1838.] DEPARTURE OP THE EXPEDITION. 27 



the expedition was ready to sail, — though, as it afterwards 

 appeared, some of the vessels were not in as good condition 

 as they should have been. The squadron consisted of the 

 sloop of war Vincennes, the flag-ship of the commander of the 

 expedition ; the sloop of war Peacock, Lieutenant William 

 L. Hudson ; the brig Porpoise, Lieutenant Cadwalader Ring- 

 gold ; the store-ship Relief, Lieutenant A. K. Long ; and 

 the tenders Sea-Gull and Flying-Fish. As it was deemed 

 important to divest the expedition of all military character, 

 the armament provided for it was adapted merely for defence 

 against the savage and warlike inhabitants of the South Sea 

 islands. The boats of the vessels were all clinker-built, with 

 the exception of the launches, like those used by whalers and 

 sealers. 



A full corps of scientific gentlemen, consisting of philol- 

 ogists, naturalists, conchologists, mineralogists, botanists, 

 horticulturists, taxidermists, and draughtsmen — all employed 

 by the government — accompanied the Expedition. An ample 

 supply of books, and a complete set of charts and instruments, 

 of the most approved character and workmanship, were also 

 furnished ; and several able reports of philosophical and other 

 societies, together with a memorandum transmitted to the 

 Navy Department by Vice- Admiral Krusenstern, of the Rus- 

 sian Navy, were placed in the hands of Lieutenant Wilkes. 



All things being in readiness, on the 9th of August, the 

 squadron, which had been fitted out at Norfolk, dropped down 

 to Hampton Roads and anchored. On the 12th instant, they 

 were joined by the tenders, and on the 17th Lieutenant 

 Wilkes received his final instructions from the Navy Depart- 

 ment. Signal was at once made that the squadron was 

 under sailing orders. At three o'clock in the afternoon of 

 the following day, the vessels weighed anchor ; but as the 

 breeze soon- fell away, they anchored again at the Horse- 

 shoe. In a couple of hours the wind freshened, and the 

 whole squadron stood down the bay in company. During 

 the night the breeze slackened once more, and they made 

 very little progress. Early in the morning of the 19th, how- 



