"I'm an Englishman, I tell you!" cried the Patagonian in the same indignant tone. "That's just what I want to arrive at," said Tom. "So now just tell me where we can get some good baccy and a glass of honest grog." The Patagonian repeated the words. "But I ask you!" said Tom. "But I ask you!" said the savage. "I tell you I'm a stranger here!" exclaimed Tom. "I tell you I'm a stranger here!" cried the savage. "Where do you come from then?" asked Tom. "Where do you come from then?" repeated the savage. "I tell you I'm an Englishman," cried Knowles, getting angry. "I tell you I'm an Englishman!" exclaimed the Patagonian in the same indignant tones. "That's more than I'll believe; and, to speak my mind plainly, I believe that you are an arrant, bamboozling hum-bug!" cried Tom. "No offence, though. You understand me?" Whether it was Tom's expression of countenance, or the tone of his voice, I know not, but as he uttered these words, all the savages burst into loud fits of merry laughter; and as he thought they were laughing at him, he said that he should have liked to have gone in among them, and knocked them down right and left with his fists; but they were such precious big fellows, that he thought he should have got the worst of it in the scrimmage. He used with infinite gusto frequently to tell the story for our amusement. I am not quite certain, however, whether he was describing the Patagonians or the inhabitants 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!"