y
side.

_Saturday, October 14th_.--Light winds and calms prevailed the whole
day. About 2 p.m. we were off the island of Socorro. In the afternoon
a large shoal of whales came round the yacht. I was below when they
first made their appearance, and when I came on deck they were
spouting up great jets of water in all directions, suggestive of the
fountains at the Crystal Palace. We were lying so still that they did
not seem to be in the least afraid of us, and came quite close,
swimming alongside, round us, across our bows, and even diving down
under our keel. There was a shoal of small fish about, and the whales,
most of which were about fifty or sixty feet in length, constantly
opened their huge pink whalebone-fringed mouths so wide that we could
see right down their capacious throats. The children were especially
delighted with this performance, and baby has learned quite a new
trick. When asked, 'What do the whales do?' she opens her mouth as
wide as she can, stretches out her arms to their fullest extent, then
blows, and finishes up with a look round for applause.

Soon after 8 p.m. the wind completely died away, and, fearing further
detention, we once more got up steam.

_Sunday, October 15th_.--Still calm. We had the litany and hymns at 11
a.m.; prayers and hymns and a sermon at 5 p.m. In the course of the
afternoon we were again surrounded by a shoal of whales. We passed the
island of Chiloe to-day, where it always rains, and where the
vegetation is proportionately dense and luxuriant. It is inhabited by
a tribe of peculiarly gentle Indians, who till the ground, and who are
said to be kind to strangers thrown amongst them. Darwin and Byron
speak well of the island and its inhabitants, who are probably more
civilised since their time, for a steamer now runs regularly once a
week from Valparaiso to San Carlos and back for garden produce. The
potato is indigenous to the island.

[Illustration: Catching Cape Pigeons in the Gulf of Penas]

_Tuesday, October 17th_.--At 6 a.m., there being still no wind, Tom,
in despair of ever reaching our destination under sail alone, again
ordered steam to be raised. Two hours later a nice sailing breeze
sprang up; but we had been so often disappointed that we determined to
continue steaming. Just before sunset we saw the island of Mocha in
the distance. It is said to have been inhabited at one time by herds
of wild horses and hogs, but I think they have now become extinct.