women taller from the same cause? When we
know more of Central Africa and Central Brazil
than we now know, perhaps an answer may be
obtainable to that question. As to the gigantic
Patagonians, who appear in our old Voyages and
Travels as mighty men, eight, nine, and even ten
feet high, they have settled down into stalwart
fellows about six feet high; Patagonia is so
far down towards the Antarctic regions as to
puzzle our theorists a little. M. Virey tells us
that, during the American War of Independence,
the Arkansas Indians were regarded as the
noblest-looking men in North America; a cargo
of hats was sent out to them from Paris, but
the hats were much too small to fit the heads.
By universal testimony, little people are found
to be more sharp, smart, and dapper than tall
people. M. Virey says: "Tall men are generally
much more weak and slow than short men,
for all exertions both of body and mind. If
men of high stature are preferred, for their fine
appearance, in the body-guard of princes, and in
the service of eminent persons, they are certainly
neither the most robust nor the most active; but
they are docile, candid, and naïve, little prone to
conspire for evil, and faithful even to the worst
master. In war, they are more fitted for defence
than attack; whereas an impetuous and brusque
action suits better for short and vivacious men.
Tall men are mostly tame and insipid, like
watery vegetables; insomuch that we seldom
hear of a very tall man becoming a very great
man. Little men manifest a character more
firm and decided than those lofty and soft-bodied
people, whom we can lead more easily both
morally and physically." Let all little men
rejoice at such an opinion as this, and especially
at the following incident: An empress of
Germany, in the seventeenth century, to gratify
a whim, caused all the giants and dwarfs in the
empire to be brought to court. As it was feared
that the giants would terrify the dwarfs, means
were taken to keep the peace; but instead of
this, the dwarfs teased, insulted, and robbed the
giants to such an extent, that the lengthy
fellows complained, with tears in their eyes; and
sentinels had to be posted to protect the giants
from the dwarfs.

Biblical and mythical and classical histories
tell us much about tall people which we cannot
well understand at the present day. Og, King
of Bashan, whose bed was fifteen feet long;
the Rephaims, Emims, and Enacians, who were
reputed nations of giants; Goliah, the mighty
warrior, eleven feet high; the Emperor
Maximinus, nine feet high; Gabarus the Roman,
nine feet nine inches high; the monster Scotchman,
eleven feet high, living under King Eugene
the Second (whoever he may have been); the
exhumed coffin, eleven feet long, containing
mortal remains, which crumbled into dust on
being exposed to the air—all these are noticed
by Le Cat, together with other people fifteen,
twenty, or even thirty feet high. Peace be to
them! Sir Hans Sloane and Baron Cuvier proved
that the bones of many so-called giants were really
the bones of quadrupeds. Who can tell us
anything about the great bed at Ware? Who slept
in it? Did he tuck himself in? Did his toes
come down to the bed-foot? There was another
celebrated bed the length of which we should
like to know; Procrustes used to rack out the
short men, and chop off the tall men, until they
were exactly long enough to fit it.

Concerning such individuals as have had their
altitude honestly recorded in actual feet and
inches, for the admiration of posterity, we need
say nothing about them unless they overtop six
feet. We all of us meet occasionally with
strapping fellows, Life Guardsmen and others,
who exceed this limit by two or three inches.
The Queen's army, it appears, possesses one
soldier who belongs to the family of giants.
What is known respecting him has been thus
told recently in the Edinburgh Courant:
"Corporal Moffat, of the Scots Fusilier Guards, at
present staying at Kelso, on the recruiting
staff, is believed to be the tallest soldier in the
army. His height is six feet seven inches and
a half, and he is proportionably stout. Corporal
Moffat joined the Scots Fusiliers about two
years and a half ago, is about twenty-four years
of age, and is a native of Leitholm, near Kelso.
Previous to joining the Fusiliers, he worked on
the Duke of Roxburgh's estate, as a forester, for
a considerable time. Growing tired of that
occupation, he offered to join the Life Guards,
but was rejected owing to his immense height
and weight. Nothing daunted at this, Moffat
determined, if possible, to join the Scots
Fusiliers, and proceeded immediately to London for
that purpose, and was quickly accepted. As
Corporal Moffat is well known in the Kelso
district, he will doubtless be of great assistance
to the recruiting party stationed there.
"Corporal Moffat, may your shadow never be
less! Many of the giants at the fairs range
between six feet and a half and seven feet in
height. Poor fellows! it used to be (perhaps
still is) a part of the bargain between them and
the showmen, that the latter should be allowed
to sell the bodies of the giants to the surgeons
after death. As to the seven feet men and
upwards, the Long Lawyer, as he used to be called
about thirty years ago, was unquestionably a
member of this group. Cornelius Webb, in
his Glances at Life in City and Suburbs, says
of him: "He once affected to ride a cob; but
it was soon perceived that he was walking, and
that the little fellow was only trotting along
between his legs—as it were, under his auspices.
Sitting some time after dinner, one day, he
remarked, on a sudden, that he would 'get up and
stretch himself;' if you had seen the consternation,
or if I could describe it! He would
pertinaciously persist in travelling by one coach,
when he ought to have gone in three; and as
he was resolutely bent on riding inside, they
made a hole through the roof for his head and
shoulders, and got informed against for carrying
luggage higher than the number of inches
allowed by act of parliament. His tailor, when
he measured him, like a sensible man, stood on
a flight of steps; but three of his journeymen,