JOURNAL 



VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY. 



CHAPTER I. 



INTRODUCTEON. 



OBJECTS OF THE VOYAGE — THE BEAGLE COMMISSIONED — 

 HER FORMER CAREER — HER FIRST COMMANDER — INSTRUC- 

 TIONS FROM THE ADMIRALTY AND THE HYDROGRAPHER 



OFFICERS AND CREW — ARRIVAL AT PLYMOUTH — EMBARK 

 LIEUTS, GREY AND LUSHINGTOn's EXPLORING PARTY — 

 CHRONOMETRIC DEPARTURE — FAREWELL GLANCE AT PLY- 

 MOUTH — DEATH OF KING WILLIAM THE FOURTH. 



For more than half a century, the connection be- 

 tween Great Britain and her Australian possessions 

 has been one of growing interest ; and men of the 

 highest eminence have foreseen and foretold the 

 ultimate importance of that vast continent, o'er 

 which, within the memory of living man, the 

 roving savage held precarious though unquestioned 

 empire. 



Of the Australian shores, the North-western was 

 the least known, and became, towards the close of 

 the year 1836, a subject of much geographical spe- 



VOL. r. B 



