I was offered the situation of first mate on board a vessel, called the Beaver, of Boston, which was going to the Pacific Ocean on a trading voyage. This offer I accepted, and, in the fall of the year, we sailed from Boston. The captain of the vessel was named Richard Coffin, and my old friend James Jenkins was second mate.

We proceeded to the south, passed the West Indies, and sailed along the coast of South America. We stopped at the city of Rio Janeiro a few days, to obtain provisions and fresh water. This I found to be a very large city. It is the capital of Brazil, nearly as large as New York, and about the size of Birmingham in England. The emperor of Brazil resides at this place.

Ships that leave Rio Janeiro, and continue to sail along the coast of South America, come to the country called Patagonia. This is a cold

What does Parley say of Rio Janeiro?

region, and the inhabitants are said to be almost as large as giants. A man who is six feet high is with us considered quite tall, but in Patagonia many of the men are seven feet, and some of them near eight feet high.

They go dressed in skins, and live in huts made also of skins, and sometimes of branches of trees.

To the eastward of Patagonia, is a group of islands called the Falkland Isles. They were once inhabited by some English settlers; but they are now entirely deserted. Sometimes people go there to catch seals. In 1764, Commodore Byron went to these islands with some English ships. Byron sailed all round the world, and this voyage occupied him almost two years.

One day, while on shore, he was unexpect

Where is Patagonia? What does Parley say of Patagonia? What of the people of Patagonia? Where are the Falkland islands? What can you tell of the Falkland islands?

edly attacked by a Sea-Lion, a large kind of seal, and saved himself with great difficulty.

The people had many battles with these animals, and sometimes six men were employed a full hour in killing one of them. A mastiff dog, belonging to the Commodore, was almost torn in pieces by a single bite of one of these mon

sters.

CHAP. XV.

ABOUT THE STRAITS OF MAGELLAN.

PARLEY MEETS WITH STORMS OF WIND AND SNOW. OBSERVATIONS UPON THE NORTH AND SOUTH POLE. ISLANDS COVERED WITH ICE AND SNOW. THE PACIFIC OCEAN, AND THE ISLAND OF JUAN FERNANDEZ.

AT the extremity of South America, there is a large island, called Terra del Fuego. Between this island and Patagonia, is a narrow sea called the straits of Magellan. These straits were discovered by Magellan, a Spanish navigator, about three hundred years ago. This I have told you before. He passed through these straits, and entered the Pacific Ocean. He was the first European navigator that ever sailed upon that mighty sea.

To sail where others have sailed is not so

Where is Terra del Fuego? Where are the straits of Magellan? Who was the first European navigator that sailed upon the Pacific?