One day, off the East coast of Tierra del Fuego, we saw a grand sight in several spermaceti whales jumping upright quite out of the water, with the exception of their tail-fins.

As they fell down sideways, they splashed the water high up, and the sound reverberated like a distant broadside.) On one occasion I saw two of these monsters, probably male and female, slowly swimming one after the other, within less than a stone's throw of the shore, over which the beech-tree extended its branches.
We sailed on till it was dark, and then pitched our tents in a quiet creek.

The greatest luxury was to find for our beds a beach of pebbles, for they were dry and yielded to the body.

Peaty soil is damp; rock is uneven and hard; sand gets into one's meat, when cooked and eaten boat-fashion; but when lying in our blanket-bags, on a good bed of smooth pebbles, we passed most comfortable nights.
It was my watch till one o'clock.

There is something very solemn in these scenes.