The position of this island was most uncertain. Halley placed it 80 degrees east of the continent. Cowley, the only person who asserted that he had seen it, declared it was about 47 degrees latitude, S., but did not fix its longitude. Here then was an interesting problem to solve. After having explored to the N., to the S., and to the E., Byron, satisfied that this island was imaginary, set sail for the Sebaldines, in haste to reach the first possible port where he could obtain food and water, of which he had pressing need. A storm overtook him, during which the waves were so terrific, that Byron declared he had never seen them equalled, even when he doubled Cape Horn with Admiral Anson. This danger surmounted, he recognized Cape Virgin, which forms the northern entrance to the Straits of Magellan. As soon as the vessels neared the shore, the sailors distinguished a crowd of men on horseback, who set up a white tent, and signed to them to land. Curious to see these Patagonians, about whom preceding navigators had so disagreed, Byron landed with a strong detachment of armed soldiers. He found nearly 500 men, most of them on horseback, of gigantic stature, and looking like monsters in human shape. Their bodies were painted in the most hideous manner, their faces traced with various coloured lines, their eyes encircled with blue, black, or red, so that they had the appearance of wearing enormous spectacles. Almost all were naked, with the exception of a skin thrown over their shoulders--the wool inside, and a few of them wore boots. Truly, a singular costume! primitive and not expensive! [Illustration: "Most of them on horseback."] With them were numbers of dogs and of very small horses, excessively ugly, but not the less extremely swift. The women rode on horseback like the men without stirrups, and all galloped on the shore, although it was covered with immense stones and very slippery. The interview was friendly. Byron distributed numbers of toys, ribbons, glass trinkets, and tobacco, to the crowd of giants. As soon as he had brought the _Dauphin_ to the wind, Byron entered the Straits of Magellan with the tide. It was not his intention to cross it, but merely to find a safe and commodious harbour, where he might secure wood and water before starting in his search for the Falkland Islands.