PREFACE. 



It was orig-inally intended that an account of the 

 Surveymg* Voyag*e of H.M.S. Eattlesnake should 

 have been undertaken conjomtly by the late Captam 

 Owen Stanley and myself^ in which case the 

 narrative would have been constructed from the 

 materials afforded by the journals of both^ and the 

 necessary remarks upon liydrogTaphical subjects 

 would have been furnished by that officer, whose 

 lamented death in March^ 1850^ prevented this 

 arrang-ement from being- carried out. Not having* 

 had access to Captain Stanley's private journals^ I 

 considered myself fortunate^ when the Lords Com- 

 missioners of the Admiralty — in addition to sanc- 

 tioning* the publication of my account of the Yoyag'e 

 in question — directed that every facility should be 

 afforded me in consulting' the manuscript charts and 

 other hydrog'raphical results at their disposal^ and 

 to Rear- Admiral Sir F. Beaufort^ C.B.^ Commander 



