THE SEA ELEPHANT.

I saw, for the first time, what the settlers call a pod of sea elephants.  At this particular season these animals lay strewed about the beach, and, unless you disturb them, the sight of a man will not frighten them away.  I was determined to get a good portrait of some of them, and accordingly took my sketch-book and pencil, and seated myself very near to one of them, and began my operations, feeling sure I had now got a most patient sitter, for they will lie for weeks together without stirring; but I had to keep throwing small pebbles at him, in order to make him open his eyes, and prevent his going to sleep.  The flies appear to torment these unwieldy monsters most cruelly, their eyes and nostrils being stuffed full of them.  I got a good sketch of the group.  They appeared to stare at me occasionally with some little astonishment, stretching up their immense heads and looking around; but finding all still (I suppose they considered me a mere rock), they composed themselves to sleep again.  They are the most shapeless creatures about the body.  I could not help comparing them to an over-grown maggot, and their motion is similar to that insect.  The face bears some rude resemblance to the human countenance; the eye is large, black, and expressive; excepting two very small flippers or paws at the shoulder, the whole body tapers down to a fish’s tail; they are of a delicate mouse colour, the fur is very fine, but too oily for any other purpose than to make mocassins for the islanders.  The bull is of an enormous size, and would weigh as heavily as his namesake of the land; and in that one thing consists their only resemblance, for no two animals can possibly be more unlike each other.  It is a very curious phenomenon, how they can possibly exist on shore; for, from the first of their landing, they never go out to sea, and they lie on a stormy beach for months together without tasting any food, except consuming their own fat, for they gradually waste away; and as this fat or blubber is the great object of value, for which they are attacked and slaughtered, the settlers contrive to commence operations against them upon their first arrival, for it is well ascertained that they take no sustenance whatever on shore.  I examined the contents of the stomach of one they had just killed, but could not make out the nature of what it contained.  The matter was of a remarkably bright green colour.  They have many enemies, even in the water; one called the killer, a species of grampus, which makes terrible havoc amongst them, and will attack and take away the carcass of one from alongside a boat.  But man is their greatest enemy, and causes the most destruction to their race:  he pursues them to all quarters of the globe.

VISIT FROM THE NATIVES AT TERRA DEL FUEGO.

During our stay, we had, at various times, visits from the natives.  They were all at first very shy, but after they found our friendly disposition towards them, they became more sociable and confiding.