bitants of Terra del Fuego. The latter are very
great mimics and are much smaller in size, less clothed, and more savage
in appearance than the Patagonians.

We touched at Valparaiso, in Chili, or, as it may be called, the Vale of
Paradise. It is certainly by nature a very beautiful and healthy spot,
built on a number of high hills with ravines intervening; but man, by
his evil practices and crimes, made it, when I was there, much more like
the Vale of Pandemonium. Drunkenness and all sorts of crimes were
common, and the _cuchillo_--the long knife--was in constant requisition
among the Spaniards, scarcely a night passing without one or more
murders being committed. It was then little more than a village, but
has now become quite a large town, with a number of English and American
merchants settled there. The houses are built with very thick walls, to
withstand the constant attacks of earthquakes which they have to
undergo. Having supplied ourselves with fresh provisions and water, we
sailed, and stretched away into the wide Pacific.

We had left the coast of Chili about a day's sail astern. A light
easterly breeze was just ruffling the blue sea--the noon-day sun shining
brightly over it--the hands going listlessly about their work, rather
out of spirits at our want of success, not a whale having hitherto been
seen--when the cheery shout of the first mate reached our ears from the
look-out, of "There she spouts! there she spouts, boys!"

In an instant every one was aroused into the fullest activity--the watch
below sprung on deck--Captain Carr hurried from his cabin, and with his
hand to his mouth, shouted eagerly, "Where away?--where away?"

"About a mile on the starboard-bow," cried Mr Benson, the first mate,
in return.

"Lower the boats, my lads!" exclaimed the captain, preparing to go in
the leading one himself; the first and third mate and the boatswain went
in command of the others. Both Newman and I, as new hands, remained on
board, as did the second mate, to take charge of the ship.

Before the boats were in the water, the whale had ceased spouting; but
just as they were shoving off, the look-out broke forth in a cheerful
chorus, "There again--there again--there again!" the signal that the
whale was once more sending up its spout of spray into the air. The
words were taken up by all on deck, while we pointed with excited looks
at the whale, whose vast head and hump could be clearly distinguished as