ASTRONOMICAL AND METEOROLOGICAL WORKERS. 49 



at the suggestion of Captain Flinders "Australia," were compiled 

 and published under the authority of the Hydrograj)her to the 

 Admiralty. 



In preparing his narrative for the press he was ably assisted by 

 Dr. J. E. Gray of the British Museum in vertebrata and mollusca, 

 by Mr. Vigors in respect to some of his birds, and Mr. William 

 Sharpe McLeay in his collection of insects; also by Mr. Robert 

 Brown, the eminent botanist of Flinders' voyage in the 

 " Investigator," aiid Dr. W. H. Fitton, in geology. These 

 distinguished men classified and described the numerous specimens 

 of natural history which he had taken to England, many of which 

 were new to science. 



From 1826 to 1830 inclusive he conducted a survey of the 

 southern coasts of South America, having under his command 

 two ships, the " Adventure " and " Beagle." In conjunction with 

 Captain (afterwards Admiral) Fitzroy he published a narrative of 

 the voyage, and in after years, at his own private printing press, 

 produced four pamphlets apparently for private distribution, a 

 copy of each of which is in the possession of his son, the 

 Venerable Archdeacon King, of Sydney. 



No. 1. Treats of the specific gravity of sea water in different 

 parts of the North and South Atlantic Oceans, and in 

 the South Pacific near the western coast of South America ; 

 nearly two hundred determinations are given and fully 

 discussed. (14 pages.) 

 No. 2. Contains selections from a Meteorological Journal kept 

 onboard H.M. ship "Adventui'e" during the voyage to 

 the southern coasts of South America. Observations give 

 the temperature of the air at various places and are fully 

 discussed. (42 pages.) 

 No. 3. Refers to longitudes and gives the observed transits of 

 the moon and moon culminating stars over the meridian 

 of Tahlee, Port Stephens, N.S.W., 1843 to 1849, and the 

 resulting longitudes from them. Also observations of 

 eclipses of the sun and occultations of the fixed stars by 

 the moon at the same place. (14 pages.) Longitude 

 thence lOh. 8m. lis. 

 No. 4. Gives a description of instruments in the observatory 

 and the observations for determining the latitude of 

 Tahlee, Port Stephens, 1841 to 1848. Observations made 

 with an altazimuth instrument. Nearly three hundred 

 separate star observations for latitude are given and the 

 resulting latitude, 32° 40' 17".74. Also a list of about 

 one thousand places for which latitude and longitude, and 

 at most of them magnetic variation and time of high 

 water are also given. (25 pages.) 

 The determination of the longitude of marine positions has 

 E 



