Page:Colnett - Voyage to the South Pacific (IA cihm 33242).djvu/56

 very aiduity; and perceiving the very great advantage which they would derive, in their millions, from poeing a brother who was o well killed in medicine and urgery, pared no pains to win his affection and ecure his confidence. In hort, they o worked upon his mind, as to peruade him to enter into their college and finally to become one of their order. He now entered upon his minitry among the Indians, who inhabit the vat track of country between the River La Plata and the Straits of Magellan. His kill in the cure of dieaes, and in performing urgical operations, together with his knowledge of mechanics, rendered his miion ucceful beyond example. In this country he remained near forty years, and was among the perons appointed by the Spanih Government, to make a urvey of the coats between the Brazils and the Terra del Fuego, Falkland's Ilands, &c. When the ociety of Jeuits was diolved, he was ent back to Spain, and after an abence of near forty years, arrived in his native country. Soon after his return to England, he became dometic chaplain to Robert Berkeley, Eq. of Spetchley, near Worceter, a Roman Catholic gentleman of ditinguihed knowledge, mot repectable character, and large fortune. There he wrote the account of Patagonia, which has been quoted in this volume, and was afterwards publihed with a map corrected from that of D'Anville, according to his own obervations. Mr. Falkner poeed a very acute mind, a general knowledge and mot retentive memory. Of his medical experience and practice, I have heard phyicians of eminence peak in the highet terms of commendation. His manners, as may be uppoed, from the tenor of his life, were at once ingular and mot inoffenive: and he retained omewhat of his Indian habits to the lat. He died, as I have been informed, about the year 1781. ingular circumtance, that while the Spaniards were negotiating with Great-Britain, for arranging the difference between them, in an amicable manner, they actually ettled every port in the Atlantic, as far South as the Straits of Ma-