In 1838 the able-bodied seaman Charles Erskine joined the exploring expedition of Charles Wilkes who was setting out on a voyage of discovery around the world. From the Pacific to Antarctic to Atlantic, Erskine would travel with this expedition to the furthest corners of the Earth. He would go on to travel to some of the most unexplored regions, meeting men and women who had never seen westerners before. Along the journey the crew meet Patagonians, Fijians, Tahitians, Aborigines, and many other peoples.