Paulo. When those people wish to make a fire, they rub a sharpened piece of wood against another piece until the fire catches in the pith of a certain tree, which is placed between those two sticks.
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