2 H. M. SLOOP 'beagle.' 



culation. Former navigators were almost unani- 

 mous in believing that the deep bays known to 

 indent a large portion of this coast, received the 

 waters of extensive rivers, the discovery of which 

 would not only open a route to the interior, but 

 afford facilities for colonizing a part of Australia, 

 so near our East Indian territories, as to render its 

 occupation an object of evident importance. 



His Majesty's Government therefore determined 

 to send out an expedition to explore and survey 

 such portions of the Australian coasts, as were 

 wholly or in part unknown to Captains Flinders 

 and King. 



For this service H. M. Sloop, ' Beagle,' was 

 commissioned at Woolwich, in the second week of 

 February, 1837, by Commander Wickham, who had 

 already twice accompanied her in her wanderings 

 over the least known and most boisterous waters 

 of the globe ; first, in her sister ship of discovery, 

 the * Adventure,' Captain King, and afterwards as 

 first lieutenant of the sloop now intrusted to his 

 command. Under Captain Wickham some of the 

 most important objects of the voyage were achieved, 

 but in consequence of his retirement in M^rch 

 1841, owing to ill health, the command of the 

 ' Beagle' was entrusted to the author of the follow- 

 ing pages ; and as, by a singular combination of 

 circumstances, no less than three long and hazardous 

 voyages of discovery have been successfully completed 

 in this vessel, some account of her here may not be 



