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highly value taleut in connection with Australian voyages, I will enter 

 into details connected with some of the most celebrated Australian 

 voyages ; and I hope this evening to establish the fact that the rapidity 

 with which these voyages have been accomplished has not been the 

 result of chance, but of skill. There is no error connected with this 

 subject more provoking than that which is so frequently propagated by 

 men who call themselves practical men, that which we so frequently 

 hear repeated when an extraordinary voyage is spoken of. " Have you 

 heard of the 'Eagle's,' or the 'Marco Polo's' rapid circumnavigation of 

 the world?" " Yes," is the reply, "but this is not on account of the skill 

 of their commanders, who are but men of ordinary ability, but of 

 chance." When Captain Godfrey made his first voyage in the " Con- 

 stance " in 77 days, so prevalent was this idea that a gentleman whose 

 standing is high in the nautical world addressed me thus, in the 

 theatre of the Society of Arts : — " No doubt Captain Godfrey is a very 

 clever man, and the route he took was a very good route ; but do not 

 imagine that his having made his voyage in such an incredibly short time 

 as 77 days resulted from these circumstances. It has occurred once, 

 but depend on it he will never do it again." And, in order to convince 

 me that he believed what he said, he assured me that, if Captain God- 

 frey ever again made the voyage in so short a time, he would send me 

 his head. I had, however, the pleasure of calling on him to perform 

 his promise; for Captain Godfrey afterwards, in the " Statesman," made 

 the voyage in 76 days. 



No ! Depend upon it, chance has nothing to do with such affairs. 

 No man knows better than De Morgan the doctrine of chances, of 

 which he has so ably written. Tell him that out of the port of Liver- 

 pool 300 vessels proceeded to Australia in the last year, and that a more 

 limited number had proceeded from this port to that distant colony for 

 many years, and ask him in how long a period, according to the doctrine 

 of chances, would be connected together the shortest passage out from 

 this port with the shortest passage home. He would reply that there 

 is no period within the limit of time, if even time were prolonged to a 

 period beyond the idea of the most speculative, that would bring such 

 an event within the limits of probability. But we have instances of 

 thi:ee extraordinary voyages, and four extraordiiiaiy voyages, made by 

 the same captain. We must then look to other sources, not to chance, 

 but to skill. 



Previously to 1848 the voyages to Australia were conducted upon 

 the same principles as at present, until the latitude of between 00° to 

 35° K. had been attained. Some years since it was discovered that 



